Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization
Atmospheres play an important role in ejecta deposition after an impact event. Many impact experiments and simulations neglect the effect of atmospheres. We simulate ejecta plumes created by craters with transient diameters of 2 and 20 km on Mars and Earth, to show the effect atmospheric density and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acf9f1 |
| _version_ | 1797330350631813120 |
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| author | M. A. Carlson H. J. Melosh B. C. Johnson |
| author_facet | M. A. Carlson H. J. Melosh B. C. Johnson |
| author_sort | M. A. Carlson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Atmospheres play an important role in ejecta deposition after an impact event. Many impact experiments and simulations neglect the effect of atmospheres. We simulate ejecta plumes created by craters with transient diameters of 2 and 20 km on Mars and Earth, to show the effect atmospheric density and crater size have on the strength of the interaction. The interaction of ejecta with an atmosphere is explored in this study using a two-fluid hydrocode that simultaneously simulates ejecta and atmospheres as coupled, continuum fields to correctly capture the transfer of mass, energy, and momentum between the two. Here, we study the effect of vaporization of plume material as well as the effect of the bow shock. We find that only the fastest ejecta is vaporized with a peak vaporized mass of 2.5 × 10 ^5 kg, 3.5 s after the impact in our 2 km diameter terrestrial crater. Terrestrial meteorites are preferentially formed from the fastest ejecta. However, that fastest ejecta is mostly vaporized in our simulations, so to form a terrestrial meteorite, there must be a sufficiently large impact for solid material to be ejected and not vaporize. Thus, we place a lower limit of 33 km on the size of crater needed to generate terrestrial meteorites, but the crater size needed could be substantially larger. The bow shocks in our simulations result in lofting of ejecta, especially vaporized material, in the wake of the impactor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:18:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95cc184bec1a4066a2d3221c620da595 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T07:18:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-95cc184bec1a4066a2d3221c620da5952024-02-03T00:10:41ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382023-01-0141019410.3847/PSJ/acf9f1Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of VaporizationM. A. Carlson0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1447-3813H. J. Melosh1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1881-1496B. C. Johnson2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4267-093XPurdue University , Department of Physics and Astronomy, USA ; Carls113@purdue.eduPurdue University , Department of Physics and Astronomy, USA ; Carls113@purdue.edu; Purdue University , Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, USAPurdue University , Department of Physics and Astronomy, USA ; Carls113@purdue.edu; Purdue University , Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, USAAtmospheres play an important role in ejecta deposition after an impact event. Many impact experiments and simulations neglect the effect of atmospheres. We simulate ejecta plumes created by craters with transient diameters of 2 and 20 km on Mars and Earth, to show the effect atmospheric density and crater size have on the strength of the interaction. The interaction of ejecta with an atmosphere is explored in this study using a two-fluid hydrocode that simultaneously simulates ejecta and atmospheres as coupled, continuum fields to correctly capture the transfer of mass, energy, and momentum between the two. Here, we study the effect of vaporization of plume material as well as the effect of the bow shock. We find that only the fastest ejecta is vaporized with a peak vaporized mass of 2.5 × 10 ^5 kg, 3.5 s after the impact in our 2 km diameter terrestrial crater. Terrestrial meteorites are preferentially formed from the fastest ejecta. However, that fastest ejecta is mostly vaporized in our simulations, so to form a terrestrial meteorite, there must be a sufficiently large impact for solid material to be ejected and not vaporize. Thus, we place a lower limit of 33 km on the size of crater needed to generate terrestrial meteorites, but the crater size needed could be substantially larger. The bow shocks in our simulations result in lofting of ejecta, especially vaporized material, in the wake of the impactor.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acf9f1Atmospheric effects |
| spellingShingle | M. A. Carlson H. J. Melosh B. C. Johnson Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization The Planetary Science Journal Atmospheric effects |
| title | Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization |
| title_full | Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization |
| title_fullStr | Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization |
| title_short | Atmospheric Interactions of Ejecta on Earth and Mars Including the Effect of Vaporization |
| title_sort | atmospheric interactions of ejecta on earth and mars including the effect of vaporization |
| topic | Atmospheric effects |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acf9f1 |
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