High resolution topography and gravity of 433 Eros

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Scientific paper

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission determined two independent shape models of asteroid 433 Eros from orbit, using imaging data and using laser altimetry (both shape models were based upon orbit solutions, where the former used a solution from radiometric data, optical navigation, and altimetry, while the latter used only radiometric data and altimetry). The global shape uncertainties are ~20 m, giving a volume determination to within 1%. There are systematic differences between the two shape models: the laser model radius averages 17 m smaller than the imaging model, and the imaging model tends to underestimate the depth of topography. In both models prior work has shown that the interior density of Eros must be close to uniform on km-scales, but there are suggestions of inhomogeneity from center-of-figure offsets and moments of inertia which are not consistent with observed rotation. Simple models show how small changes in mass distribution can reconcile these data, but there is no unique solution. New estimates are obtained for the accuracy of gravity models based upon uniform density distributions within the available shape models. Moreover, the NEAR landing data enable a direct determination of the local gravitational acceleration from laser altimetry as the spacecraft descended below 500 m altitude. Even when close to the surface of the asteroid, the global shape model provides consistent determinations of local gravity and high resolution topography. These considerations give added confidence in the previously reported bulk density (2.67 g/cc), which is significantly less than that of ordinary chondrite meteorites. I will argue that this difference cannot simply be attributed to macroscopic voids or fractures within Eros, but more likely indicates that Eros differs from ordinary chondrites in composition and/or texture.

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