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Expected shape distribution of asteroids obtained from laboratory impact experiments

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Abstract

MANY asteroids are known to have irregular shapes from their periodical light curves. These irregularities in shape are thought to be due to destruction in asteroidal collisions which occur at a mean relative velocity of 5kms−1. None of these asteroids has been directly pictured and the actual shape distribution of them is unknown. We examine here the shape of the fragments produced in laboratory high-velocity impact experiments between two solid bodies, and we find that the obtained shape distribution may be applied to asteroids of radius less than a few km.

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Author notes

  1. GORO KAMIMOTO

    Present address: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aichi institute of Technology, Toyoda, Aichi, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    AKIRA FUJIWARA

  2. Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    GORO KAMIMOTO & AKIMASA TSUKAMOTO

Authors
  1. AKIRA FUJIWARA
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  2. GORO KAMIMOTO
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  3. AKIMASA TSUKAMOTO
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FUJIWARA, A., KAMIMOTO, G. & TSUKAMOTO, A. Expected shape distribution of asteroids obtained from laboratory impact experiments. Nature 272, 602–603 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272602a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/272602a0

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