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  • Heterogeneous mass distribu...
    Scheeres, D J; French, A S; Tricarico, P; Chesley, S R; Takahashi, Y; Farnocchia, D; McMahon, J W; Brack, D N; Davis, A B; Ballouz, R-L; Jawin, E R; Rozitis, B; Emery, J P; Ryan, A J; Park, R S; Rush, B P; Mastrodemos, N; Kennedy, B M; Bellerose, J; Lubey, D P; Velez, D; Vaughan, A T; Leonard, J M; Geeraert, J; Page, B; Antreasian, P; Mazarico, E; Getzandanner, K; Rowlands, D; Moreau, M C; Small, J; Highsmith, D E; Goossens, S; Palmer, E E; Weirich, J R; Gaskell, R W; Barnouin, O S; Daly, M G; Seabrook, J A; Al Asad, M M; Philpott, L C; Johnson, C L; Hartzell, C M; Hamilton, V E; Michel, P; Walsh, K J; Nolan, M C; Lauretta, D S

    Science advances, 10/2020, Letnik: 6, Številka: 41
    Journal Article

    The gravity field of a small body provides insight into its internal mass distribution. We used two approaches to measure the gravity field of the rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu: (i) tracking and modeling the spacecraft in orbit about the asteroid and (ii) tracking and modeling pebble-sized particles naturally ejected from Bennu's surface into sustained orbits. These approaches yield statistically consistent results up to degree and order 3, with the particle-based field being statistically significant up to degree and order 9. Comparisons with a constant-density shape model show that Bennu has a heterogeneous mass distribution. These deviations can be modeled with lower densities at Bennu's equatorial bulge and center. The lower-density equator is consistent with recent migration and redistribution of material. The lower-density center is consistent with a past period of rapid rotation, either from a previous Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack cycle or arising during Bennu's accretion following the disruption of its parent body.