Aggregate impacts in Saturn's rings

Abstract

Ring particle aggregates are formed in the outer parts of Saturn's main rings. We study how collisions between aggregates can lead to destruction or coalescence of these aggregates, with local N-body simulations taking into account the dissipative impacts and gravitational forces between particles. Impacts of aggregates with different mass ratios are studied, as well as aggregates that consist of particles with different physical properties. We find that the outcome of the collision is very sensitive to the shape of the aggregate, in the sense that more elongated aggregates are more prone to be destroyed. We were interested in testing the accretion criterion Barbara and Esposito [Barbara, J.M., Esposito, L.W., 2002. Icarus 160, 161–171] used in their F ring simulations, according to which accretion requires that the masses of the colliding bodies differ at least by a factor of 100. We confirm that such a critical mass ratio exists. In particular, simulations indicate that the exact critical mass ratio depends on the internal density and elasticity of particles, and the distance from the planet. The zone of transition, defined by the distance where individual particles or small aggregates first start to stick on the larger aggregate, and by the distance where two similar sized aggregates on the average eventually coalesce is only about 5000 km wide, if fixed particle properties are used. The rotational state of the aggregates that form via aggregate collision rapidly reaches synchronous rotation, similarly to the aggregates that form via gradual growth.