Inferring interiors and structural history of top-shaped asteroids from external properties of asteroid (101955) Bennu - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Nature Communications Année : 2022

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

Yun Zhang
Patrick Michel
Olivier S Barnouin
James H Roberts
Michael G Daly
Kevin J Walsh
Dante S Lauretta

Résumé

Asteroid interiors play a key role in our understanding of asteroid formation and evolution. As no direct interior probing has been done yet, characterisation of asteroids' interiors relies on interpretations of external properties. Here we show, by numerical simulations, that the top-shaped rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu's geophysical response to spinup is highly sensitive to its material strength. This allows us to infer Bennu's interior properties and provide general implications for top-shaped rubble piles' structural evolution. We find that low-cohesion (≲0.78 Pa at surface and ≲1.3 Pa inside) and low-friction (friction angle ≲ 35 ∘) structures with several high-cohesion internal zones can consistently account for all the known geophysical characteristics of Bennu and explain the absence of moons. Furthermore, we reveal the underlying mechanisms that lead to different failure behaviours and identify the reconfiguration pathways of top-shaped asteroids as functions of their structural properties that either facilitate or prevent the formation of moons.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
s41467-022-32288-y.pdf (4.6 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine : Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte

Dates et versions

hal-03835363 , version 1 (31-10-2022)

Identifiants

Citer

Yun Zhang, Patrick Michel, Olivier S Barnouin, James H Roberts, Michael G Daly, et al.. Inferring interiors and structural history of top-shaped asteroids from external properties of asteroid (101955) Bennu. Nature Communications, 2022, 13, pp.4589. ⟨10.1038/s41467-022-32288-y⟩. ⟨hal-03835363⟩
9 Consultations
7 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

Gmail Facebook X LinkedIn More