Particle shape and size predict asteroid strength, revealing Bennu's surface is 50 times weaker than ground coffee
In a new Nature Communications study, researchers developed a universal scaling framework for the strength of granular asteroids, showing that their tensile strength can be predicted from the size and shape of their constituent particles.
In a new Nature Communications study, researchers developed a universal scaling framework for the strength of granular asteroids, showing that their tensile strength can be predicted from the size and shape of their constituent particles.
The short version
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- Space missions have revealed that many small asteroids, such as Bennu, Ryugu and Itokawa, are not solid rocks but granular asteroids: loosely bound collections of dust, rock and boulders held together by their own gravity and weak cohesive forces.
- Researchers have studied how these bodies are held together for more than a decade.
What happened
However, previous simulations could only treat their fine grains as perfect spheres, while real grains are angular and irregular. The current study found a way to incorporate realistic particle shapes into the simulations.
Why it matters
Phys.org spoke to first author Paul Sánchez, a senior research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Phys.org via the links above and below.