Lots in Icarus for 15 Mar (vol. 429), and this is in a mid-month “extra” issue:
Lin, S. Wang, X. Chen, N. Direct solar radiation distribution and driving mechanisms on planetary surfaces – Moon, Mars, Ceres, and Mercury Article 116402 .2024.116402
Cui, J. Li, Geng Zhao, Y. 322P/SOHO: The counterpart of a historical comet in 254 CE? Article 116382 .2024.116382
Rider-Stokes, B.G. Jackson, S.L. Burbine, T.H. et al. Remnants of a lost Planetesimal: Searching for the Angrite parent body Article 116429 .2024.116429
Chow, I. Brown, P. G. Decameter-sized Earth impactors – I: Orbital properties Article 116444 .2024.116444
Schultz, C. D. Milliken, R. E. The curious case of the missing mantle: How carbonaceous chondrites may confound the spectral identification of partially differentiated asteroids Article 116442 .2024.116442
Inno, L. Scuderi, M. Bertini, I. et al. How much earlier would LSST have discovered currently known long-period comets? Article 116443 .2024.116443
Tsuchiyama, A. Yamaguchi, H. Ogawa, M. et al. Abrasion experiments of mineral, rock, and meteorite particles: Simulating regolith particles abrasion on airless bodies Article 116432 .2024.116432
Sirono, S-i. Do icy dust aggregates break up when they pass the snow line? Article 116430 .2024.116430
Horikawa, K. Arakawa, M. Yasui, M. et al. Impact strength of cm-to-decimeter scale weak porous targets: Implication for lifetime of boulders on asteroids Article 116449 .2024.116449
Li, L. Hui, H. Hu, S. et al. Discovery of carbonaceous chondritic fragment in Chang’e-5 regolith samples Article 116454 .2025.116454
Solar radiation drives Ceres volatiles, as well as Main-Belt Comets (other than Ceres) and a subset of other active asteroids (not in the Main Belt). Just a bunch of dumb rocks, eh?
Cui et al. attempt to link multiple comet apparitions. I’m always a bit wary of these, especially apparitions going back to 254- just what sigma value do you place on naked-eye records from 254?
And speaking of linking, there appears to be a deficit of one, possibly multiple asteroid types- if you assume the bulk of asteroids had once been in big planetesimals. (The presence of iron asteroids/meteorites indicates there was at least one, likely multiple big planetesimals.) Rider-Stokes et al. and Schultz et al. are on the trail- so to speak- of the missing (?) asteroid(s?).
The declassification of missile-warning assets served as a dataset for bolides (giant meteors). Every so often, a nontrivial bolide strikes, typically over ocean or desert, given Earth’s large surface area. Our declassified data now lets us draw some conclusions of the large bolide population.
And speaking of tracking assets, the Vera Rubin Observatory will basically define a new era of comet search. In ‘hindsight’ (or would that be time travel?) how would Rubin have fared, given the known population of comets already discovered? This can help us project forwards, too.
Going into the weeds (or would that be sand trap?) Tsuchiyama et al. dive into the ‘soil’ mechanics of asteroid regolith. This is important for asteroid mining, to an extent landing, and in general our knowledge of NEO lifetimes and fates over geologic (10,000-1,000,000 yr) scales. Horikawa et al. continue the investigation on larger scales: Ryugu and Bennu have porous boulders.
Looking in the other direction, Sirono examines the history of small-body formation (and by extension planet formation). The question of ice deposits is, of course, valuable knowledge, literally.
Ceres, Ryugu, Bennu, etc. material is volatile-rich and valuable; a bunch of dumb basalt (e. g., Earth’s natural satellite) is not. However, the regolith of Earth’s natural satellite is ‘contaminated’ with carbonaceous chondritic material (from asteroids, comets, and ‘astero-comets’) at the ~1% level. Hence, some interest. Li et al. confirm that the regolith sampled by Chang’e-5 is thusly ‘contaminated.’