Collisional Evolution of Trojan Asteroids☆

Abstract We model the collisional evolution of Trojan asteroids using a numerical code which combines recent calculations of the intrinsic collision probabilities and impact speeds in the Trojan swarms (Marzariet al.1996) with our current understanding of the outcomes of high-velocity collisions between asteroid-sized bodies. Using plausible collision parameters and energy scaling of impact strength with size, we obtain a good match to the present Trojan population, as inferred by Shoemakeret al.(1989). The steep slope of the current Trojan size distribution at diameters larger than about 50–100 km is essentially unaltered by the collisional process and must reflect the formative processes …