Rotational evolution of self-gravitating aggregates with cores of variable strength

This paper presents a study, through the use of a Soft-Sphere Discrete Element method, of possible deformation and disruption patterns of spinning, self-gravitating spherical aggregates with cores of variable strengths. We present this study as a complement to our previous study about aggregates with strong cores that also provided some insight into the occurrence of surface shedding. It is observed that the inclusion of a weak core produces a very symmetric deformation pattern and even a shape that resembles that of asteroid 25143 Itokawa though this only happens for the weakest of the tested cores. At this level of shell strength, and in agreement with our previous studies, most aggregates fission off coherent pieces of the original bodies, which could potentially form binary systems. Additionally, we try to understand how strong, relative to the shell, the core has to be to prevent it from failing before the shell does.