Formation and Physical Properties of Asteroids

Asteroids are the leftover precursors to the terrestrial planets. Before the first images of them were sent from space, our knowledge of asteroids relied entirely on ground-based observations and meteorite analysis. Spacecraft images revolutionized our knowledge and geological understanding of their physical properties. They also showed us that asteroids are subjected to various kinds of processes and are incredibly diverse in size, shape, structure, composition, and rotational properties. Therefore, space missions remain necessary to enhance our knowledge of the various components of the asteroid population. In addition, numerical modeling is required to interpret spacecraft images and improve our understanding of the physical processes asteroids experience over their lifetime.

[1]  Marcello Fulchignoni,et al.  SEARCH FOR AQUEOUSLY ALTERED MATERIALS ON ASTEROIDS , 1998 .

[2]  Alessandro Morbidelli,et al.  A low mass for Mars from Jupiter’s early gas-driven migration , 2011, Nature.

[3]  K. Holsapple.  Spin limits of Solar System bodies: From the small fast-rotators to 2003 EL61 , 2007 .

[4]  T. Grav,et al.  PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF ASTEROIDS ESTIMATED FROM THE WISE 3-BAND DATA AND NEOWISE POST-CRYOGENIC SURVEY , 2012, 1210.0502.

[5]  Robert Jedicke,et al.  The fossilized size distribution of the main asteroid belt , 2003 .

[6]  Richard P. Binzel,et al.  An extension of the Bus asteroid taxonomy into the near-infrared , 2009 .

[7]  W. Losert,et al.  Granular convection in microgravity. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[8]  Collisions and Gravitational Reaccumulation : Forming Asteroid Families and Satellites , .

[9]  S. Weidenschilling.  Initial sizes of planetesimals and accretion of the asteroids , 2011 .

[10]  Takahide Mizuno,et al.  Mass and Local Topography Measurements of Itokawa by Hayabusa , 2006, Science.

[11]  R. Greenberg,et al.  Steady-State Size Distributions for Collisional Populations: Analytical Solution with Size-Dependent Strength , 2003, 1407.3307.

[12]  Daniel D. Durda,et al.  Asteroids Do Have Satellites , 2002 .

[13]  Harold F. Levison,et al.  LATE ORBITAL INSTABILITIES IN THE OUTER PLANETS INDUCED BY INTERACTION WITH A SELF-GRAVITATING PLANETESIMAL DISK , 2011 .

[14]  Richard P. Binzel,et al.  Asteroid rotation rates - Distributions and statistics , 1989 .

[15]  David P. O'Brien,et al.  Itokawa's cratering record as observed by Hayabusa: Implications for its age and collisional history , 2009 .

[16]  Harold F. Levison,et al.  Asteroids Were Born Big , 2009, 0907.2512.

[17]  Andrew Scott Rivkin,et al.  The Nature of M-Class Asteroids from 3-μm Observations☆ , 2000 .

[18]  D. Britt.  The Porosity of Dark Meteorites and the Structure of Low-Albedo Asteroids , 2000 .

[19]  A. Harris.  The surface properties of small asteroids from thermal-infrared observations , 2005, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union.

[20]  Erik Asphaug,et al.  Growth and Evolution of Asteroids , 2009 .

[21]  H. McSween,et al.  Unique, Antique Vesta , 2014 .

[22]  Kevin R. Housen,et al.  Impact cratering on porous asteroids , 2003 .

[23]  E. Ryan,et al.  Asteroid Impacts: Laboratory Experiments and Scaling Laws , 2002 .

[24]  Derek C. Richardson,et al.  Astronomy Astrophysics Letter to the Editor Collision and gravitational reaccumulation: Possible formation mechanism of the asteroid Itokawa , 2013 .

[25]  Lance A. M. Benner,et al.  Asteroid Radar Astronomy , 1983 .

[26]  Erik Asphaug.  The Shifting Sands of Asteroids , 2007, Science.

[27]  Andrew Steele,et al.  Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope , 2006, Science.

[28]  G. Libourel,et al.  Asteroids: New Challenges, New Targets , 2014 .

[29]  D. Trilling,et al.  EXPLORENEOs. I. DESCRIPTION AND FIRST RESULTS FROM THE WARM SPITZER NEAR-EARTH OBJECT SURVEY , 2010 .

[30]  Hajime Yano,et al.  Regolith Migration and Sorting on Asteroid Itokawa , 2007, Science.

[31]  Petr Pravec,et al.  Fast and Slow Rotation of Asteroids , 2000 .

[32]  Farquhar,et al.  Estimating the mass of asteroid 253 mathilde from tracking data during the NEAR flyby , 1997, Science.

[33]  W. Bottke,et al.  The primordial excitation and clearing of the asteroid belt—Revisited , 2006 .