https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714014011
Small solar system bodies as granular systems
1 IMCCE, Paris Observatory, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Univ., UPMC Paris 06, Univ. Lille, F-75014 Paris, France
2 Departamento de Física, Ingeniería de Sistemas y Teoría de la Señal, Universidad de Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
3 Institute for Physical Science and Technology, and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
4 GRASP, Research Unit CESAM, University of Liege, Belgium
5 CCAR, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
6 Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
7 Inst. Jean Le Rond d’Alembert, Sorbonne Univ, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, F-75005 Paris, France
8 Université de Lyon, Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, F-69364 Lyon, France
9 JAXA/Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
10 DEOS/SSPA, ISAE-SUPAERO, Université de Toulouse, F-31055 Toulouse, France
11 LMGC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
12 Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421, USA
13 LICB, Univ. de Bourgogne, CNRS, F21078 Dijon, France
14 Université Côte d’Azur, OCA, CNRS, IRD, Laboratoire Lagrange, F-06304 Nice, France
15 Instituto Universitario de Física Aplicada a las Ciencias y la Tecnología, Universidad de Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
* Corresponding author: hestro@imcce.fr
Published online: 30 June 2017
Asteroids and other Small Solar System Bodies (SSSBs) are currently of great scientific and even industrial interest. Asteroids exist as the permanent record of the formation of the Solar System and therefore hold many clues to its understanding as a whole, as well as insights into the formation of planetary bodies. Additionally, SSSBs are being investigated in the context of impact risks for the Earth, space situational awareness and their possible industrial exploitation (asteroid mining). In all these aspects, the knowledge of the geophysical characteristics of SSSB surface and internal structure are of great importance. Given their size, constitution, and the evidence that many SSSBs are not simple monoliths, these bodies should be studied and modelled as self-gravitating granular systems in general, or as granular systems in micro-gravity environments in particular contexts. As such, the study of the geophysical characteristics of SSSBs is a multi-disciplinary effort that lies at the crossroads between Granular Mechanics, Celestial Mechanics, Soil Mechanics, Aerospace Engineering and Computer Sciences.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
