Asteroidal catastrophic collisions simulated by hypervelocity impact experiments

We report the results of six impact fragmentation experiments carried out with free-falling macroscopic targets of different compositions and shapes, and with projectile velocities close to 9 km/sec, i.e., significantly higher than the sound velocity in the target materials. The data have been examined by deriving the mass and shape distributions of the fragments, by reconstructing two of the shattered targets in order to study the geometry of the fracture surfaces, and by analyzing the properties of the fine-grained high-velocity ejecta. The fragment mass distributions show clearly that the degree of target fragmentation depends strongly on the impact parameter. Apart from the few largest fragments, these distributions are well represented by two power laws with different exponents, connected at a size of about 1 cm. The fragment shapes are generally in good agreement with those observed in previous experiments, and no significant shape vs size dependence has been found down to sizes of the order of 0.1 mm. The fragments tend to become larger and possibly more irregular in shape when they are generated farther from the impact point. The fracture surfaces are oriented roughly along meridians and parallels (with the pole at the impact point) when the target is spherical, but are clustered around the symmetry planes when the target is ellipsoidal. Fine-grained particles, with typical sizes and velocities of 0.01 cm and 1 km/sec, respectively, are ejected at low-elevation angles and in a rather collimated way, starting both from the neighborhood of the impact point and from regions of incipient cracking. Particular attention has been paid to a comparison between these results and the observed properties of the outcomes of asteroidal catastrophic collisions, like the dynamical families and the small inner planet crossing objects. While the collisional theory for the origin of families is fully consistent with the experimental results (with some indication for a significant role of the parent asteroid's self-gravitation), the elongated shapes of several Apollo-Amor objects are much rarer among the laboratory fragments, and thus appear to require a different explanation.     

Capture of particles in hypervelocity impacts in aerogel

Abstract— The capture in aerogel of 106 μm diameter glass beads is investigated for impact speeds of 1 to 7.5 km s^?1. Three different aerogel densities were used, 60,96 and 180 kg m^?3. It was found that the length of the penetration track in the aerogel increases with speed until a maximum is reached. Above the maximum speed the track length decreases. This behaviour is similar to that which has previously been observed for particles impacting polystyrene foams and porous alumina. Whilst track length was not found to be an unambiguous indicator of impact speed, the excavated track volume was found to be a suitable indictor of speed. Further, it was possible to estimate the original particle size by measurements of the track volume and entrance hole size. In addition sub‐100 μm diameter particles composed of various minerals were fired into aerogel and the characterisation of the particles in situ by use of a Raman spectrometer was evaluated. This was found to work well, giving vibrational spectra essentially similar to those of the bulk minerals, thus providing a mineralogical rather than an elemental signature for the captured particles.     

Primary velocity dependence of impact ejecta parameters

From the light emitted during impacts of secondary particles produced during hypervelocity primary impacts, the velocities and relative masses of these ejecta were determined as a function of the angle between the ejection direction and the target surface. The velocity of the ejecta increases with increasing impact velocity and decreasing ejection angle. The ratio of the maximum ejecta velocity to the primary impact velocity decreases with increasing impact speed. The main fraction of the secondary particles is ejected in rather small angular intervals of about 10° width in elevation. The ejection angle of the main fraction of the ejecta mass increases with increasing impact velocity.     

Distribution of ejecta from small impact craters

The present study focuses both on the influence of impact scale on ejecta expansion and on specific features of ejecta deposits around relatively small craters (i.e., those a few kilometers in width). The numerical model is based on the SOVA multimaterial multidimensional hydrocode, considering subaerial vertical impacts only, applying a 2‐D version of the code to projectiles of 100, 300, and 1000 m diameter. Ejecta can roughly be divided into two categories: “ballistic” ejecta and “convective” ejecta; the ballistic ejecta are the ejecta with which the air interacts only slightly, while the convective ejecta motion is entirely defined by the air flow. The degree of particle/air interaction can be defined by the time/length of particle travel before deceleration. Ejecta size‐distributions for the impacts modeled can be described by the same power law, but the size of maximum fragment increases with scale. There is no qualitative difference between the 100 m diameter projectile case and the 300 m diameter projectile impact. In both cases, fine ejecta decelerate in the air at a small distance from launching point and then rise to the stratosphere by air flows induced by the impacts. In the 1000 m‐scale impact, the mass of ejecta is so large that it moves the atmosphere itself to high altitudes. Thus, the atmosphere cannot decelerate even the fine ejecta and they consequently expand to the rarefied upper atmosphere. In the upper atmosphere, even fine ejecta move more or less ballistically and therefore may travel to high altitudes.     

Deformation and melting of steel projectiles in hypervelocity cratering experiments

Abstract– We carried out hypervelocity cratering experiments with steel projectiles and sandstone targets to investigate the structural and mineralogical changes that occur upon impact in the projectile and target. The masses of coherent projectile relics that were recovered in different experiments ranged between 58% and 92% of their initial projectile masses. A significant trend between impact energy, the presence of water in the target, and the mass of projectile relics could not be found. However, projectile fragmentation seems to be enhanced if the target contains substantial amounts of water. Two experiments that were performed with 1 cm sized steel projectiles impacting at 3400 and 5300 m s^?1 vertically onto dry Seeberger sandstone were investigated in detail. The recovered projectiles are intensely plastically deformed. Deformation mechanisms include dislocation glide and dislocation creep. The latter led to the formation of subgrains and micrometer‐sized dynamically recrystallized grains. In case of the 5300 m s^?1 impact experiment, this deformation is followed by grain annealing. In addition, brittle fracturing and friction‐controlled melting at the surface along with melting and boiling of iron and silica were observed in both experiments. We estimated that heating and melting of the projectile impacting at 5300 m s^?1 consumed 4.4% of the total impact energy and was converted into thermal energy and heat of fusion. Beside the formation of centimeter‐sized projectile relics, projectile matter is distributed in the ejecta as spherules, unmelted fragments, and intermingled iron‐silica aggregates.     

Analysis of the hypervelocity impact process from impact flash measurements

Hypervelocity microparticle impact experiments were performed with a 2 MV Van De Graaff dust accelerator. From measurements of the light intensity I and the total light energy E, the relations I=c₁mv^4.1 and E=c₂mv^3.2 were obtained, where m is the projectile mass, ν the projectile velocity and c₁,c₂ are constants, depending on projectile and target material. Using the measured values of the spectral distribution of the light emitted during impact, the temperature of the radiating material was estimated to be between 2500 and 5000 K depending on the projectile velocity. From an analysis of these measurements the angular distribution of secondary particle velocities as well as the relative mass distribution of these particles was determined. Approximately 90% of the detected ejecta mass (ν?1 km/sec) is found between 50° and 70° ejection angle. For ejection angles smaller than 20°, ejecta velocities of up to 30 km/sec were detected when the primary particle velocity was 4.8 km/sec. Using the dependence of the light intensity on pressure in the target chamber, an estimate of the total amount of material vaporized during impact could be derived. It was concluded that at 7.4 km/sec particle impact velocity at least 1.6% of the displaced projectile and crater material was vaporized.     

Deformation of dry and wet sandstone targets during hypervelocity impact experiments,as revealed from the MEMIN Program

Abstract– Hypervelocity impact experiments on dry and water‐saturated targets of fine‐grained quartz sandstone, performed within the MEMIN project, have been investigated to determine the effects of porosity and pore space saturation on deformation mechanisms in the crater’s subsurface. A dry sandstone cube and a 90% water‐saturated sandstone cube (Seeberger Sandstein, 20 cm side length, about 23% porosity) were impacted at the Fraunhofer EMI acceleration facilities by 2.5 mm diameter steel spheres at 4.8 and 5.3 km s^?1, respectively. Microstructural postimpact analyses of the bisected craters revealed differences in the subsurface deformation for the dry and the wet target experiments. Enhanced grain comminution and compaction in the dry experiment and a wider extent of localized deformation in the saturated experiment suggest a direct influence of pore water on deformation mechanisms. We suggest that the pore water reduces the shock impedance mismatch between grains and pore space, and thus reduces the peak stresses at grain–grain contacts. This effect inhibits profound grain comminution and effective compaction, but allows for reduced shock wave attenuation and a more effective transport of energy into the target. The reduced shock wave attenuation is supposed to be responsible for the enhanced crater growth and the development of “near surface” fractures in the wet target.     

Two layers of Australasian impact ejecta in the Indian Ocean?

Abstract— Only 2 Australasian tektites have been found in the Indian Ocean, and both are associated with surficial sediments. We collected cores from both locations where the tektites have been reported. The microtektites in these cores (and both the tektites, as reported earlier) have chemical compositions within the compositional range previously reported for Australasian tektites and microtektites. In both locations, while the tektites are occurring at the sediment/water interface, the microtektites are found buried in older horizons beneath the seafloor at stratigraphic levels, conforming to the radiometric age of the strewn field. Thus, at first glance, there appear to be 2 layers of Australasian impact ejecta in the Indian Ocean. However, the manganese nodules are associated with the tektites which, although millions of years old, are invariably resting on recent sediments. Therefore, the mechanism that retains nodules at the seafloor also seems to be operative on the tektites, thus leading to this apparent “age paradox” of tektite/microtektite distribution in the Indian Ocean, although they both belong to the same impact event.     

Petrography and geochemistry of ejecta from the Sudbury impact event

Ejecta from the Connors Creek site in Michigan (500 km from the Sudbury Igneous Complex [SIC]), the Pine River site in western Ontario (650 km from the SIC), and the Coleraine site in Minnesota (980 km from the SIC) were petrographically and geochemically analyzed. Connors Creek was found to have approximately 2 m of ejecta, including shocked quartz, melt droplets, and accretionary lapilli; Pine River has similar deposits about 1 m in thickness, although with smaller lapilli; Coleraine contains only impact spherules in a 20 cm‐thick layer (impact spherules being similar to microkrystites or microtektites). The ejecta transition from chaotic deposits of massively bedded impactoclastic material with locally derived detritus at Connors Creek to a deposit with apparently very little detrital material that is primarily composed of melt droplets at Pine River to a deposit that is almost entirely composed of melt spherules at Coleraine. The major and trace element compositions of the ejecta confirm the previously observed similarity of the ejecta deposits to the Onaping Formation in the SIC. Platinum‐group element (PGE) concentrations from each of the sites were also measured, revealing significantly elevated PGE contents in the spherule samples compared with background values. PGE abundances in samples from the Pine River site can be reproduced by addition of approximately 0.2 wt% CI chondrite to the background composition of the underlying sediments in the core. PGE interelement ratios indicate that the Sudbury impact event was probably caused by a chondritic impactor.     

Subsurface deformation in hypervelocity cratering experiments into high‐porosity tuffs

Hypervelocity impact experiments on porous tuff targets were carried out to determine the effect of porosity on deformation mechanisms in the crater's subsurface. Blocks of Weibern Tuff with about 43% porosity were impacted by 2.5 mm and 12.0 mm diameter steel spheres with velocities between 4.8 km s^?1 and 5.6 km s^?1. The postimpact subsurface damage was quantified with computer tomography as well as with meso‐ and microscale analyses of the bisected crater subsurface. The intensity and style of deformation in mineral clasts and the tuff matrix were mapped and their decay with subsurface depth was determined. Subsurface deformation styles include pore space compaction, clast rotation, as well as microfracture formation. Evaluation of the deformation indicates near‐surface energy coupling at a calculated depth of burial of ~2 projectile diameters (d_p), which is in conflict with the crater shape, which displays a deep, central penetration tube. Subsurface damage extends to ~2 d_p beneath the crater floor in the experiments with 2.5 mm projectiles and increases to ~3 d_p for 12 mm projectiles. Based on overprinting relationships and the geometrical orientation of deformation features, a sequence of subsurface deformation events was derived (1) matrix compaction, (2) intragranular crack formation in clasts, (3) deformation band formation in the compacted matrix, (4) tensile fracturing.     

Surface roughness of alumina fragments caused by hypervelocity impact

Hypervelocity impact experiments are carried out with alumina ceramic targets at impact velocities of 2-4 km/s. The fractal dimension (or roughness exponent) of fragment surfaces is estimated by two different methods (different length scales). One is a divider method (large scale) and the other is a gas-absorption one (small scale). The obtained fractal dimensions are different: ∼2.2-2.4 for larger scale and ∼2.5-2.7 for smaller scale. These values are regardless of the degree of fragmentation.     

The coating hypothesis for ammonia ice particles in Jupiter: Laboratory experiments and optical modeling

We report laboratory experiments and modeling calculations investigating the effect of a hydrocarbon coating on ammonia ice spectral signatures. Observational evidence and thermochemical models indicate an abundance of ammonia ice clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere. However, spectrally identifiable ammonia ice clouds are found covering less than 1% of Jupiter's atmosphere, notably in areas of strong vertical transport, indicating a short lifetime for the signature of ammonia absorption on condensed ammonia particles [Baines, K.H., Carlson, R.W., Kamp, L.W., 2002. Icarus 159, 74-94]. Current literature has suggested coating of ammonia ice particles by a hydrocarbon haze as a possible explanation for this paradox. The work presented here supports the inference of a coating effect that can alter or suppress ammonia absorption features. In the experiments, thin films of ammonia ices are deposited in a cryogenic apparatus, coated with hydrocarbons, and characterized by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy. We have observed the effects on the ammonia ice absorption features near 3 and 9 μm with coverage by thin layers of hydrocarbons. Modeling calculations of these multilayer thin films assist in the interpretation of the experimental results and reveal the important role of optical interference in altering the aforementioned ammonia spectral features. Mie and T-matrix scattering calculations demonstrate analogous effects for ammonia ice particles and investigate the relative effects of ammonia ice particle size, shape, and coating layer thickness on the ice particle spectral signatures.     

Laboratory simulations of redeposition of impact ejecta on mineral surfaces

We present quantitative laboratory studies that simulate the effect of redeposition of impact-ejecta on mineral surfaces. We produced deposits of natural olivine (Fo90) and forsterite on olivine and forsterite powder samples by ns-pulsed laser ablation. The deposits produce changes in the optical reflectance (0.66-2.5 μm). We show that significant darkening and reddening of the surface occurs when the deposit is olivine but not if it is forsterite. This is attributed to the formation of metallic iron nanoparticles in the olivine deposits. We also characterized structural and chemical changes using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In situ XPS measurements show that the olivine deposits are reduced, with 50% of the iron becoming metallic. Transmission electron microscope studies confirm the presence of 2-3 nm crystalline iron nanoparticles in the olivine deposits. The scanning electron microscope shows that both olivine and forsterite deposits smoothen the topography of the powder surface, which could have effects on processes such as exosphere-surface interactions and sputtering. We conclude that the effect of coatings produced by micrometeorite impacts will not be uniform on airless bodies but will depend on the composition of the terrain.     

Simulations of impact ejecta and regolith accumulation on Asteroid Eros

We have carried out a set of Monte Carlo simulations of the placement of impact ejecta on Asteroid 433 Eros, with the aim of understanding the distribution and accumulation of regolith. The simulations consisted of two stages: (1) random distribution of primary impact sites derived from a uniform isotropic flux of impactors, and (2) integration of the orbits of test particle ejecta launched from primary impact points until their re-impact or escape. We integrated the orbits of a large number of test particles (typically 10⁶ per individual case). For those particles that did not escape we collected the location of their re-impact points to build up a distribution on the asteroid surface. We find that secondary impact density is mostly controlled by the overall topography of the asteroid. A gray-scale image of the density of secondary ejecta impact points looks, in general, like a reduced-scale negative of the topography of the asteroid's surface. In other words, regolith migration tends to fill in the topography of Eros over time, whereas topographic highs are denuded of free material. Thus, the irregular shape of Eros is not a steady-state configuration, but the result of larger stochastic events.     

Crater geometry and ejecta thickness of the Martian impact crater Tooting

Abstract— We use Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topographic data and Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) visible (VIS) images to study the cavity and the ejecta blanket of a very fresh Martian impact crater ?29 km in diameter, with the provisional International Astronomical Union (IAU) name Tooting crater. This crater is very young, as demonstrated by the large depth/diameter ratio (0.065), impact melt preserved on the walls and floor, an extensive secondary crater field, and only 13 superposed impact craters (all 54 to 234 meters in diameter) on the ?8120 km² ejecta blanket. Because the pre‐impact terrain was essentially flat, we can measure the volume of the crater cavity and ejecta deposits. Tooting crater has a rim height that has >500 m variation around the rim crest and a very large central peak (1052 m high and >9 km wide). Crater cavity volume (i.e., volume below the pre‐impact terrain) is ?380 km³ the volume of materials above the pre‐impact terrain is ?425 km³. The ejecta thickness is often very thin (<20 m) throughout much of the ejecta blanket. There is a pronounced asymmetry in the ejecta blanket, suggestive of an oblique impact, which has resulted in up to ?100 m of additional ejecta thickness being deposited down‐range compared to the up‐range value at the same radial distance from the rim crest. Distal ramparts are 60 to 125 m high, comparable to the heights of ramparts measured at other multi‐layered ejecta craters. Tooting crater serves as a fresh end‐member for the large impact craters on Mars formed in volcanic materials, and as such may be useful for comparison to fresh craters in other target materials.     

On critical observations that constrain models of terrestrial hypervelocity impact craters

Impact structures in the crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield range over two orders of magnitude in size and display morphologies recognized elsewhere in the solar system. This contribution draws upon new examinations of drill core from Canadian craters to reaffirm some relationships, modify others, and refine the transitions from simple to complex with central peak to peak‐ring structures. These include recognizing the hyperbolic form of transient craters, sharpening the allochthon–parautochthon distinction, and proposing new formulae for key relationships. It emphasizes the role of dynamic tensile strength and the attenuation of tensile rarefaction waves in determining the size of both transient and final crater dimensions. On Earth, depth (d) to diameter (D) ratios are not invariant at about 1:10 but change smoothly with size from 1:3 at Brent through 1:5 to 1:10 in the largest; that is, d = 0.4 D^0.75. In craters in crystalline rocks, the central peak grows at about uplift = 0.175 D until, at D about 28 km, the uplift rises above the original surface then collapses to form a peak‐ring structure. These relationships demonstrate the dominant role of gravity in attenuating tensile rarefaction waves and controlling transient crater depth and overall size relative to the volume shocked.     

Effect of target properties and impact velocity on ejection dynamics and ejecta deposition

Impact craters are formed by the displacement and ejection of target material. Ejection angles and speeds during the excavation process depend on specific target properties. In order to quantify the influence of the constitutive properties of the target and impact velocity on ejection trajectories, we present the results of a systematic numerical parameter study. We have carried out a suite of numerical simulations of impact scenarios with different coefficients of friction (0.0–1.0), porosities (0–42%), and cohesions (0–150 MPa). Furthermore, simulations with varying pairs of impact velocity (1–20 km s⁻¹) and projectile mass yielding craters of approximately equal volume are examined. We record ejection speed, ejection angle, and the mass of ejected material to determine parameters in scaling relationships, and to calculate the thickness of deposited ejecta by assuming analytical parabolic trajectories under Earth gravity. For the resulting deposits, we parameterize the thickness as a function of radial distance by a power law. We find that strength—that is, the coefficient of friction and target cohesion—has the strongest effect on the distribution of ejecta. In contrast, ejecta thickness as a function of distance is very similar for different target porosities and for varying impact velocities larger than ~6 km s⁻¹. We compare the derived ejecta deposits with observations from natural craters and experiments.     

Aerogel keystones: Extraction of complete hypervelocity impact events from aerogel collectors

Abstract— In January 2006, the Stardust mission will return the first samples from a solid solar system body beyond the Moon and the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust ever collected. Although sophisticated laboratory instruments exist for the analysis of Stardust samples, techniques for the recovery of particles and particle residues from aerogel collectors remain primitive. Here, we describe our recent progress in developing techniques for extracting small volumes of aerogel, which we have called “keystones,” which completely contain particle impacts but minimize the damage to the surrounding aerogel collector. These keystones can be fixed to custom‐designed micromachined silicon fixtures (so called “microforklifts”). In this configuration, the samples are self‐supporting, which can be advantageous in situations where interference from a supporting substrate is undesirable. The keystones may also be extracted and placed onto a substrate without a fixture. We have also demonstrated the capability of homologously crushing these unmounted keystones for analysis techniques that demand flat samples.     

Bosumtwi impact structure,Ghana: Evidence for fluidized emplacement of the ejecta

The about 10.5 km diameter Bosumtwi impact crater is one of the youngest large impact structures on Earth. The crater rim is readily noticed on topographic maps or in satellite imagery. It defines a circular basin filled by water (Lake Bosumtwi) and lacustrine sediments. The morphology of this impact structure is also characterized by a circular plateau extending beyond the rim and up to 9–10 km from the center of the crater (about 2 crater radii). This feature comprises a shallow ring depression, also described as an annular moat, and a subdued circular ridge at its outer edge. The origin of this outermost feature could so far not be elucidated based on remote sensing data only. Our approach combines detailed topographic analysis, including roughness mapping, with airborne radiometric surveys (mapping near‐surface K, Th, U concentrations) and field observations. This provides evidence that the moat and outer ring are features inherited from the impact event and represent the partially eroded ejecta layer of the Bosumtwi impact structure. The characteristics of the outer ridge indicate that ejecta emplacement was not purely ballistic but requires ejecta fluidization and surface flow. The setting of Bosumtwi ejecta can therefore be considered as a terrestrial analog for rampart craters, which are common on Mars and Venus, and also found on icy bodies of the outer solar system (e.g., Ganymede, Europa, Dione, Tethys, and Charon). Future studies at Bosumtwi may therefore help to elucidate the mechanism of formation of rampart craters.     

Petrology and microstructure of distal impact ejecta from the Flinders Ranges,Australia

Abstract— The Acraman impact ejecta from Bunyeroo Gorge in the central Flinders Ranges consist of clast-bearing and sandy sublayers set in a shale host rock. A calculated transient crater diameter for the Acraman impact of at least 34 km was obtained from average thicknesses and estimated distances of the ejecta from the impact in the Gawler Ranges. The ejecta contain numerous grains of quartz and zircon that display impact-produced features, including one or more sets of decorated planar deformation features. There is also much unshocked material incorporated in the ejecta layer. The coarse-grained ejecta layer embedded within fine-grained sediments allowed easy passage for diagenetic fluids that produced a porous honeycomb structure in the clays and enhanced the content of elements such as Cu, Pb, Zn, and U. The clay fraction of the ejecta layers consists of vermiculite and kaolinite, probably formed from alteration and weathering of glassy components. It appears that quartz and zircon grains are the only remnants unaltered by diagenetic processes.