Collisional Rates within Newly Formed Asteroid Families

A statistical analysis of the mutual collisions among members of asteroid families during the very early times after family formation has been performed. The statistical properties of the collisions (probability, distribution of velocity, and so on) have been computed using an algorithm effective even in cases in which the longitude of the nodes and the longitudes of the perihelia of the orbits under consideration are not distributed uniformly. The results show the occurrence of a strong enhancement in the mutual collision rate among family members, immediately after family formation. Nevertheless, this episode lasts for a relatively short time, and it does not affect too severely the overall collisional evolution of the family. The early enhancement of mutual collisions, however, may influence the cratering record exhibited by the surfaces of family members, possibly laying the foundation for the early development of a surface regolith layer.