Revealing the evolution of Ryugu using numerical simulations: avalanches, and the formation of top-shaped asteroids and rubble-pile satellites
Research investigating the evolution of asteroid Ryugu through numerical simulations has been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters in September 2022. The lead author is HYODO Ryuki, an International Top Young Fellow (ITYF) at ISAS JAXA. A commentary article by Hyodo has been posted on ISAS GATE. The results from this research were also presented at the Hayabusa 2022 Symposium, which was held earlier this month.
The simulation result offer an explanation as to why asteroid such as Ryugu form their current shapes. The authors include videos to show the dynamical changes of forming asteroids over time in the article on ISAS GATE: