High-fidelity Simulations of the Near-Earth Object Search Performance of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

作者：Veres Peter; Chesley Steven R

来源：Astronomical Journal, 2017, 154(1): 12.

DOI：10.3847/1538-3881/aa73d1

• methods: numerical
• minor planets, asteroids: general
• surveys
• telescopes

We perform high-fidelity simulations of a wide-field telescopic survey searching for Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) larger than 140 m, focusing on the observation and detection model, as well as detection efficiency and accuracy. As a test survey, we select the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). We use its proposed pointings for a 10-year mission, and model the detection of NEOs in the fields. We discuss individual model parameters for magnitude losses, vignetting, fading, asteroid rotation and colors, fill factor, limiting magnitude, rate of motion, field shape and rotation, and survey patterns. We assess results in terms of the cumulative completeness of the detected population as a function of size and time. Additionally, we examine the sources of modeling uncertainty, and derive the overall NEO population completeness for the baseline LSST survey to be 55 +/- 5% for NEOs with absolute magnitude brighter than 22. Including already discovered objects and ongoing surveys, the NEO completeness at the end of the LSST baseline survey should reach similar to 77%.

• 出版日期2017-7