Data Set Overview : The Asteroid Polarimetric Database (APD) is compiled by D.F. Lupishko of Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine. This database tabulates the original data comprising degree of polarization as a function of phase angle of the asteroid, and additional parameters where available. The data included are published asteroid polarimetry for which observation dates are available, and unpublished asteroid polarimetry data which are provided to Lupishko along with the dates of observation. The last column of the APD file is a reference code consisting of the publication year and name of the first author. The full citations for the papers may be found in the accompanying reference list file. For unpublished data, the code Unpubl. along with the name of the observer is used. This version of the APD is current through March 21, 2006.  A few published data of asteroid polarimetric observations are not included in APD because the papers do not contain the dates of observation, and it has yet been possible to obtain the dates from the authors.   Modification History : This data set was first reviewed and ingested in 1996, and was updated in 1997 with additional polarimetric data published since then, as well as an added table of derived polarimetric parameters including polarization curves and polarimetric albedos of selected asteroids. In 1999 and 2000 the data set was updated again with additional polarimetric observations published since the previous version. This version created in 2006 represents the addition of additional results from the literature and from individual researchers.  Parameters : The parameters tabulated in 'apd.tab' are filter, phase angle, degree of polarization, polarization position angle, position angle of the scattering plane, and both degree of polarization and position angle in the proper coordinate system measured from the perpendicular to the scattering plane.   Ancillary Data : Parameters of the polarimetric curve for individual asteroids, as well as polarimetric albedos, are compiled in the file 'apdcurv.tab'. This file reproduces the data in Table 2 of Lupishko and Mohamed (1996) [LUPISHKO&MOHAMED1996], and has not been updated since that time.  The entries in 'apd.tab' include a reference to the published paper in which the data appeared, and to the observatory and telescope where the observations were made. The full references of the papers cited mat be found in the file 'apdrefs.tab' in the data directory. A general compilation of asteroid polarimetry papers is also included in the file 'polrefs.txt' in the document directory. The telescopes and observatories are listed in the document 'polobs.txt'.

Confidence Level Overview : This is a compilation of asteroid polarimetry results from the published literature. The user is referred to the individual publications for information on the confidence level of any given observation.  The table of polarimetric parameters and polarimetric albedos, 'apdcurv.tab', provides no error values, but instead gives a quality code as an assessment of the quality of the data.