On perturbations in the rotational motion of an asteroid during its close approach to the Earth

Abstract

By means of numerical simulation of the rotational dynamics of the asteroid (99942)Apophis, the perturbations occurring in the rotational motion of asteroids during their close approaches to the Earth are studied. It has been established that such events can lead to significant changes in the asteroid's own rotation velocity and the orientation of its rotation axis in space. The dependences of the change in the period of rotation of the asteroid on the parameters of the orbit and its rotational state before approaching the Earth are studied. It is shown that disturbances in the rotational motion of an asteroid that occur during approaches significantly affect its further orbital dynamics by changing the magnitude of the Yarkovsky effect.