Global-scale brittle plastic rheology at the cometesimals merging of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Observations of comet nuclei indicate that the main constituent is a mix of ice and refractory materials characterized by high porosity (70-75%) and low bulk strength (10-4-10-6 MPa); however, the nature and physical properties of these materials remain largely unknown. By combining surface inspection of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the independent concentric sets of layers that make up the structure of its two lobes, we provide clues about the large-scale rheological behavior of the nucleus and the kinematics of the impact that originated it. Large folds in the layered structure indicate that the merging of the two cometesimals involved reciprocal motion with dextral strike-slip kinematics that bent the layers in the contact area without obliterating them. Widespread long cracks and the evidence of relevant mass loss in absence of large density variations within the comet's body testify that large-scale deformation occurred in a brittle-plastic regime and was accommodated through folding and fracturing. Comparison of refined 3D geologic models of the lobes with triaxial ellipsoids that suitably represent the overall layers arrangement reveals characteristics that are consistent with an impact between two roughly ellipsoidal cometesimals that produced large-scale axial compression and transversal elongation. The observed features imply global transfer of impact-related shortening into transversal strain. These elements delineate a model for the global rheology of cometesimals that could be possible evoking a prominent bonding action of ice and, to a minor extent, organics.

Recent collisional history of (65803) Didymos.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART, NASA) spacecraft revealed that the primary of the (65803) Didymos near-Earth asteroid (NEA) binary system is not exactly the expected spinning top shape observed for other km-size asteroids. Ground based radar observations predicted that such shape was compatible with the uncertainty along the direction of the asteroid spin axis. Indeed, Didymos shows crater and landslide features, and evidence for boulder motion at low equatorial latitudes. Altogether, the primary seems to have undergone sudden structural failure in its recent history, which may even result in the formation of the secondary. The high eccentricity of Didymos sets its aphelion distance inside the inner main belt, where it spends more than 1/3 of its orbital period and it may undergo many more collisions than in the NEA region. In this work, we investigate the collisional environment of this asteroid and estimate the probability of collision with multi-size potential impactors. We analyze the possibility that such impacts produced the surface features observed on Didymos by comparing collisional intervals with estimated times for surface destabilization by the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect. We find that collisional effects dominate over potential local or global deformation due to YORP spin up.

Mechanical properties of rubble pile asteroids (Dimorphos, Itokawa, Ryugu, and Bennu) through surface boulder morphological analysis.

Planetary defense efforts rely on estimates of the mechanical properties of asteroids, which are difficult to constrain accurately from Earth. The mechanical properties of asteroid material are also important in the interpretation of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impact. Here we perform a detailed morphological analysis of the surface boulders on Dimorphos using images, the primary data set available from the DART mission. We estimate the bulk angle of internal friction of the boulders to be 32.7 ± 2. 5° from our measurements of the roundness of the 34 best-resolved boulders ranging in size from 1.67-6.64 m. The elongated nature of the boulders around the DART impact site implies that they were likely formed through impact processing. Finally, we find striking similarities in the morphology of the boulders on Dimorphos with those on other rubble pile asteroids (Itokawa, Ryugu and Bennu). This leads to very similar internal friction angles across the four bodies and suggests that a common formation mechanism has shaped the boulders. Our results provide key inputs for understanding the DART impact and for improving our knowledge about the physical properties, the formation and the evolution of both near-Earth rubble-pile and binary asteroids.

Characterization of the Surfaces and Near-Surface Atmospheres of Ganymede, Europa and Callisto by JUICE.

We present the state of the art on the study of surfaces and tenuous atmospheres of the icy Galilean satellites Ganymede, Europa and Callisto, from past and ongoing space exploration conducted with several spacecraft to recent telescopic observations, and we show how the ESA JUICE mission plans to explore these surfaces and atmospheres in detail with its scientific payload. The surface geology of the moons is the main evidence of their evolution and reflects the internal heating provided by tidal interactions. Surface composition is the result of endogenous and exogenous processes, with the former providing valuable information about the potential composition of shallow subsurface liquid pockets, possibly connected to deeper oceans. Finally, the icy Galilean moons have tenuous atmospheres that arise from charged particle sputtering affecting their surfaces. In the case of Europa, plumes of water vapour have also been reported, whose phenomenology at present is poorly understood and requires future close exploration. In the three main sections of the article, we discuss these topics, highlighting the key scientific objectives and investigations to be achieved by JUICE. Based on a recent predicted trajectory, we also show potential coverage maps and other examples of reference measurements. The scientific discussion and observation planning presented here are the outcome of the JUICE Working Group 2 (WG2): "Surfaces and Near-surface Exospheres of the Satellites, dust and rings".

The geology and evolution of the Near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos.

Images collected during NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission provide the first resolved views of the Didymos binary asteroid system. These images reveal that the primary asteroid, Didymos, is flattened and has plausible undulations along its equatorial perimeter. At high elevations, its surface is rough and contains large boulders and craters; at low elevations its surface is smooth and possesses fewer large boulders and craters. Didymos' moon, Dimorphos, possesses an intimate mixture of boulders, several asteroid-wide lineaments, and a handful of craters. The surfaces of both asteroids include boulders that are large relative to their host body, suggesting that both asteroids are rubble piles. Based on these observations, our models indicate that Didymos has a surface cohesion ≤ 1 Pa and an interior cohesion of ∼10 Pa, while Dimorphos has a surface cohesion of <0.9 Pa. Crater size-frequency analyzes indicate the surface age of Didymos is 40-130 times older than Dimorphos, with likely absolute ages of ~ 12.5 Myr and <0.3 Myr, respectively. Solar radiation could have increased Didymos' spin rate leading to internal deformation and surface mass shedding, which likely created Dimorphos.