Cartography for Martian Trojans

The last few months have seen the discovery of a second Martian Trojan (199 8 VF31) as well as two further possible candidates (1998 QH56 and 1998 SD4) . Together with the previously discovered Martian satellite 5261 Eureka, th ese are the only known possible solar system Trojan asteroids not associate d with Jupiter. Here maps of the locations of the stable Trojan trajectorie s of Mars are presented. These are constructed by integrating an ensemble o f in-plane and inclined orbits in the vicinity of the Martian Lagrangian po ints for between 25 and 60 million years. The survivors occupy a band of in clinations between 15 degrees and 40 degrees and longitudes between 240 deg rees and 330 degrees at the L5 Lagrangian point. Around the L4 point, stabl e Trojans inhabit two bands of inclinations (15 degrees < i < 30 degrees an d 32 degrees < i < 40 degrees) with longitudes restricted between 25 degree s and 120 degrees. Both 5261 Eureka and 1998 VF31 lie deep within one of th e stable zones, which suggests that they may be of primordial origin. Aroun d Mars, the number of such undiscovered primordial objects with sizes great er than 1 km may be as high as similar to 50. The two candidates 1998 QH56 and 1998 SD4 are not presently on Trojan orbits and will enter the sphere o f influence of Mars within half a million years.