Restitution coefficients and sticking velocities of a chondrule analogue colliding on a porous silica layer at impact velocities between 0.1 and 80 m s−1

Abstract

To study the accretional growth of rimmed chondrules and their agglomerates in the solar nebula, we measured the restitution coefficients, ε, and the sticking velocities to a porous silica layer, vc, by impacting the silica layer with a glass ball at velocities from 0.1 to 80ms−1. We used a porous silica layer covering a basalt block with thicknesses ranging from 1/5 of the glass ball radius to equal to the glass ball radius as a rimmed chondrule analogue, and the porosity of the silica layer was set to be 70%, 80%, 85%, and 90%. Collisional experiments were conducted by means of the free fall method or by the use of a spring gun or a gas gun, allowing us to vary the impact velocity. We used a laser displacement meter to estimate the impact and rebound velocities as well as the acceleration during the collision at impact velocities below 1ms−1. As a result, the sticking velocity, vc, of 90%- and 85%- porosity layers with a thickness equal to 1/2 of the glass ball diameter was 0.44 and 2.4ms−1, respectively. On the other hand, we found a distinct barrier to sticking for smaller-porosity layers: the silicate layer with a porosity smaller than 80% never exhibited sticking at any impact velocity below 1ms−1. Instead, we observed a rebound effect with restitution coefficients larger than 0.2. In the case of a silica layer with a porosity smaller than 80%, we observed the sub-sticking condition defined by ε<0.1 at velocities extending from 5ms−1 to 70ms−1.