Regolith migration and sorting on asteroid Itokawa |
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| Authors: | Miyamoto Hideaki Yano Hajime Scheeres Daniel J Abe Shinsuke Barnouin-Jha Olivier Cheng Andrew F Demura Hirohide Gaskell Robert W Hirata Naru Ishiguro Masateru Michikami Tatsuhiro Nakamura Akiko M Nakamura Ryosuke Saito Jun Sasaki Sho |
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| Institution: | Department of Museum Collection Utilization Studies, University Museum, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyoku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. hm@um.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
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| Abstract: | High-resolution images of the surface of asteroid Itokawa from the Hayabusa mission reveal it to be covered with unconsolidated millimeter-sized and larger gravels. Locations and morphologic characteristics of this gravel indicate that Itokawa has experienced considerable vibrations, which have triggered global-scale granular processes in its dry, vacuum, microgravity environment. These processes likely include granular convection, landslide-like granular migrations, and particle sorting, resulting in the segregation of the fine gravels into areas of potential lows. Granular processes become major resurfacing processes because of Itokawa's small size, implying that they can occur on other small asteroids should those have regolith. |
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