Inferring interiors and structural history of top-shaped asteroids from external properties of asteroid (101955) Bennu

Asteroid interiors are key to understand their formation and evolution. Here, the authors show that numerically simulated low-cohesion and low-friction structures with several high-cohesion internal zones can explain asteroid Bennu’s geophysical characteristics and the absence of the moons.

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yun Zhang, Patrick Michel, Olivier S. Barnouin, James H. Roberts, Michael G. Daly, Ronald-L. Ballouz, Kevin J. Walsh, Derek C. Richardson, Christine M. Hartzell, Dante S. Lauretta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32288-y
Description
Summary:Asteroid interiors are key to understand their formation and evolution. Here, the authors show that numerically simulated low-cohesion and low-friction structures with several high-cohesion internal zones can explain asteroid Bennu’s geophysical characteristics and the absence of the moons.
ISSN:2041-1723