title: The shape of 433 eros from the NEAR-shoemaker laser rangefinder
abstract: Measurements from the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR)-Shoemaker Laser Rangefinder (NLR) indicate that asteroid 433 Eros is a consolidated body with a complex shape dominated by collisions. The offset between the asteroid's center of mass and center of figure indicates a small deviation from a homogeneous internal structure that is most simply explained by variations in mechanical structure. Regional-scale relief and slope distributions show evidence for control of topography by a competent substrate. Impact crater morphology is influenced by both gravity and structural control. Small-scale topography reveals ridges and grooves that may be generated by impact-related fracturing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Earth Sciences Directorate, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA. Johns Hopkins Univer.
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Zuber
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Garvin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aharonson
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Lemoine
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Torrence