Collisional formation of top-shaped asteroids and implications for the origins of Ryugu and Bennu

P. Michel (), R.-L. Ballouz (), O. S. Barnouin, M. Jutzi, K. J. Walsh, B. H. May, C. Manzoni, D. C. Richardson, S. R. Schwartz, S. Sugita, S. Watanabe, H. Miyamoto, M. Hirabayashi, W. F. Bottke, H. C. Connolly, M. Yoshikawa and D. S. Lauretta
Additional contact information
P. Michel: Universite Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Lagrange
R.-L. Ballouz: University of Arizona
O. S. Barnouin: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
M. Jutzi: University of Bern, NCCR PlanetS, Gesellsschaftsstrasse 6, 3012
K. J. Walsh: Southwest Research Institute
B. H. May: London Stereoscopic Company
C. Manzoni: London Stereoscopic Company
D. C. Richardson: University of Maryland
S. R. Schwartz: University of Arizona
S. Sugita: School of Science, The University of Tokyo
S. Watanabe: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University
H. Miyamoto: School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
M. Hirabayashi: Auburn University
W. F. Bottke: Southwest Research Institute
H. C. Connolly: University of Arizona
M. Yoshikawa: JAXA
D. S. Lauretta: University of Arizona

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Asteroid shapes and hydration levels can serve as tracers of their history and origin. For instance, the asteroids (162173) Ryugu and (101955) Bennu have an oblate spheroidal shape with a pronounced equator, but contain different surface hydration levels. Here we show, through numerical simulations of large asteroid disruptions, that oblate spheroids, some of which have a pronounced equator defining a spinning top shape, can form directly through gravitational reaccumulation. We further show that rubble piles formed in a single disruption can have similar porosities but variable degrees of hydration. The direct formation of top shapes from single disruption alone can explain the relatively old crater-retention ages of the equatorial features of Ryugu and Bennu. Two separate parent-body disruptions are not necessarily required to explain their different hydration levels.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16433-z

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