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The asteroid exploration project "Hayabusa2" has successfully returnedsamples from the asteroid (162173) Ryugu. In this study, we measured the linearpolarization degrees of Ryugu using four ground-based telescopes from 2020September 27 to December 25, covering a wide-phase angle (Sun-target-observer'sangle) range from 28$^\circ$ to 104$^\circ$. We found that the polarizationdegree of Ryugu reached 53$\%$ around a phase angle of 100$^\circ$, the highestvalue among all asteroids and comets thus far reported. The high polarizationdegree of Ryugu can be attributed to the scattering properties of its surfacelayers, in particular the relatively small contribution of multiply-scatteredlight. Our polarimetric results indicate that Ryugu's surface is covered withlarge grains. On the basis of a comparison with polarimetric measurements ofpulverized meteorites, we can infer the presence of submillimeter-sized grainson the surface layer of Ryugu. We also conjecture that this size boundaryrepresents the grains that compose the aggregate. It is likely that a verybrittle structure has been lost in the recovered samples, although they mayhold a record of its evolution. Our data will be invaluable for futureexperiments aimed at reproducing the surface structure of Ryugu.

Implications of High Polarization Degree for the Surface State of Ryugu