Small asteroid system evolution

TL;DR

This paper reviews how small asteroid systems evolve, highlighting recent discoveries of asteroid pairs and the influence of solar radiation on their internal structure and evolution.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current understanding and recent advances in the evolution of small asteroid systems, including new theoretical insights.

Findings

Discovery of asteroid pairs revolutionizes small asteroid system studies

Solar radiation significantly influences asteroid internal structure and evolution

Current understanding integrates observational and theoretical advances

Abstract

Observations with radar, photometric and direct imaging techniques have discovered that multiple asteroid systems can be divided clearly into a handful of different morphologies, and recently, the discovery of small unbound asteroid systems called asteroid pairs have revolutionized the study of small asteroid systems. Simultaneously, new theoretical advances have demonstrated that solar radiation dictates the evolution of small asteroids with strong implications for asteroid internal structure. We review our current understanding of how small asteroid systems evolve and point to the future.