High-Resolution Simulations of Catastrophic Disruptions: Resultant Shape Distributions

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution impact simulations to explore the shape distributions of asteroid family members resulting from catastrophic disruptions, revealing predominantly spherical or bilobed shapes and limitations in explaining flat asteroids.

Contribution

The paper introduces high-resolution SPH simulations to analyze asteroid shapes post-catastrophic disruption, providing insights into shape distributions and their origins.

Findings

Remnants mainly spherical or bilobed

No flat remnants with c/a < 0.5 formed

Simulations do not explain flat asteroids well

Abstract

The members of asteroid families have various shapes. We investigate the origin of their shapes by high-resolution impact simulations for catastrophic disruptions using a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code. Collisional remnants produced through our simulations of the catastrophic disruptions mainly have spherical or bilobed shapes. However, no flat remnants with the ratio of minor to major axis lengths c/a < 0.5 are formed. The results of the simulations provide various shapes of asteroids and explain most of the shapes in asteroid families that are supposed to be produced through catastrophic disruptions. However, the present simulations do not explain significantly flat asteroids. We suggest that these flat asteroids may be interlopers or formed through low-velocity collisions between member asteroids.