Effects of YORP-Induced Rotational Fission on the Asteroid Size Distribution at the Small Size End
Rossi A., Marzari F., Scheeres D. J., Jacobson S.
Asteroids Rotational dynamics YORP effect Collisions
The asteroid belt size distribution has been shaped by collisions slowly grinding the population away into smaller bodies via cratering or fragmentation. However, at the small size end YORP may contribute to the erosion process by accelerating the rotation rate of small asteroids beyond their disruption spin limit causing mass shedding and fission. This can explain why, according to NEOWISE, the slope of NEOs is about -1.32, significantly less steep than previous estimates which accounted for the Yarkovsky steepening effect.
Source: 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, pp. 2095–2095, The Woddland, Texas (USA), 19-23 March, 2012
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@inproceedings{oai:it.cnr:prodotti:192561,
title = {Effects of YORP-Induced Rotational Fission on the Asteroid Size Distribution at the Small Size End},
author = {Rossi A. and Marzari F. and Scheeres D. J. and Jacobson S.},
booktitle = {43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, pp. 2095–2095, The Woddland, Texas (USA), 19-23 March, 2012},
year = {2012}
}
0000-0001-9311-2869