Abstract
Abstract Catastrophic disruption is a possible outcome of high-speed collisions in the solar system. The critical energy density Q* (impact energy/mass of the target), which is taken to mark the onset of catastrophic disruption, occurs when the largest intact fragment post-impact is 50% of the original target mass. Studies of Q* usually suppose the target body is a solid, rigid object. However, what if the body has a rigid shell and a hollow interior? Here, hollow ice spheres (a diameter of 19–20 cm with an ice thickness of 2.5–3.6 cm) were impacted at speeds up to ∼5 km s−1. Catastrophic disruption occurred at Q* ∼ 25.5 ± 0.5 J kg−1, greater than that for similar size solid, or water-filled ice spheres (16–18 J kg−1). However, while the Q* value has increased, the actual impact energy associated with the new value of Q* has not, and the change in Q* arises due to the lower mass of the hollow target bodies.
Highlights
Impact speeds between solar system bodies depend on their orbital speed around the local dominant mass body as well as the mutual selfgravitational attraction
The outcome is a speed often measured in units of km s−1
If the impact energy density Q is too great, the target body can break apart in a catastrophic disruption process
Summary
Impact speeds between solar system bodies depend on their orbital speed around the local dominant mass body (often the Sun, but for a satellite in a bound orbit, it can be a nearby larger mass object such as a planet) as well as the mutual selfgravitational attraction. The outcome is a speed often measured in units of km s−1 (see for example, Hughes & Williams 2000 or Zahnle et al 2003). Such impacts generate extreme shocks (with peak pressures of 10–100 s of GPa) because the speed of compression waves in the materials involved are themselves typically just a few km s−1. If there is sufficient residual energy, the parts can disperse against their self-gravity
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