The geology and evolution of the Near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos

Barnouin, Olivier and Ballouz, Ronald-Louis and Marchi, Simone and Vincent, Jean-Baptiste and Agrusa, Harrison F. and Zhang, Yun and Ernst, Carolyn M. and Pajola, Maurizio and Tusberti, Filippo and Lucchetti, Alice and Daly, R. Terik and Palmer, Eric and Walsh, Kevin J. and Michel, Patrick and Sunshine, Jessica M. and Rizos, Juan L. and Farnham, Tony L. and Richardson, Derek C. and Parro, Laura M. and Murdoch, Naomi and Robin, Colas Q. and Hirabayashi, Masatoshi and Kohouth, Tomas and Asphaug, Erik and Raducan, Sabina D. and Jutzi, Martin and Ferrari, Fabio and Hasselmann, Pedro Henrique Aragao and Campo Bagatin, Adriano and Chabot, Nancy L. and Li, Jian-Yang and Cheng, Andrew F. and Nolan, Michael C. and Stickle, Angela M. and Karatekin, Ozgur and Dotto, Elisabetta and Della Corte, Vincenzo and Mazzotta Epifani, Elena and Rossi, Alessandro and Gai, Igor and Deshapriya, Jasinghege Don Prasanna and Bertini, Ivano and Zinzi, Angelo and Trigo-Rodríguez, Josep M. and Beccarelli, Joel and Ivanovski, Stavro Lambrov and Brucato, John Robert and Poggiali, Giovanni and Zanotti, Giovanni and Amoroso, Marilena and Capannolo, Andrea and Cremonese, Gabriele and Dall’Ora, Massimo and Ieva, Simone and Impresario, Gabriele and Lavagna, Michèle and Modenini, Dario and Palumbo, Pasquale and Perna, Davide and Pirrotta, Simone and Tortora, Paolo and Zannoni, Marco and Rivkin, Andrew S. (2024) The geology and evolution of the Near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos. Nature Communications, 15, p. 6202. Nature Publishing Group. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50146-x. ISSN 2041-1723.

PDF - Published version
4MB

Official URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50146-x

Abstract

Images collected during NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission provide the first resolved views of the Didymos binary asteroid system. These images reveal that the primary asteroid, Didymos, is flattened and has plausible undulations along its equatorial perimeter. At high elevations, its surface is rough and contains large boulders and craters; at low elevations its surface is smooth and possesses fewer large boulders and craters. Didymos’ moon, Dimorphos, possesses an intimate mixture of boulders, several asteroid-wide lineaments, and a handful of craters. The surfaces of both asteroids include boulders that are large relative to their host body, suggesting that both asteroids are rubble piles. Based on these observations, our models indicate that Didymos has a surface cohesion ≤ 1 Pa and an interior cohesion of ∼10 Pa, while Dimorphos has a surface cohesion of <0.9 Pa. Crater size-frequency analyzes indicate the surface age of Didymos is 40–130 times older than Dimorphos, with likely absolute ages of 12.5 Myr and <0.3 Myr, respectively. Solar radiation could have increased Didymos’ spin rate leading to internal deformation and surface mass shedding, which likely created Dimorphos.

Item URL in elib:

https://elib.dlr.de/211126/

Document Type:

Article

Title:

The geology and evolution of the Near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos

Authors:

Authors	Institution or Email of Authors	Author's ORCID iD	ORCID Put Code
Barnouin, Olivier	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3578-7750	UNSPECIFIED
Ballouz, Ronald-Louis	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Marchi, Simone	Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Vincent, Jean-Baptiste	Jean-Baptiste.Vincent (at) dlr.de	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6575-3079	175242922
Agrusa, Harrison F.	University of the Côte d’Azur, Observatory of the Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratory Lagrange, Nice, Franceollege Park, MD 20742, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Zhang, Yun	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USAf Maryland, College Park, MD, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4045-9046	UNSPECIFIED
Ernst, Carolyn M.	Planetary Exploration Group, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 21044	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Pajola, Maurizio	Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo” (CISAS), University of Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Tusberti, Filippo	Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo” (CISAS), University of Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9290-1679	UNSPECIFIED
Lucchetti, Alice	Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo” (CISAS), University of Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7413-3058	UNSPECIFIED
Daly, R. Terik	JHU Applied Physics Laboratory	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Palmer, Eric	Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6755-8736	UNSPECIFIED
Walsh, Kevin J.	kwalsh (at) boulder.swri.edu	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Michel, Patrick	Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Nice, CS 3422906304, France ; The University of Tokyo, Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, Tokyo, Japan	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0884-1993	UNSPECIFIED
Sunshine, Jessica M.	University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9413-8785	UNSPECIFIED
Rizos, Juan L.	Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, CSIC, Granada, Spain	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Farnham, Tony L.	University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4767-9861	UNSPECIFIED
Richardson, Derek C.	University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0054-6850	UNSPECIFIED
Parro, Laura M.	University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6696-461X	UNSPECIFIED
Murdoch, Naomi	Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Robin, Colas Q.	Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Hirabayashi, Masatoshi	Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 620 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1821-5689	UNSPECIFIED
Kohouth, Tomas	Dep. of Physics, University of Helsinki & The Czech Academy of Science	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Asphaug, Erik	University of Arizona, School of Earth - Arizona State University	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Raducan, Sabina D.	Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Switzerland	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Jutzi, Martin	Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ferrari, Fabio	Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano MI, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Hasselmann, Pedro Henrique Aragao	Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Campo Bagatin, Adriano	Universidad de Alicante, Spain	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Chabot, Nancy L.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8628-3176	UNSPECIFIED
Li, Jian-Yang	Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3841-9977	UNSPECIFIED
Cheng, Andrew F.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5375-4250	UNSPECIFIED
Nolan, Michael C.	Arecibo Observatory, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, PR 00612, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Stickle, Angela M.	Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Karatekin, Ozgur	Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Dotto, Elisabetta	Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Della Corte, Vincenzo	INAF-IAPS, Roma, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Mazzotta Epifani, Elena	Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1412-0946	UNSPECIFIED
Rossi, Alessandro	Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9311-2869	UNSPECIFIED
Gai, Igor	Department of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Forlì, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Deshapriya, Jasinghege Don Prasanna	Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Bertini, Ivano	Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples ‘Parthenope’, Naples, Italy ; Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IAPS), INAF, Rome, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0616-2444	UNSPECIFIED
Zinzi, Angelo	Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5263-5348	UNSPECIFIED
Trigo-Rodríguez, Josep M.	Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC), Cerdanyola del Vallès, E-08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Ed. Nexus, E-08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Beccarelli, Joel	Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo” (CISAS), University of Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ivanovski, Stavro Lambrov	INAF-OATs (Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste), Trieste, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Brucato, John Robert	INAF, Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Firenze, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Poggiali, Giovanni	INAF, Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Firenze, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Zanotti, Giovanni	Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of Milan, Milano, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Amoroso, Marilena	Italian Space Agency – ASI, Sede di Roma, Rome, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Capannolo, Andrea	Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DAER), Polytechnic University of Milan, Milan, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Cremonese, Gabriele	INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Dall’Ora, Massimo	INAF, Astronomical Observatory at Capodimonte, Napoli, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ieva, Simone	INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Rome, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8694-9038	UNSPECIFIED
Impresario, Gabriele	Italian Space Agency – ASI, Sede di Roma, Rome, Italy	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8984-4231	UNSPECIFIED
Lavagna, Michèle	Aerospace Engineering Department, Politecnico di Milano	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Modenini, Dario	Department of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Forlì, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Palumbo, Pasquale	INAF-IAPS, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali di Roma, Rome, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Perna, Davide	INAF, Astronomical Observatory of Rome, Rome, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Pirrotta, Simone	INAF, Astronomical Observatory of Rome, Rome, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Tortora, Paolo	Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Department of Industrial Engineering, Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research in Aerospace, Via Fontanelle 40—Forlì (FC)—I-47121, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Zannoni, Marco	Department of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Forlì, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Rivkin, Andrew S.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED

Date:

2024

Journal or Publication Title:

Nature Communications

Refereed publication:

Yes

Open Access:

Yes

Gold Open Access:

Yes

In SCOPUS:

Yes

In ISI Web of Science:

Yes

Volume:

DOI:

10.1038/s41467-024-50146-x

Page Range:

p. 6202

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

ISSN:

2041-1723

Status:

Published

Keywords:

asteroids, Didymos, Dimorphos, DART

HGF - Research field:

Aeronautics, Space and Transport

HGF - Program:

Space

HGF - Program Themes:

Space Exploration

DLR - Research area:

Raumfahrt

DLR - Program:

R EW - Space Exploration

DLR - Research theme (Project):

R - Exploration of the Solar System

Location:

Berlin-Adlershof

Institutes and Institutions:

Institute of Planetary Research > Planetary Geodesy

Deposited By:

Vincent, Jean-Baptiste

Deposited On:

08 Jan 2025 10:28

Last Modified:

08 Jan 2025 10:28

Repository Staff Only: item control page