A Near-Earth Asteroid Population Estimate from the LINEAR Survey
Abstract
I estimate the size and shape of the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population using survey data from the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project, covering 375,000 square degrees of sky and including more than 1300 NEA detections. A simulation of detection probabilities for different values of orbital parameters and sizes combined with the detection statistics in a Bayesian framework provides a correction for observational bias and yields the NEA population distribution as a function of absolute magnitude, semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination. The NEA population is more highly inclined than previously estimated, and the total number of kilometer-sized NEAs is 1227-90+170 (1σ).
- Publication:
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Science
- Pub Date:
- November 2001
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2001Sci...294.1691S
- Keywords:
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- PLANET SCI
