Bibcode
Dellagiustina, D. N.; Emery, J. P.; Golish, D. R.; Rozitis, B.; Bennett, C. A.; Burke, K. N.; Ballouz, R.-L.; Becker, K. J.; Christensen, P. R.; Drouet D'Aubigny, C. Y.; Hamilton, V. E.; Reuter, D. C.; Rizk, B.; Simon, A. A.; Asphaug, E.; Bandfield, J. L.; Barnouin, O. S.; Barucci, M. A.; Bierhaus, E. B.; Binzel, R. P.; Bottke, W. F.; Bowles, N. E.; Campins, H.; Clark, B. C.; Clark, B. E.; Connolly, H. C.; Daly, M. G.; de Leon, J.; Delbo', M.; Deshapriya, J. D. P.; Elder, C. M.; Fornasier, S.; Hergenrother, C. W.; Howell, E. S.; Jawin, E. R.; Kaplan, H. H.; Kareta, T. R.; Le Corre, L.; Li, J.-Y.; Licandro, J.; Lim, L. F.; Michel, P.; Molaro, J.; Nolan, M. C.; Pajola, M.; Popescu, M.; Garcia, J. L. Rizos; Ryan, A.; Schwartz, S. R.; Shultz, N.; Siegler, M. A.; Smith, P. H.; Tatsumi, E.; Thomas, C. A.; Walsh, K. J.; Wolner, C. W. V.; Zou, X.-D.; Lauretta, D. S.; Osiris-Rex Team
Bibliographical reference
Nature Astronomy, Volume 3, p. 341-351
Advertised on:
3
2019
Citations
177
Refereed citations
171
Description
Establishing the abundance and physical properties of regolith and
boulders on asteroids is crucial for understanding the formation and
degradation mechanisms at work on their surfaces. Using images and
thermal data from NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource
Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft,
we show that asteroid (101955) Bennu's surface is globally rough, dense
with boulders, and low in albedo. The number of boulders is surprising
given Bennu's moderate thermal inertia, suggesting that simple models
linking thermal inertia to particle size do not adequately capture the
complexity relating these properties. At the same time, we find evidence
for a wide range of particle sizes with distinct albedo characteristics.
Our findings imply that ages of Bennu's surface particles span from the
disruption of the asteroid's parent body (boulders) to recent in situ
production (micrometre-scale particles).
Related projects
Minor Bodies of the Solar System
This project studies the physical and compositional properties of the so-called minor bodies of the Solar System, that includes asteroids, icy objects, and comets. Of special interest are the trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), including those considered the most distant objects detected so far (Extreme-TNOs or ETNOs); the comets and the comet-asteroid
Julia de
León Cruz