Cohesive regolith on fast rotating asteroids

The migration of cohesive regolith on the surface of an otherwise monolithic or strong asteroid is studied using theoretical and simulation models. The theory and simulations show that under an increasing spin rate (such as due to the YORP effect), the regolith covering is preferentially lost across certain regions of the body. For regolith with little or no cohesive strength, failure occurs by landsliding from the mid latitudes of the body at...