Physics
Scientific paper
Oct 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011epsc.conf..552d&link_type=abstract
EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011, held 2-7 October 2011 in Nantes, France. http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2011, p.552
Physics
Scientific paper
Space-based [12] (Fig. 1) and remote sensing observations [4] reveal that regolith - a layer of loose unconsolidated material - is present on all asteroids, including very small, sub km-sized near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) such as (25143) Itokawa [7] (See Fig. 2). Classically, regolith is believed to be produced by impacts of small particles hitting asteroid surfaces. Such explanation works for bodies whose gravity field is strong enough for substantial reaccretion of impact debris, but it fails to account for the ubiquitous presence of regolith also on small asteroids with weaker gravity. Several works [6, 5, 10] have proposed that the thermal fatigue due to a huge number of day/night temperature cycles is a process responsible for the formation of regolith on the Moon, Mercury, and on the NEA (433) Eros by fracturing boulders and rocks on their surfaces. However, this process lacks a demonstration. We calculate typical temperature cycles for NEAs and we perform laboratory experiments of thermal cycling of meteorites - taken as analogue of asteroid surface material - to study under which conditions rock cracking on NEAs occurs.
Delbo' Marco
Ganino C.
Libourel Guy
Marchi Simone
Michel Pascal
No associations
LandOfFree
Temperature shocks at the origin of regolith on asteroids does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Temperature shocks at the origin of regolith on asteroids, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Temperature shocks at the origin of regolith on asteroids will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1478255