1
|
Barnouin OS, Daly MG, Palmer EE, Gaskell RW, Weirich JR, Johnson CL, Asad MMA, Roberts JH, Perry ME, Susorney HCM, Daly RT, Bierhaus EB, Seabrook JA, Espiritu RC, Nair AH, Nguyen L, Neumann GA, Ernst CM, Boynton WV, Nolan MC, Adam CD, Moreau MC, Risk B, D'Aubigny CD, Jawin ER, Walsh KJ, Michel P, Schwartz SR, Ballouz RL, Mazarico EM, Scheeres DJ, McMahon J, Bottke W, Sugita S, Hirata N, Hirata N, Watanabe S, Burke KN, DellaGuistina DN, Bennett CA, Lauretta DS. Shape of (101955) Bennu indicative of a rubble pile with internal stiffness. Nat Geosci 2019; 12:247-252. [PMID: 31080497 PMCID: PMC6505705 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0330-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The shapes of asteroids reflect interplay between their interior properties and the processes responsible for their formation and evolution as they journey through the Solar System. Prior to the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission, Earth-based radar imaging gave an overview of (101955) Bennu's shape. Here, we construct a high-resolution shape model from OSIRIS-REx images. We find that Bennu's top-like shape, considerable macroporosity, and prominent surface boulders suggest that it is a rubble pile. High-standing, north-south ridges that extend from pole to pole, many long grooves, and surface mass wasting indicate some low levels of internal friction and/or cohesion. Our shape model indicates that, similar to other top-shaped asteroids, Bennu formed by reaccumulation and underwent past periods of fast spin leading to its current shape. Today, Bennu might follow a different evolutionary pathway, with interior stiffness permitting surface cracking and mass wasting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- O S Barnouin
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - M G Daly
- The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - E E Palmer
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - R W Gaskell
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - J R Weirich
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - C L Johnson
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - M M Al Asad
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - J H Roberts
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - M E Perry
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - H C M Susorney
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - R T Daly
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - E B Bierhaus
- Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | - R C Espiritu
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - A H Nair
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - L Nguyen
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - G A Neumann
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - C M Ernst
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - W V Boynton
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - M C Nolan
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - C D Adam
- KinetX Aerospace, Inc. Simi Valley, CA, USA
| | - M C Moreau
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - B Risk
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - E R Jawin
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - K J Walsh
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - P Michel
- Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Nice, France
| | - S R Schwartz
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - R-L Ballouz
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - E M Mazarico
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - D J Scheeres
- Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - J McMahon
- Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - W Bottke
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - S Sugita
- University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - N Hirata
- Aizu University, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan
| | | | - S Watanabe
- Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - K N Burke
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - C A Bennett
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - D S Lauretta
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barker MK, Sun X, Mao D, Mazarico E, Neumann GA, Zuber MT, Smith DE, McGarry JF, Hoffman ED. In-flight characterization of the lunar orbiter laser altimeter instrument pointing and far-field pattern. Appl Opt 2018; 57:7702-7713. [PMID: 30462032 DOI: 10.1364/ao.57.007702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has collected nearly seven billion measurements of surface height on the Moon with an absolute accuracy of ∼1 m and a precision of ∼10 cm. Converting time-of-flight laser altimeter measurements to topographic elevations requires accurate knowledge of the laser pointing with respect to the spacecraft body-fixed coordinate system. To that end, we have utilized altimetric crossovers from LOLA, as well as bidirectional observations of the LOLA laser and receiver boresight via an Earth-based laser tracking ground station. Based on a sample of ∼780,000 globally distributed crossovers from the circular-orbit phase of LRO's mission (∼27 months), we derive corrections to the LOLA laser boresight. These corrections improve the cross-track and along-track agreement of the crossovers by 24% and 33%, respectively, yielding RMS residuals of ∼10 m. Since early in the LRO mission, the bidirectional laser tracking experiments have confirmed a pointing anomaly when the LOLA instrument is facing toward deep space or the night side of the Moon and have allowed the reconstruction of the laser far-field pattern and receiver telescope pointing. By conducting such experiments shortly after launch and nearly eight years later, we have directly measured changes in the laser characteristics and obtained critical data to understand the laser behavior and refine the instrument pointing model. The methods and results presented here are also relevant to the design, fabrication, and operation of future planetary laser altimeters and their long-term behavior in the space environment.
Collapse
|
5
|
Mitrofanov IG, Sanin AB, Boynton WV, Chin G, Garvin JB, Golovin D, Evans LG, Harshman K, Kozyrev AS, Litvak ML, Malakhov A, Mazarico E, McClanahan T, Milikh G, Mokrousov M, Nandikotkur G, Neumann GA, Nuzhdin I, Sagdeev R, Shevchenko V, Shvetsov V, Smith DE, Starr R, Tretyakov VI, Trombka J, Usikov D, Varenikov A, Vostrukhin A, Zuber MT. Hydrogen mapping of the lunar south pole using the LRO neutron detector experiment LEND. Science 2010; 330:483-6. [PMID: 20966247 DOI: 10.1126/science.1185696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen has been inferred to occur in enhanced concentrations within permanently shadowed regions and, hence, the coldest areas of the lunar poles. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission was designed to detect hydrogen-bearing volatiles directly. Neutron flux measurements of the Moon's south polar region from the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft were used to select the optimal impact site for LCROSS. LEND data show several regions where the epithermal neutron flux from the surface is suppressed, which is indicative of enhanced hydrogen content. These regions are not spatially coincident with permanently shadowed regions of the Moon. The LCROSS impact site inside the Cabeus crater demonstrates the highest hydrogen concentration in the lunar south polar region, corresponding to an estimated content of 0.5 to 4.0% water ice by weight, depending on the thickness of any overlying dry regolith layer. The distribution of hydrogen across the region is consistent with buried water ice from cometary impacts, hydrogen implantation from the solar wind, and/or other as yet unknown sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I G Mitrofanov
- Institute for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Science, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Smith DE, Zuber MT, Solomon SC, Phillips RJ, Head JW, Garvin JB, Banerdt WB, Muhleman DO, Pettengill GH, Neumann GA, Lemoine FG, Abshire JB, Aharonson O, Brown CD, Hauck SA, Ivanov AB, McGovern PJ, Zwally HJ, Duxbury TC. The global topography of Mars and implications for surface evolution. Science 1999; 284:1495-503. [PMID: 10348732 DOI: 10.1126/science.284.5419.1495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 714] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Elevations measured by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter have yielded a high-accuracy global map of the topography of Mars. Dominant features include the low northern hemisphere, the Tharsis province, and the Hellas impact basin. The northern hemisphere depression is primarily a long-wavelength effect that has been shaped by an internal mechanism. The topography of Tharsis consists of two broad rises. Material excavated from Hellas contributes to the high elevation of the southern hemisphere and to the scarp along the hemispheric boundary. The present topography has three major drainage centers, with the northern lowlands being the largest. The two polar cap volumes yield an upper limit of the present surface water inventory of 3.2 to 4.7 million cubic kilometers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D E Smith
- Earth Sciences Directorate, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zuber MT, Smith DE, Solomon SC, Abshire JB, Afzal RS, Aharonson O, Fishbaugh K, Ford PG, Frey HV, Garvin JB, Head JW, Ivanov AB, Johnson CL, Muhleman DO, Neumann GA, Pettengill GH, Phillips RJ, Sun X, Zwally HJ, Banerdt WB, Duxbury TC. Observations of the north polar region of Mars from the Mars orbiter laser altimeter. Science 1998; 282:2053-60. [PMID: 9851922 DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5396.2053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Elevations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) have been used to construct a precise topographic map of the martian north polar region. The northern ice cap has a maximum elevation of 3 kilometers above its surroundings but lies within a 5-kilometer-deep hemispheric depression that is contiguous with the area into which most outflow channels emptied. Polar cap topography displays evidence of modification by ablation, flow, and wind and is consistent with a primarily H2O composition. Correlation of topography with images suggests that the cap was more spatially extensive in the past. The cap volume of 1.2 x 10(6) to 1.7 x 10(6) cubic kilometers is about half that of the Greenland ice cap. Clouds observed over the polar cap are likely composed of CO2 that condensed out of the atmosphere during northern hemisphere winter. Many clouds exhibit dynamical structure likely caused by the interaction of propagating wave fronts with surface topography.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M T Zuber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|