Three-dimensional structure of hayabusa samples: Origin and evolution of itokawa regolith

Akira Tsuchiyama*, Masayuki Uesugi, Takashi Matsushima, Tatsuhiro Michikami, Toshihiko Kadono, Tomoki Nakamura, Kentaro Uesugi, Tsukasa Nakano, Scott A. Sandford, Ryo Noguchi, Toru Matsumoto, Junya Matsuno, Takashi Nagano, Yuta Imai, Akihisa Takeuchi, Yoshio Suzuki, Toshihiro Ogami, Jun Katagiri, Mitsuru Ebihara, Trevor R. IrelandFumio Kitajima, Keisuke Nagao, Hiroshi Naraoka, Takaaki Noguchi, Ryuji Okazaki, Hisayoshi Yurimoto, Michael E. Zolensky, Toshifumi Mukai, Masanao Abe, Toru Yada, Akio Fujimura, Makoto Yoshikawa, Junichiro Kawaguchi

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    249 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Regolith particles on the asteroid Itokawa were recovered by the Hayabusa mission. Their three-dimensional (3D) structure and other properties, revealed by x-ray microtomography, provide information on regolith formation. Modal abundances of minerals, bulk density (3.4 grams per cubic centimeter), and the 3D textures indicate that the particles represent a mixture of equilibrated and less-equilibrated LL chondrite materials. Evidence for melting was not seen on any of the particles. Some particles have rounded edges. Overall, the particles' size and shape are different from those seen in particles from the lunar regolith. These features suggest that meteoroid impacts on the asteroid surface primarily formmuch of the regolith particle, and that seismic-induced grain motion in the smooth terrain abrades them over time.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1125-1128
    Number of pages4
    JournalScience
    Volume333
    Issue number6046
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 26 Aug 2011

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