Troy Shinbrot - Rutgers University
Date/Time/Location
Thursday, March 21st, 12:10pm; Hill Center 705
Granular models for moon and asteroid morphologies
Asteroids, moons and planetesimals exhibit remarkable shapes, ranging from ravioli- and walnut- like (Saturn's moons, Pan & Iapetus) to pointed (asteroids Ryugu and Bennu), with shapes like a peanut (Itokawa) thrown into the mix for added curiosity. Additionally, some astrophysical bodies exhibit flow ripples (67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) and segregation patterns (Itokawa) despite a lack of surface atmosphere or fluid flow. In this talk, I describe models for these curiosities based on understanding of granular dynamics that have been developed over the past several decades.