Full two-body simulations of Arrokoth's lobes demonstrate that shape irregularities produce gravitational torques orders of magnitude stronger than gas drag, causing rapid desynchronization and misalignment that none of the proposed pre-merger scenarios can prevent.
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Updated shape model of Arrokoth finds significantly larger volume, 2:1 lobe ratio, spherical small lobe and oblate large lobe compared to prior work.
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Challenge in Arrokoth's single merger to achieve the shape's principal axis configuration
Full two-body simulations of Arrokoth's lobes demonstrate that shape irregularities produce gravitational torques orders of magnitude stronger than gas drag, causing rapid desynchronization and misalignment that none of the proposed pre-merger scenarios can prevent.
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The Shape of (486958) Arrokoth
Updated shape model of Arrokoth finds significantly larger volume, 2:1 lobe ratio, spherical small lobe and oblate large lobe compared to prior work.