An artificial impact on the asteroid 162173 Ryugu formed a crater in the gravity-dominated regime

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Abstract

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft investigated the small asteroid Ryugu, which has a rubble pile structure. We describe an impact experiment on Ryugu using Hayabusa2’s Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI). The impact produced an artificial crater with a diameter >10 m, which has a semicircular shape, an elevated rim and a central pit. Images of the impact and resulting ejecta were recorded by the Deployable CAMera 3 (DCAM3) for >8 min, showing the growth of an ejecta curtain (the outer edge of the ejecta) and deposition of ejecta onto the surface. The ejecta curtain was asymmetric, heterogeneous, and never fully detached from the surface. The crater formed in the gravity-dominated regime i.e., crater growth was limited by gravity, not surface strength. We discuss implications for Ryugu’s surface age.

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Journal

Title: Science

Abbreviated Title: Science

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

ISSN (Print): 0036-8075

ISSN (Electronic): 1095-9203

Publication date (Electronic): March 19 2020

Page: eaaz1701

Affiliations

[1 ]Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.

[2 ]Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara 252-5210, Japan.

[3 ]Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino 275-0016, Japan.

[4 ]JAXA Space Exploration Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara 252-5210, Japan.

[5 ]University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyusyu 807-8555, Japan.

[6 ]Kochi University, Kochi 780-8520, Japan.

[7 ]Aichi Toho University, Nagoya 465-8515, Japan.

[8 ]The Côte d'Azur Observatory, 06304 Nice Cedex 4, France.

[9 ]Physics Institute, University of Bern, National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS, Gesellschaftsstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.

[10 ]Tokyo University of Science, Noda 278-8510, Japan.

[11 ]The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.

[12 ]Rikkyo University, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan.

[13 ]University of La Laguna, 38205 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.

[14 ]Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife, E38205, Spain.

[15 ]National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.

[16 ]The University of Aizu, Aizu-Wakamatsu 965-8580, Japan.

[17 ]Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.

[18 ]SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama 240-0193, Japan.

[19 ]Research and Development Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara 252-5210, Japan.

[20 ]University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5TQ, UK.

[21 ]National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka 181-8588, Japan.

Article

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz1701

PubMed ID: 32193363

SO-VID: 4e71a05e-8f2d-48de-86a3-7561a4989baf

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