Observed characteristics of selected active bodies in the solar system as indicators of their origin and evolution

Supervisor: Mgr. Oleksandra Ivanova, PhD. (oivanova@ta3.sk)
Affiliation: Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Tatranská Lomnica, 059 60 Vysoké Tatry
Focus of the research: The investigation of remnant planetesimals in the Solar System is motivated by the endeavor to reveal their connection to the conditions of their formation in the protosolar disk. Recent research on selected active small bodies has highlighted that a significantly larger number of objects undergo phases of activity than previously assumed, often utilizing mechanisms that remain poorly understood. Similarity and dissimilarity in chemical and physical properties of active small bodies can illuminate their origin and/or evolution. The key scientific goal is to understand how activity modifies the characteristics of small bodies and to decipher their current properties in order to elucidate their recent evolution.
Objectives: To identify the physical characteristics and chemical composition of selected active small bodies based on photometry, spectroscopy, and polarimetry. To perform a diagnosis of the physical and optical properties of dust in objects from different populations through numerical modeling. To search for correlations between the physical and dynamical characteristics of small Solar system bodies with the aim of identifying features associated with different regions of their formation or distinct evolutionary paths.
Requirements: Programming skills in a commonly used language (IDL or Python) and basic knowledge of LaTeX environment, good knowledge of the English language, experience in observations and the ability to reduce the observed material and obtain the values needed for further analysis are welcome.
Research field: Activity of small bodies in the Solar System
Literature:
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