Hyper-Velocity Impacts on Rubble Pile Asteroids

Introduction.- Asteroids and Comets in the Solar System.- The Interior of Asteroids.- Impact Processes in the Solar System.- Simulating Impacts on Rubble Pile Asteroids.- Methods.- Numerical Simulations of Impact Events.- Gravitational Forces in High-Resolution Impact Simulations.- A New Approach to Modelling Impacts on Rubble Pile Asteroid Simulants.- Rubble Pile Asteroid Simulants.- Hydrocode Impact Simulations.- Assessing the Influence of Rubble Pile Structures on Impact Simulations.- Comparing Outcomes of Simulations.- Results - Sensitivity to Model Parameters.- Summary.- Impacts on Rubble Pile Asteroid Steins.- Asteroid Steins.- Steins as a Rubble Pile Asteroid.- Simulating Crater-Forming Impacts on Asteroid Steins.- The Influence of Gravitational Forces on Simulated Impacts on Steins.- Reproducing Surface Features Observed on Steins.- Asteroid Steins: Conclusions.- Discussion.- A Simulant for the Large Scale Structure of Rubble Pile Asteroids.- The Internal Structure of Rubble Pile Asteroids in Impact Events.- Linking Surface Features on Steins to its Internal Structure.- Steins as a YORP Evolved Asteroid.- Applicability of the Rubble Pile Interior Model.- Future Applications of the Model.- Bibliography.-