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Episodes of Particle Ejection from the Surface of the Active Asteroid (101955) BennuActive asteroids are those that show evidence of ongoing mass loss. We report repeated instances of particle ejection from the surface of (101955) Bennu, demonstrating that it is an active asteroid. The ejection events were imaged by the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) spacecraft. For the three largest observed events, we estimated the ejected particle velocities and sizes, event times, source regions, and energies. We also determined the trajectories and photometric properties of several gravitationally bound particles that orbited temporarily in the Bennu environment. We consider multiple hypotheses for the mechanisms that lead to particle ejection for the largest events, including rotational disruption, electrostatic lofting, ice sublimation, phyllosilicate dehydration, meteoroid impacts, thermal stress fracturing, and secondary impacts.


Document ID
20200000021
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1126/science.aay3544
Authors
Lauretta, D. S. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Hergenrother, C. W. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Chesley, S. R. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, CA, United States)
Leonard, J. M. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Pelgrift, J. Y. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Adam, C. D. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Asad, M. Al (University of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Antreasian, P. G. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Ballouz, R.-L. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Becker, K. J. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Bennett, C. A. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Bos, B. J. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Bottke, W. F. (South-west Anatolia Forest Research Institute Antalya, Turkey)
Brozovi, M. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, CA, United States)
Campins, H. (University of Central Florida Orlando, FL, United States)
Jr, H. C. Connolly (Rowan Univ. Glassboro, NJ, United States)
Daly, M. G. (York University Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Davis, A. B. (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
León, J. de (Universidad de La Laguna Teneriffa, Spain)
DellaGiustina, D. N. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
d’Aubigny, C. Y. Drouet (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Dworkin, J. P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Emery, J. P. (Tennessee Univ. Knoxville, TN, United States)
Farnocchia, D. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, CA, United States)
Glavin, D. P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Golish, D. R. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Hartzell, C. M. (Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Jacobson, R. A. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, CA, United States)
Jawin, E. R. (National Museum of Natural History Washington, DC, United States)
Jenniskens, P. (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute Mountain View, CA, United States)
Jr, J. N. Kidd (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Lessac-Chenen, E. J. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Li, J.-Y. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Libourel, G. (Universite Cote d'Azur Nice, France)
Licandro, J. (Universidad de La Laguna Teneriffa, Spain)
Liounis, A. J. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Maleszewski, C. K. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Manzoni, C. (London Stereoscopic Company Ltd Surrey, England, United Kingdom)
May, B. (London Stereoscopic Company Ltd Surrey, England, United Kingdom)
McCarthy, L. K. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
McMahon, J. W. (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Michel, P. (Universite Cote d'Azur Nice, France)
Molaro, J. L. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Moreau, M. C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Nelson, D. S. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Jr, W. M. Owen (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, CA, United States)
Rizk, B. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Roper, H. L. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Rozitis, B. (The Open University Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom)
Sahr, E. M. (KinetX Aerospace, Inc Simi Valley, CA, United States)
Scheeres, D. J. (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Seabrook, J. A. (York University Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Selznick, S. H. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Takahashi, Y. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, CA, United States)
Thuillet, F. (Universite Cote d'Azur Nice, France)
Tricarico, P. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Vokrouhlick, D. (Karlova Univ. Prague, Czech Republic)
Wolner, C. W. V. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
January 2, 2020
Publication Date
December 6, 2019
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Volume: 366
Issue: 6470
ISSN: 0036-8075
e-ISSN: 1095-9203
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN76455
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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