How can two colliding rocky bodies at extremely low temperatures fuse together if they don't have the combined mass to reach a hydrostatic equilibrium? Is it some sort of crush welding?
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Depending on what you’re asking, it might just be gravity. Many (most?) asteroids the size of Bennu and Ryugu are “rubble piles”, loose aggregations of rock and gravel held together by gravity.
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Andy, could you please provide the evidence to say they are rubble piles ?
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Sure! I’m not sure how technical an answer you’d like, but the short answer is that asteroid densities and rotation periods are most consistent with them being rubble piles. There’s an old paper here: boulder.swri.edu/~bottke/rubble
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Thanks, that’s interesting. I was under the impression they’re like terrestrial monolithic rocks, just more irregular. 🤔


