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The dynamic geophysical environment of (101955) Bennu based on OSIRIS-REx measurements

Nature Astronomy volume 3, pages 352–361 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

The top-shaped morphology characteristic of asteroid (101955) Bennu, often found among fast-spinning asteroids and binary asteroid primaries, may have contributed substantially to binary asteroid formation. Yet a detailed geophysical analysis of this morphology for a fast-spinning asteroid has not been possible prior to the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission. Combining the measured Bennu mass and shape obtained during the Preliminary Survey phase of the OSIRIS-REx mission, we find a notable transition in Bennu’s surface slopes within its rotational Roche lobe, defined as the region where material is energetically trapped to the surface. As the intersection of the rotational Roche lobe with Bennu’s surface has been most recently migrating towards its equator (given Bennu’s increasing spin rate), we infer that Bennu’s surface slopes have been changing across its surface within the last million years. We also find evidence for substantial density heterogeneity within this body, suggesting that its interior is a mixture of voids and boulders. The presence of such heterogeneity and Bennu’s top shape are consistent with spin-induced failure at some point in its past, although the manner of its failure cannot yet be determined. Future measurements by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will provide insight into and may resolve questions regarding the formation and evolution of Bennu’s top-shape morphology and its link to the formation of binary asteroids.

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Fig. 1: Global map of slope distributions across Bennu.
Fig. 2: Equilibrium points in the Bennu-fixed frame, shown with stable and unstable manifolds emanating from the unstable points, and showing a stable trajectory in the vicinity of the stable equilibrium point.
Fig. 3: Surface slope distributions on Bennu in relation to the rotational Roche lobe.
Fig. 4: Failure patterns as a function of Bennu spin rates.
Fig. 5: The averaged Bennu shape shows global characteristics associated with a landslide failure.

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Code availability

ANSYS Mechanical APDL is commercially available (https://www.ansys.com/services/training-center/structures/introduction-to-ansys-mechanical-apdl).

Data availability

The data that support the plots within this paper and other findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Spacecraft tracking data and ancillary files will be available via the Planetary Data System (PDS) (https://sbn.psi.edu/pds/resource/orex/). Data are delivered to the PDS according to the OSIRIS-REx Data Management Plan available in the OSIRIS-REx PDS archive. Higher-level products, for example, slope maps, will be available in the PDS one year after departure from the asteroid.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by NASA under contract NNM10AA11C issued through the New Frontiers Program. Work by M.G.D., C.L.J., M.M.A.A. and H.C.M.S. was supported by the Canadian Space Agency. A portion of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. P.M. acknowledges funding support from the French space agency CNES and from the Academies of Excellence: ‘Complex systems’ and ‘Space, environment, risk, and resilience’, part of the IDEX JEDI of the Université Côte d’Azur. B.R. acknowledges support from the Royal Astronomical Society in the form of a research fellowship. P.T. acknowledges support from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Participating Scientist Program through grant 80NSSC18K0280. M.H. acknowledges support from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University.

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  1. A full list of authors and affiliations appears at the end of the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    D. J. Scheeres, J. W. McMahon, A. S. French, D. N. Brack, D. N. Brack, A. S. French, J. W. McMahon & D. J. Scheeres

  2. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    S. R. Chesley, D. Farnocchia, Y. Takahashi, J. Bellerose, S. Bhaskaran, C. Boyles, S. R. Chesley, C. M. Elder, D. Farnocchia, A. Harbison, B. Kennedy, A. Knight, N. Martinez-Vlasoff, N. Mastrodemos, T. McElrath, W. Owen, R. Park, B. Rush, L. Swanson, Y. Takahashi, D. Velez & K. Yetter

  3. KinetX Aerospace, Inc., Simi Valley, CA, USA

    J. M. Leonard, J. Geeraert, B. Page, P. Antreasian, C. Adam, P. Antreasian, J. Bauman, C. Bryan, B. Carcich, M. Corvin, J. Geeraert, J. Hoffman, J. M. Leonard, E. Lessac-Chenen, A. Levine, J. McAdams, L. McCarthy, D. Nelson, B. Page, J. Pelgrift, E. Sahr, K. Stakkestad, D. Stanbridge, D. Wibben, B. Williams, K. Williams & P. Wolff

  4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    K. Getzandanner, D. Rowlands, E. M. Mazarico, M. Moreau, A. Aqueche, B. Ashman, M. Barker, A. Bartels, K. Berry, B. Bos, R. Burns, A. Calloway, R. Carpenter, N. Castro, R. Cosentino, J. Donaldson, J. P. Dworkin, J. Elsila Cook, C. Emr, D. Everett, D. Fennell, K. Fleshman, D. Folta, D. Gallagher, J. Garvin, K. Getzandanner, D. Glavin, S. Hull, K. Hyde, H. Ido, A. Ingegneri, N. Jones, P. Kaotira, L. F. Lim, A. Liounis, C. Lorentson, D. Lorenz, J. Lyzhoft, E. M. Mazarico, R. Mink, W. Moore, M. Moreau, S. Mullen, J. Nagy, G. Neumann, J. Nuth, D. Poland, D. C. Reuter, L. Rhoads, S. Rieger, D. Rowlands, D. Sallitt, A. Scroggins, G. Shaw, A. A. Simon, J. Swenson, P. Vasudeva, M. Wasser & R. Zellar

  5. Aerospace Corporation, Chantilly, VA, USA

    J. Small, D. E. Highsmith, D. E. Highsmith & J. Small

  6. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    J. P. Emery

  7. School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

    B. Rozitis, I. Franchi & B. Rozitis

  8. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

    M. Hirabayashi

  9. Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    P. Sánchez, O. Golubov & P. Sánchez

  10. JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Sagamihara, Japan

    S. Van wal, S. Van wal, M. Yoshikawa & S.-i. Watanabe

  11. Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ, USA

    P. Tricarico, C. L. Johnson, R. W. Gaskell, E. E. Palmer, J. R. Weirich, C. L. Johnson, R. W. Gaskell, L. Le Corre, J.-Y. Li, J. L. Molaro, E. E. Palmer, M. A. Siegler, P. Tricarico, J. R. Weirich & X.-D. Zou

  12. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

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  13. Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    C. L. Johnson, M. M. Al Asad, H. C. M. Susorney, M. M. Al Asad, C. L. Johnson, L. Philpott & H. C. M. Susorney

  14. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA

    O. S. Barnouin, O. S. Barnouin, K. Craft, R. T. Daly, C. Ernst, R. C. Espiritu, M. Holdridge, M. Jones, A. H. Nair, L. Nguyen, J. Peachey, M. E. Perry, J. Plescia, J. H. Roberts, R. Steele & R. Turner

  15. The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    M. G. Daly, J. A. Seabrook, M. G. Daly, J. Freemantle & J. A. Seabrook

  16. Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA

    K. J. Walsh, W. F. Bottke, W. F. Bottke, V. E. Hamilton, H. H. Kaplan & K. J. Walsh

  17. Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA

    E. R. Jawin, E. R. Jawin, T. J. McCoy & S. Russell

  18. Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, CO, USA

    E. B. Bierhaus

  19. Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Nice, France

    P. Michel, M. Delbo’, G. Libourel, P. Michel, A. Ryan & F. Thuillet

  20. Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA

    H. C. Connolly Jr

  21. Astronomical Institute, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    D. Vokrouhlický

  22. Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    N. E. Bowles, E. Brown, K. L. Donaldson Hanna & T. Warren

  23. Canadian Space Agency, Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada

    C. Brunet, R. A. Chicoine, S. Desjardins, D. Gaudreau, T. Haltigin, S. Millington-Veloza & A. Rubi

  24. Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA

    J. Aponte, N. Gorius & A. Lunsford

  25. Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    B. Allen, J. Grindlay, D. Guevel, D. Hoak & J. Hong

  26. Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    D. L. Schrader

  27. City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    J. Bayron

  28. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    J. Stromberg

  29. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

    M. Hirabayashi

  30. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    C. M. Hartzell

  31. Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, USA

    S. Oliver & M. Rascon

  32. Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    A. Harch, J. Joseph & S. Squyres

  33. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    D. Richardson

  34. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    J. P. Emery & L. McGraw

  35. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    R. Ghent

  36. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    R. P. Binzel

  37. Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    E. A. Cloutis

  38. Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA

    R. D. Hanna

  39. Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA

    H. C. Connolly Jr

  40. Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    F. Ciceri, A. R. Hildebrand & E.-M. Ibrahim

  41. Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    L. Breitenfeld, T. Glotch & A. D. Rogers

  42. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA

    B. E. Clark & S. Ferrone

  43. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    C. A. Thomas

  44. Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    H. Campins & Y. Fernandez

  45. Edge Space Systems, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    W. Chang

  46. General Dynamics C4 Systems, Denver, CO, USA

    A. Cheuvront

  47. Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    D. Trang

  48. Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

    S. Tachibana & H. Yurimoto

  49. INAF–Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Florence, Italy

    J. R. Brucato & G. Poggiali

  50. INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padova, Italy

    M. Pajola

  51. INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Rome, Italy

    E. Dotto & E. Mazzotta Epifani

  52. Indigo Information Services, Tucson, AZ, USA

    M. K. Crombie

  53. Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris Sud, Orsay, France

    C. Lantz

  54. Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University–Misasa, Misasa, Japan

    M. R. M. Izawa

  55. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    J. de Leon, J. Licandro & J. L. Rizos Garcia

  56. Jacobs Technology, Houston, TX, USA

    S. Clemett & K. Thomas-Keprta

  57. Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    C. Thayer

  58. Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    P. Hayne & D. Kubitschek

  59. LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Meudon, France

    M. A. Barucci, J. D. P. Deshapriya, S. Fornasier, M. Fulchignoni, P. Hasselmann, F. Merlin & A. Praet

  60. Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, CO, USA

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  62. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, CA, USA

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  63. Mars Space Flight Facility, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

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  64. Mines ParisTech, Paris, France

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  65. Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

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  66. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA

    S. A. Sandford

  67. NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, USA

    J. Grossman, G. Johnston, M. Morris & J. Wendel

  68. NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA

    A. Burton, L. P. Keller, L. McNamara, S. Messenger, K. Nakamura-Messenger, A. Nguyen & K. Righter

  69. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA

    E. Queen

  70. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA

    K. Bellamy, K. Dill, S. Gardner, M. Giuntini, B. Key, J. Kissell, D. Patterson, D. Vaughan & B. Wright

  71. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    T. Ireland

  72. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    K. Tait

  73. School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    P. Bland

  74. School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    S. Anwar, N. Bojorquez-Murphy, P. R. Christensen, C. W. Haberle, G. Mehall & K. Rios

  75. SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA

    C. B. Beddingfield & J. Marshall

  76. Southwest Meteorite Laboratory, Payson, AZ, USA

    M. Killgore

  77. Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO, USA

    J. L. Bandfield & B. C. Clark

  78. Space Systems Laboratory, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    M. Chodas, M. Lambert & R. A. Masterson

  79. US Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    J. Backer, K. Edmundson, J. Mapel, M. Milazzo & S. Sides

  80. London Stereoscopic Company, London, UK

    C. Manzoni & B. May

  81. Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France

    B. Marty

Authors
  1. D. J. Scheeres
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  24. R.-L. Ballouz
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  26. M. M. Al Asad
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  27. H. C. M. Susorney
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  28. O. S. Barnouin
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  37. P. Michel
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  39. M. C. Nolan
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  40. H. C. Connolly Jr
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  41. D. S. Lauretta
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Consortia

The OSIRIS-REx Team

  • D. E. Highsmith
  • , J. Small
  • , D. Vokrouhlický
  • , N. E. Bowles
  • , E. Brown
  • , K. L. Donaldson Hanna
  • , T. Warren
  • , C. Brunet
  • , R. A. Chicoine
  • , S. Desjardins
  • , D. Gaudreau
  • , T. Haltigin
  • , S. Millington-Veloza
  • , A. Rubi
  • , J. Aponte
  • , N. Gorius
  • , A. Lunsford
  • , B. Allen
  • , J. Grindlay
  • , D. Guevel
  • , D. Hoak
  • , J. Hong
  • , D. L. Schrader
  • , J. Bayron
  • , O. Golubov
  • , P. Sánchez
  • , J. Stromberg
  • , M. Hirabayashi
  • , C. M. Hartzell
  • , S. Oliver
  • , M. Rascon
  • , A. Harch
  • , J. Joseph
  • , S. Squyres
  • , D. Richardson
  • , J. P. Emery
  • , L. McGraw
  • , R. Ghent
  • , R. P. Binzel
  • , M. M. Al Asad
  • , C. L. Johnson
  • , L. Philpott
  • , H. C. M. Susorney
  • , E. A. Cloutis
  • , R. D. Hanna
  • , H. C. Connolly Jr
  • , F. Ciceri
  • , A. R. Hildebrand
  • , E.-M. Ibrahim
  • , L. Breitenfeld
  • , T. Glotch
  • , A. D. Rogers
  • , B. E. Clark
  • , S. Ferrone
  • , C. A. Thomas
  • , H. Campins
  • , Y. Fernandez
  • , W. Chang
  • , A. Cheuvront
  • , D. Trang
  • , S. Tachibana
  • , H. Yurimoto
  • , J. R. Brucato
  • , G. Poggiali
  • , M. Pajola
  • , E. Dotto
  • , E. Mazzotta Epifani
  • , M. K. Crombie
  • , C. Lantz
  • , M. R. M. Izawa
  • , J. de Leon
  • , J. Licandro
  • , J. L. Rizos Garcia
  • , S. Clemett
  • , K. Thomas-Keprta
  • , S. Van wal
  • , M. Yoshikawa
  • , J. Bellerose
  • , S. Bhaskaran
  • , C. Boyles
  • , S. R. Chesley
  • , C. M. Elder
  • , D. Farnocchia
  • , A. Harbison
  • , B. Kennedy
  • , A. Knight
  • , N. Martinez-Vlasoff
  • , N. Mastrodemos
  • , T. McElrath
  • , W. Owen
  • , R. Park
  • , B. Rush
  • , L. Swanson
  • , Y. Takahashi
  • , D. Velez
  • , K. Yetter
  • , C. Thayer
  • , C. Adam
  • , P. Antreasian
  • , J. Bauman
  • , C. Bryan
  • , B. Carcich
  • , M. Corvin
  • , J. Geeraert
  • , J. Hoffman
  • , J. M. Leonard
  • , E. Lessac-Chenen
  • , A. Levine
  • , J. McAdams
  • , L. McCarthy
  • , D. Nelson
  • , B. Page
  • , J. Pelgrift
  • , E. Sahr
  • , K. Stakkestad
  • , D. Stanbridge
  • , D. Wibben
  • , B. Williams
  • , K. Williams
  • , P. Wolff
  • , P. Hayne
  • , D. Kubitschek
  • , M. A. Barucci
  • , J. D. P. Deshapriya
  • , S. Fornasier
  • , M. Fulchignoni
  • , P. Hasselmann
  • , F. Merlin
  • , A. Praet
  • , E. B. Bierhaus
  • , O. Billett
  • , A. Boggs
  • , B. Buck
  • , S. Carlson-Kelly
  • , J. Cerna
  • , K. Chaffin
  • , E. Church
  • , M. Coltrin
  • , J. Daly
  • , A. Deguzman
  • , R. Dubisher
  • , D. Eckart
  • , D. Ellis
  • , P. Falkenstern
  • , A. Fisher
  • , M. E. Fisher
  • , P. Fleming
  • , K. Fortney
  • , S. Francis
  • , S. Freund
  • , S. Gonzales
  • , P. Haas
  • , A. Hasten
  • , D. Hauf
  • , A. Hilbert
  • , D. Howell
  • , F. Jaen
  • , N. Jayakody
  • , M. Jenkins
  • , K. Johnson
  • , M. Lefevre
  • , H. Ma
  • , C. Mario
  • , K. Martin
  • , C. May
  • , M. McGee
  • , B. Miller
  • , C. Miller
  • , G. Miller
  • , A. Mirfakhrai
  • , E. Muhle
  • , C. Norman
  • , R. Olds
  • , C. Parish
  • , M. Ryle
  • , M. Schmitzer
  • , P. Sherman
  • , M. Skeen
  • , M. Susak
  • , B. Sutter
  • , Q. Tran
  • , C. Welch
  • , R. Witherspoon
  • , J. Wood
  • , J. Zareski
  • , M. Arvizu-Jakubicki
  • , E. Asphaug
  • , E. Audi
  • , R.-L. Ballouz
  • , R. Bandrowski
  • , K. J. Becker
  • , T. L. Becker
  • , S. Bendall
  • , C. A. Bennett
  • , H. Bloomenthal
  • , D. Blum
  • , W. V. Boynton
  • , J. Brodbeck
  • , K. N. Burke
  • , M. Chojnacki
  • , A. Colpo
  • , J. Contreras
  • , J. Cutts
  • , C. Y. Drouet d’Aubigny
  • , D. Dean
  • , D. N. DellaGiustina
  • , B. Diallo
  • , D. Drinnon
  • , K. Drozd
  • , H. L. Enos
  • , R. Enos
  • , C. Fellows
  • , T. Ferro
  • , M. R. Fisher
  • , G. Fitzgibbon
  • , M. Fitzgibbon
  • , J. Forelli
  • , T. Forrester
  • , I. Galinsky
  • , R. Garcia
  • , A. Gardner
  • , D. R. Golish
  • , N. Habib
  • , D. Hamara
  • , D. Hammond
  • , K. Hanley
  • , K. Harshman
  • , C. W. Hergenrother
  • , K. Herzog
  • , D. Hill
  • , C. Hoekenga
  • , S. Hooven
  • , E. S. Howell
  • , E. Huettner
  • , A. Janakus
  • , J. Jones
  • , T. R. Kareta
  • , J. Kidd
  • , K. Kingsbury
  • , S. S. Balram-Knutson
  • , L. Koelbel
  • , J. Kreiner
  • , D. Lambert
  • , D. S. Lauretta
  • , C. Lewin
  • , B. Lovelace
  • , M. Loveridge
  • , M. Lujan
  • , C. K. Maleszewski
  • , R. Malhotra
  • , K. Marchese
  • , E. McDonough
  • , N. Mogk
  • , V. Morrison
  • , E. Morton
  • , R. Munoz
  • , J. Nelson
  • , M. C. Nolan
  • , J. Padilla
  • , R. Pennington
  • , A. Polit
  • , N. Ramos
  • , V. Reddy
  • , M. Riehl
  • , B. Rizk
  • , H. L. Roper
  • , S. Salazar
  • , S. R. Schwartz
  • , S. Selznick
  • , N. Shultz
  • , P. H. Smith
  • , S. Stewart
  • , S. Sutton
  • , T. Swindle
  • , Y. H. Tang
  • , M. Westermann
  • , C. W. V. Wolner
  • , D. Worden
  • , T. Zega
  • , Z. Zeszut
  • , A. Bjurstrom
  • , L. Bloomquist
  • , C. Dickinson
  • , E. Keates
  • , J. Liang
  • , V. Nifo
  • , A. Taylor
  • , F. Teti
  • , M. Caplinger
  • , H. Bowles
  • , S. Carter
  • , S. Dickenshied
  • , D. Doerres
  • , T. Fisher
  • , W. Hagee
  • , J. Hill
  • , M. Miner
  • , D. Noss
  • , N. Piacentine
  • , M. Smith
  • , A. Toland
  • , P. Wren
  • , M. Bernacki
  • , D. Pino Munoz
  • , S.-i. Watanabe
  • , S. A. Sandford
  • , A. Aqueche
  • , B. Ashman
  • , M. Barker
  • , A. Bartels
  • , K. Berry
  • , B. Bos
  • , R. Burns
  • , A. Calloway
  • , R. Carpenter
  • , N. Castro
  • , R. Cosentino
  • , J. Donaldson
  • , J. P. Dworkin
  • , J. Elsila Cook
  • , C. Emr
  • , D. Everett
  • , D. Fennell
  • , K. Fleshman
  • , D. Folta
  • , D. Gallagher
  • , J. Garvin
  • , K. Getzandanner
  • , D. Glavin
  • , S. Hull
  • , K. Hyde
  • , H. Ido
  • , A. Ingegneri
  • , N. Jones
  • , P. Kaotira
  • , L. F. Lim
  • , A. Liounis
  • , C. Lorentson
  • , D. Lorenz
  • , J. Lyzhoft
  • , E. M. Mazarico
  • , R. Mink
  • , W. Moore
  • , M. Moreau
  • , S. Mullen
  • , J. Nagy
  • , G. Neumann
  • , J. Nuth
  • , D. Poland
  • , D. C. Reuter
  • , L. Rhoads
  • , S. Rieger
  • , D. Rowlands
  • , D. Sallitt
  • , A. Scroggins
  • , G. Shaw
  • , A. A. Simon
  • , J. Swenson
  • , P. Vasudeva
  • , M. Wasser
  • , R. Zellar
  • , J. Grossman
  • , G. Johnston
  • , M. Morris
  • , J. Wendel
  • , A. Burton
  • , L. P. Keller
  • , L. McNamara
  • , S. Messenger
  • , K. Nakamura-Messenger
  • , A. Nguyen
  • , K. Righter
  • , E. Queen
  • , K. Bellamy
  • , K. Dill
  • , S. Gardner
  • , M. Giuntini
  • , B. Key
  • , J. Kissell
  • , D. Patterson
  • , D. Vaughan
  • , B. Wright
  • , R. W. Gaskell
  • , L. Le Corre
  • , J.-Y. Li
  • , J. L. Molaro
  • , E. E. Palmer
  • , M. A. Siegler
  • , P. Tricarico
  • , J. R. Weirich
  • , X.-D. Zou
  • , T. Ireland
  • , K. Tait
  • , P. Bland
  • , S. Anwar
  • , N. Bojorquez-Murphy
  • , P. R. Christensen
  • , C. W. Haberle
  • , G. Mehall
  • , K. Rios
  • , I. Franchi
  • , B. Rozitis
  • , C. B. Beddingfield
  • , J. Marshall
  • , D. N. Brack
  • , A. S. French
  • , J. W. McMahon
  • , D. J. Scheeres
  • , E. R. Jawin
  • , T. J. McCoy
  • , S. Russell
  • , M. Killgore
  • , W. F. Bottke
  • , V. E. Hamilton
  • , H. H. Kaplan
  • , K. J. Walsh
  • , J. L. Bandfield
  • , B. C. Clark
  • , M. Chodas
  • , M. Lambert
  • , R. A. Masterson
  • , M. G. Daly
  • , J. Freemantle
  • , J. A. Seabrook
  • , O. S. Barnouin
  • , K. Craft
  • , R. T. Daly
  • , C. Ernst
  • , R. C. Espiritu
  • , M. Holdridge
  • , M. Jones
  • , A. H. Nair
  • , L. Nguyen
  • , J. Peachey
  • , M. E. Perry
  • , J. Plescia
  • , J. H. Roberts
  • , R. Steele
  • , R. Turner
  • , J. Backer
  • , K. Edmundson
  • , J. Mapel
  • , M. Milazzo
  • , S. Sides
  • , C. Manzoni
  • , B. May
  • , M. Delbo’
  • , G. Libourel
  • , P. Michel
  • , A. Ryan
  • , F. Thuillet
  •  & B. Marty

Contributions

D.J.S. led the analysis and writing of the paper; J.W.M. led the University of Colorado estimation activities; A.S.F. performed the estimation for the University of Colorado; D.N.B. supported tasks at the University of Colorado; S.R.C. led the Yarkovsky and ephemeris update team at JPL; D.F. and Y.T. performed the estimation for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, including the new ephemeris; J.M.L. led the orbit determination activity at KinetX, supported by J.G. and B.P.; P.A. led the navigation team for OSIRIS-REx; K.G. led the estimation activities at the Goddard Space Flight Center and was supported by D.R., E.M., D.E.H. and J.S.; M.M. led the joint flight dynamics team; J.P.E. and B.R. modelled the Yarkovsky effect using the thermal data; M.H. performed the Bennu stress analysis; P.S. performed granular mechanics simulations; S.V.W. analysed speed limits on the Bennu surface; P.T. supported the analysis of density heterogeneities; R.L.B. provided analysis of the surface; C.L.J., M.M.A.A. and H.C.M.S. supported interpretation of the estimated shape model; O.S.B. (primary) and M.G.D. led the shape modelling activity; J.S. performed analysis in support of shape modelling; R.W.G., E.E.P. and J.R.W. produced shape models; K.J.W. and E.R.J. provided interpretation of surface geology; E.B.B. provided interpretation of surface cratering; P.M. and W.F.B. provided analysis support; M.C.N., H.C.C. and D.S.L. provided analysis support and scientific leadership; and the entire OSIRIS-REx Team made this mission possible.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. J. Scheeres.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Journal peer review information: Nature Astronomy thanks Matthias Grott, David Polishook and Yang Yu for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Scheeres, D.J., McMahon, J.W., French, A.S. et al. The dynamic geophysical environment of (101955) Bennu based on OSIRIS-REx measurements. Nat Astron 3, 352–361 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0721-3

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