Abstract
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).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 341-351 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Nature Astronomy |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2019 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
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Properties of rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx imaging and thermal analysis. / The OSIRIS-REx Team.
In: Nature Astronomy, Vol. 3, No. 4, 01.04.2019, p. 341-351.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Properties of rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx imaging and thermal analysis
AU - The OSIRIS-REx Team
AU - DellaGiustina, D. N.
AU - Emery, J. P.
AU - Golish, D. R.
AU - Rozitis, B.
AU - Bennett, C. A.
AU - Burke, K. N.
AU - Ballouz, R. L.
AU - Becker, K. J.
AU - Christensen, P. R.
AU - Drouet d’Aubigny, C. Y.
AU - Hamilton, V. E.
AU - Reuter, D. C.
AU - Rizk, B.
AU - Simon, A. A.
AU - Asphaug, E.
AU - Bandfield, J. L.
AU - Barnouin, O. S.
AU - Barucci, M. A.
AU - Bierhaus, E. B.
AU - Binzel, R. P.
AU - Bottke, W. F.
AU - Bowles, N. E.
AU - Campins, H.
AU - Clark, B. C.
AU - Clark, B. E.
AU - Connolly, H. C.
AU - Daly, M. G.
AU - Leon, J. de
AU - Delbo’, M.
AU - Deshapriya, J. D.P.
AU - Elder, C. M.
AU - Fornasier, S.
AU - Hergenrother, C. W.
AU - Howell, E. S.
AU - Jawin, E. R.
AU - Kaplan, H. H.
AU - Kareta, T. R.
AU - Le Corre, L.
AU - Li, J. Y.
AU - Licandro, J.
AU - Lim, L. F.
AU - Michel, P.
AU - Molaro, J.
AU - Nolan, M. C.
AU - Pajola, M.
AU - Popescu, M.
AU - Garcia, J. L.Rizos
AU - Ryan, A.
AU - Schwartz, S. R.
AU - Shultz, N.
PY - 2019/4/1
Y1 - 2019/4/1
N2 - 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).
AB - 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).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063230439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85063230439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41550-019-0731-1
DO - 10.1038/s41550-019-0731-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85063230439
VL - 3
SP - 341
EP - 351
JO - Nature Astronomy
JF - Nature Astronomy
SN - 2397-3366
IS - 4
ER -