Collisions between large asteroids, taking into account both the fragmentation and the gravitation, have been simulated for the first time by Patrick Michel (Cassini Laboratory, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, France) and his collaborators,Willy Benz (University of Berne, Switzerland), Paolo Tanga (Cassini Laboratory) and Derek C. Richardson (University of Maryland, USA). The researchers have performed simulations which reproduce the formation of asteroid families and explain the presence of asteroid satellites. Results are published in the issue of November 23 of the prestigious Journal Science:

Michel, P., Benz, W., Tanga, P., Richardson, D.C. 2001. Collision and Gravitational Reaccumulation: Forming Asteroid Families and Satellites. Science 294, 1696-1700.

A free access toOnline Reprints of the Article can be obtained (Click here, then click on the line starting with "Online reprint ...")
 

PRESS RELEASE FROM CNRS (November 22, 2001) in French
(Bottom: articles appeared in public medias)

Cover Caption : Simulated image of the disruption of a 100-km asteroid. Collisions between large asteroids generate as many as 50,000 kilometer-sized fragments, some of which will eventually reaccumulate to form aggregates. 1696 [Image: P. Michel and P. Tanga]

• Article on the site of NBC (November 24, 2001)

• Article in the Swiss Journal "Le Temps" (Novembre 27, 2001)

 
• Article in Der Spiegel (November 24, 2001)

 
• Article on the site of space.com

 
• Article in Scientific American

• Article in the french journal "Science et Avenir" (December 4, 2001)