Geomorphology of crater and basin deposits - Emplacement of the Fra Mauro formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, R. H.; Oberbeck, V. R.

1975-01-01

Characteristics of continuous deposits near lunar craters larger than about 1 km wide are considered, and it is concluded that (1) concentric dunes, radial ridges, and braided lineations result from deposition of the collision products of ejecta from adjacent pairs of similarly oriented secondary-crater chains and are, therefore, concentrations of secondary-crater ejecta; (2) intracrater ridges are produced within preexisting craters surrounding a fresh primary crater by ricocheting and focusing of secondary-crater ejecta from the preexisting craters' walls; and (3) secondary cratering has produced many of the structures of the continuous deposits of relatively small lunar craters and is the dominant process for emplacement of most of the radial facies of the continuous deposits of large lunar craters and basins. The percentages of Imbrium ejecta in deposits and the nature of Imbrium sculpturing are investigated.

Planetary geological studies. [MARS crater morphology and ejecta deposit topography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blasius, K. R.

1981-01-01

A global data base was assembled for the study of Mars crater ejecta morphology. The craters were classified as to morhology using individual photographic prints of Viking orbiter frames. Positional and scale information were derived by fitting digitized mosaic coordinates to lattitude-longitude coordinates of surface features from the Mars geodetic control net and feature coordinates from the U.S.G.S. series of 1:5,00,000 scale shaded relief maps. Crater morphology characteristics recorded are of two classes - attributes of each ejecta deposit and other crater charactersitics. Preliminary efforts to check the data base with findings of other workers are described.

Dynamics of ejecta from a binary asteroid impact in the framework of the AIDA mission: a NEOShield-2 contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Y.; Schwartz, S. R.; Michel, P.; Benner, L. A. M.

2015-10-01

The dynamics of the ejecta cloud that results from a binary asteroid impact is one of the tasks of the NEOShield-2 project, funded by the European Commission in its program Horizon 2020. Results from such an investigation will have great relevance to the Phase-A study of the AIDA space mission, a collaborative effort between ESA and NASA, which aims to perform a kinetic impactor demonstration. Our study presents a multi-scale dynamical model of the ejecta cloud produced by a hypervelocity impact, which enables us to check the behaviors of the ejecta at different spatial and time scales. This model is applied to the impact into the small moon of the binary Near- Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos on October 2022 as considered by the AIDA mission. We attempt to model the process by including as much practical information as possible, e.g., the gravitational environment influenced by the non-spherical shapes of the bodies based on observed shape of the primary), the solar tides, and the solar radiation pressure. Our simulations show the general patterns of motion of the ejecta cloud, which we use to assess the potential hazard to an observing spacecraft. We also look into the grain-scale dynamics of the ejecta during this process, which has influence on the re-accumulation of particles orbiting in the vicinity.

A Triple Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-01

This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows an elongated depression from three merged craters. The raised rims and ejecta indicate that these are impact craters rather than collapse or volcanic landforms. The pattern made by the ejecta and the craters suggest this was a highly oblique (low angle to the surface) impact, probably coming from the west. There may have been three major pieces flying in close formation to make this triple crater. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21652

Monturaqui meteorite impact crater, Chile: A field test of the utility of satellite-based mapping of ejecta at small craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathbun, K.; Ukstins, I.; Drop, S.

2017-12-01

Monturaqui Crater is a small ( 350 m diameter), simple meteorite impact crater located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile that was emplaced in Ordovician granite overlain by discontinuous Pliocene ignimbrite. Ejecta deposits are granite and ignimbrite, with lesser amounts of dark impact melt and rare tektites and iron shale. The impact restructured existing drainage systems in the area that have subsequently eroded through the ejecta. Satellite-based mapping and modeling, including a synthesis of photographic satellite imagery and ASTER thermal infrared imagery in ArcGIS, were used to construct a basic geological interpretation of the site with special emphasis on understanding ejecta distribution patterns. This was combined with field-based mapping to construct a high-resolution geologic map of the crater and its ejecta blanket and field check the satellite-based geologic interpretation. The satellite- and modeling-based interpretation suggests a well-preserved crater with an intact, heterogeneous ejecta blanket that has been subjected to moderate erosion. In contrast, field mapping shows that the crater has a heavily-eroded rim and ejecta blanket, and the ejecta is more heterogeneous than previously thought. In addition, the erosion rate at Monturaqui is much higher than erosion rates reported elsewhere in the Atacama Desert. The bulk compositions of the target rocks at Monturaqui are similar and the ejecta deposits are highly heterogeneous, so distinguishing between them with remote sensing is less effective than with direct field observations. In particular, the resolution of available imagery for the site is too low to resolve critical details that are readily apparent in the field on the scale of 10s of cm, and which significantly alter the geologic interpretation. The limiting factors for effective remote interpretation at Monturaqui are its target composition and crater size relative to the resolution of the remote sensing methods employed. This suggests that satellite-based mapping of ejecta may have limited utility at small craters due to limitations in source resolution compared to the geology of the site in question.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Supernova Ejecta and Supernova Dust in Cassiopeia A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yong-Hyun; Koo, Bon-Chul; Moon, Dae-Sik; Lee, Jae-Joon; Burton, Michael G.

2016-06-01

We have carried out near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic observations of the Cassiopeia A supernova (SN) remnant. We obtained medium-resolution, JHK (0.95 - 2.46 µm) spectra around the main ejecta shell. Using a clump-finding algorithm, we identified 63 'knots' in the two-dimensional dispersed images, and derived their spectroscopic properties. We first present the result of spectral classification of the knots using Principal Component (PC) Analysis. We found that the NIR spectral characteristics of the knots can be mostly (85%) represented by three PCs composed of different sets of emission lines: (1) recombination lines of H and He together with [N I] lines, (2) forbidden lines of Si, P, and S lines, and (3) forbidden Fe lines. The distribution of the knots in the PC planes matches well with the above spectral groups, and we classified the knots into the three corresponding groups, i.e., He-rich, S-rich, and Fe-rich knots. The kinematic and chemical properties of the former two groups match well with those of Quasi-Stationary Flocculi and Fast-Moving Knots known from optical studies. The Fe-rich knots show intermediate characteristics between the former two groups, and we suggest that they are the SN ejecta material from the innermost layer of the progenitor. We also present the results of extinction measurements using the flux ratios between the two NIR [Fe II] lines at 1.257 and 1.644 µm. We have found a clear correlation between the NIR extinction and the radial velocity of ejecta knots, indicating the presence of a large amount of SN dust inside and around the main ejecta shell. In a southern part of the ejecta shell, by analyzing the NIR extinction together with far-infrared thermal dust emission, we show that there are warm (˜100 K) and cool (˜40 K) SN dust components and that the former needs to be silicate grains while the latter, which is responsible for the observed NIR extinction, could be either small (.0.01 µm) Fe or large (&0.1 µm) Si grains. We suggest that the warm and cool dust components represent grain species produced in diffuse SN ejecta and in dense ejecta clumps, respectively

The dynamic ejecta of compact object mergers and eccentric collisions.

PubMed

Rosswog, Stephan

2013-06-13

Compact object mergers eject neutron-rich matter in a number of ways: by the dynamical ejection mediated by gravitational torques, as neutrino-driven winds, and probably also a good fraction of the resulting accretion disc finally becomes unbound by a combination of viscous and nuclear processes. If compact binary mergers indeed produce gamma-ray bursts, there should also be an interaction region where an ultra-relativistic outflow interacts with the neutrino-driven wind and produces moderately relativistic ejecta. Each type of ejecta has different physical properties, and therefore plays a different role for nucleosynthesis and for the electromagnetic (EM) transients that go along with compact object encounters. Here, we focus on the dynamic ejecta and present results for over 30 hydrodynamical simulations of both gravitational wave-driven mergers and parabolic encounters as they may occur in globular clusters. We find that mergers eject approximately 1 per cent of a Solar mass of extremely neutron-rich material. The exact amount, as well as the ejection velocity, depends on the involved masses with asymmetric systems ejecting more material at higher velocities. This material undergoes a robust r-process and both ejecta amount and abundance pattern are consistent with neutron star mergers being a major source of the 'heavy' (A>130) r-process isotopes. Parabolic collisions, especially those between neutron stars and black holes, eject substantially larger amounts of mass, and therefore cannot occur frequently without overproducing gala- ctic r-process matter. We also discuss the EM transients that are powered by radioactive decays within the ejecta ('macronovae'), and the radio flares that emerge when the ejecta dissipate their large kinetic energies in the ambient medium.

Size-velocity distribution of large ejecta fragments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickery, A. M.

1986-01-01

The characteristics of three primary extraterrestrial craters and the associated craters were examined to generate a size-velocity distribution for large ejecta fragments. The lunar craters Copernicus and Aristillus and the Martian crater Dv on Olympus Mons were used. Attention was focused on the radial distances between the primary and secondary crater centers and the diameters of the secondaries. The primary craters selected are all relatively young, which avoided contamination of the data from secondaries from other primaries. Attempts were made to account for the speed of the hypervelocity impacts and the elemental compositions of the impactors. An apparent velocity cutoff of about 1 km/sec was observed for the secondaries, which implies that no meteoroid impacts can accelerate ejecta to escape velocities from the moon or Mars.

Lunar cryptomaria: Physical characteristics, distribution, and implications for ancient volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitten, Jennifer L.; Head, James W.

2015-02-01

Cryptomaria, lunar volcanic deposits obscured by crater and basin impact ejecta, can provide important information about the thermal and volcanic history of the Moon. The timing of cryptomare deposition has implications for the duration and flux of mare basalt volcanism. In addition, knowing the distribution of cryptomaria can provide information about mantle convection and lunar magma ocean solidification. Here we use multiple datasets (e.g., M3, LOLA, LROC, Diviner) to undertake a global analysis to identify the general characteristics (e.g., topography, surface roughness, rock abundance, albedo, etc.) of lunar light plains in order to better distinguish between ancient volcanic deposits (cryptomaria) and impact basin and crater ejecta deposits. We find 20 discrete regions of cryptomaria, covering approximately 2% of the Moon, which increase the total area covered by mare volcanism to 18% of the lunar surface. Comparisons of light plains deposits indicate that the two deposit types (volcanic and impact-produced) are best distinguished by mineralogic data. On the basis of cryptomaria locations, the distribution of mare volcanism does not appear to have changed in the time prior to its exposed mare basalt distribution. There are several hypotheses explaining the distribution of mare basalts, which include the influence of crustal thickness, mantle convection patterns, asymmetric distribution of source regions, KREEP distribution, and the influence of a proposed Procellarum impact basin. The paucity of farside mare basalts means that multiple factors, such as crustal thickness variations and mantle convection, are likely to play a role in mare basalt emplacement.

Prospective Out-of-ecliptic White-light Imaging of Coronal Mass Ejections Traveling through the Corona and Heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Ming; Davies, Jackie A.; Harrison, Richard A.; Zhou, Yufen; Feng, Xueshang; Xia, Lidong; Li, Bo; Liu, Ying D.; Hayashi, Keiji; Li, Huichao; Yang, Liping

2018-01-01

The in-flight performance of the Coriolis/SMEI and STEREO/HI instruments substantiates the high-technology readiness level of white-light (WL) imaging of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the inner heliosphere. The WL intensity of a propagating CME is jointly determined by its evolving mass distribution and the fixed Thomson-scattering geometry. From their in-ecliptic viewpoints, SMEI and HI, the only heliospheric imagers that have been flown to date, integrate the longitudinal dimension of CMEs. In this paper, using forward magnetohydrodynamic modeling, we synthesize the WL radiance pattern of a typical halo CME viewed from an out-of-ecliptic (OOE) vantage point. The major anatomical elements of the CME identified in WL imagery are a leading sheath and a trailing ejecta; the ejecta-driven sheath is the brightest feature of the CME. The sheath, a three-dimensional (3D) dome-like density structure, occupies a wide angular extent ahead of the ejecta itself. The 2D radiance pattern of the sheath depends critically on viewpoint. For a CME modeled under solar minimum conditions, the WL radiance pattern of the sheath is generally a quasi-straight band when viewed from an in-ecliptic viewpoint and a semicircular arc from an OOE viewpoint. The dependence of the radiance pattern of the ejecta-driven sheath on viewpoint is attributed to the bimodal nature of the 3D background solar wind flow. Our forward-modeling results suggest that OOE imaging in WL radiance can enable (1) a near-ecliptic CME to be continuously tracked from its coronal initiation, (2) the longitudinal span of the CME to be readily charted, and (3) the transporting speed of the CME to be reliably determined. Additional WL polarization measurements can significantly limit the ambiguity of localizing CMEs. We assert that a panoramic OOE view in WL would be highly beneficial in revealing CME morphology and kinematics in the hitherto-unresolved longitudinal dimension and hence for monitoring the propagation and evolution of near-ecliptic CMEs for space weather operations.

Photometric and Spectroscopic Analysis of Classical Novae: An Examination of Their Observational Characteristics and Greater Astronomical Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helton, Lorren Andrew

2010-12-01

Classical novae (CNe) are violent thermonuclear explosions arising on the surface of white dwarfs in binary systems and are contributors to the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium through the production and ejection of copious amounts of metal-rich material. Observations and modeling of CNe eruptions illuminate numerous fundamental processes of astrophysical interest, including non-equilibrium thermonuclear runaway, radiative processes in dynamic nebular environments, binary star interaction, as well as dust condensation and grain growth. Here I summarize key findings from selected Galactic CNe observed as part of a 5 year, panchromatic optical/infrared observing campaign using Spitzer, Gemini, and other ground based optical facilities. In particular, I present detailed analysis of nova V1065 Centauri, including photoionization analysis of the emission lines, which enabled the derivation of abundances in the ejecta, and radiative transport modeling of the dust emission features, which allowed determination of the composition and characteristics of the dust in this system. I present analysis of three novae, V1974 Cygni, V382 Velorum, and V1494 Aquilae, observed from 4.4--15.5 years after outburst, discuss the characteristics of the nebulae at these late times, and estimate the abundances in their ejecta. In the case of V1494 Aql, I also report the first detection of neon. Finally, I present observations of three novae, DZ Crucis, V2361 Cygni, and V2362 Cygni, that exhibited unidentified infrared (UIR) features in their mid-infrared spectra, which exhibited unusual characteristics. I relate these features to other dusty novae in which features with similar characteristics were observed, and discuss possible sources for the UIR carriers. Analysis of the data obtained in the CNe monitoring campaign presented here highlights the need for synoptic observations obtained with broad wavelength coverage. Observations of V1065 Cen, which exhibited spectra rich in metals (e.g O, Ne, Mg, S, Ar, and Fe) produced during the thermonuclear runaway and through dredge up from the surface layers of the underlying WD, yielded robust estimates of WD composition, ejecta mass, and absolute abundances in the ejecta. Dusty novae such as V1065 Cen, V2362 Cyg, and V2361 Cyg, produced a variety of grain types as revealed by emission features characteristic of silicates, hydrogenated amorphous carbon dust, and PAH-like molecules, often in the same system. This data set is exceptional in that observations of many targets commenced immediately after eruption and followed the development for hundreds of days post-outburst providing unique insight into the evolution of conditions within the ejecta including the complete cycle of growth, processing, and dissipation of dust grains.

Flow Ejecta and Slope Landslides in Small Crater - High Resolution Image

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This high resolution picture of a moderately small impact crater on Mars was taken by the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter Camera (MOC) on October 17, 1997 at 4:11:07 PM PST, during MGS orbit 22. The image covers an area 2.9 by 48.4 kilometers (1.8 by 30 miles) at 9.6 m (31.5 feet) per picture element, and is centered at 21.3 degrees N, 179.8 degrees W, near Orcus Patera. The MOC image is a factor of 15X better than pervious Viking views of this particular crater.

The unnamed crater is one of three closely adjacent impact features that display the ejecta pattern characteristic of one type of 'flow-ejecta' crater. Such patterns are considered evidence of fluidized movement of the materials ejected during the cratering event, and are believed to indicate the presence of subsurface ice or liquid water.

Long, linear features of different brightness values can be seen on the on the steep slopes inside and outside the crater rim. This type of feature, first identified in Viking Orbiter images acquired over 20 years ago, are more clearly seen in this new view (about 3 times better than the best previous observations). Their most likely explanation is that small land or dirt slides, initiated by seismic or wind action, have flowed down the steep slopes. Initially dark because of the nature of the surface disturbance, these features get lighter with time as the ubiquitous fine, bright dust settles onto them from the martian atmosphere. Based on estimates of the dust fall-out rate, many of these features are probably only a few tens to hundreds of years old. Thus, they are evidence of a process that is active on Mars today.

Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Flow Ejecta and Slope Landslides in Small Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This high resolution picture of a moderately small impact crater on Mars was taken by the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter Camera (MOC) on October 17, 1997 at 4:11:07 PM PST, during MGS orbit 22. The image covers an area 2.9 by 48.4 kilometers (1.8 by 30 miles) at 9.6 m (31.5 feet) per picture element, and is centered at 21.3 degrees N, 179.8 degrees W, near Orcus Patera. The MOC image is a factor of 15X better than pervious Viking views of this particular crater (left, Viking image 545A49).

The unnamed crater is one of three closely adjacent impact features that display the ejecta pattern characteristic of one type of 'flow-ejecta' crater. Such patterns are considered evidence of fluidized movement of the materials ejected during the cratering event, and are believed to indicate the presence of subsurface ice or liquid water.

Long, linear features of different brightness values can be seen on the on the steep slopes inside and outside the crater rim. This type of feature, first identified in Viking Orbiter images acquired over 20 years ago, are more clearly seen in this new view (about 3 times better than the best previous observations). Their most likely explanation is that small land or dirt slides, initiated by seismic or wind action, have flowed down the steep slopes. Initially dark because of the nature of the surface disturbance, these features get lighter with time as the ubiquitous fine, bright dust settles onto them from the martian atmosphere. Based on estimates of the dust fall-out rate, many of these features are probably only a few tens to hundreds of years old. Thus, they are evidence of a process that is active on Mars today.

Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Occia Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-10

This image from NASA Dawn spacecraft of asteroid Vesta shows Occia crater, located in Vesta Gegania quadrangle, in Vesta southern hemisphere. A distinctive butterfly pattern is seen consisting of two separate lobes of ejecta on the opposite sides.

Sedimentary features on the surface of Mars as seen from Mariner 6 and 7 photographs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsley, R. L.

1973-01-01

Martian sedimentation is primarily aeolian with the principal source areas being the cratered highlands. Lighter albedo in areas of sedimentation may be due to minerals of smaller grain size and/or lighter specific gravity. Martian erosion sedimentation seems to be active as evidenced by removal and/or burial of ejecta mounds and ray ejecta patterns around fresh bowl shaped craters. It is suggested that at least some chaotic terrain may be formed by aeolian removal of material in areas of closely spaced faulting. Transitional areas between uplands and basins are sometimes muted by down slope winds.

Sharpening Ejecta Patterns: Investigating Spectral Fidelity After Controlled Intensity-Hue-Saturation Image Fusion of LROC Images of Fresh Craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awumah, A.; Mahanti, P.; Robinson, M. S.

2017-12-01

Image fusion is often used in Earth-based remote sensing applications to merge spatial details from a high-resolution panchromatic (Pan) image with the color information from a lower-resolution multi-spectral (MS) image, resulting in a high-resolution multi-spectral image (HRMS). Previously, the performance of six well-known image fusion methods were compared using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) and Wide Angle Camera (WAC) images (1). Results showed the Intensity-Hue-Saturation (IHS) method provided the best spatial performance, but deteriorated the spectral content. In general, there was a trade-off between spatial enhancement and spectral fidelity from the fusion process; the more spatial details from the Pan fused with the MS image, the more spectrally distorted the final HRMS. In this work, we control the amount of spatial details fused (from the LROC NAC images to WAC images) using a controlled IHS method (2), to investigate the spatial variation in spectral distortion on fresh crater ejecta. In the controlled IHS method (2), the percentage of the Pan component merged with the MS is varied. The percent of spatial detail from the Pan used is determined by a variable whose value may be varied between 1 (no Pan utilized) to infinity (entire Pan utilized). An HRMS color composite image (red=415nm, green=321/415nm, blue=321/360nm (3)) was used to assess performance (via visual inspection and metric-based evaluations) at each tested value of the control parameter (1 to 10—after which spectral distortion saturates—in 0.01 increments) within three regions: crater interiors, ejecta blankets, and the background material surrounding the craters. Increasing the control parameter introduced increased spatial sharpness and spectral distortion in all regions, but to varying degrees. Crater interiors suffered the most color distortion, while ejecta experienced less color distortion. The controlled IHS method is therefore desirable for resolution-enhancement of fresh crater ejecta; larger values of the control parameter may be used to sharpen MS images of ejecta patterns but with less impact to color distortion than in the uncontrolled IHS fusion process. References: (1) Prasun et. al (2016) ISPRS. (2) Choi, Myungjin (2006) IEEE. (3) Denevi et. al (2014) JGR.

Piezoelectric characterization of ejecta from shocked tin surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogan, W. S.; Anderson, W. W.; Grover, M.; Hammerberg, J. E.; King, N. S. P.; Lamoreaux, S. K.; Macrum, G.; Morley, K. B.; Rigg, P. A.; Stevens, G. D.; Turley, W. D.; Veeser, L. R.; Buttler, W. T.

2005-12-01

Using piezoelectric diagnostics, we have measured densities and velocities of ejected particulate as well as "free-surface velocities" of bulk tin targets shock loaded with high explosive. The targets had finely grooved, machined finishes ranging from 10 to 250μin. Two types of piezoelectric sensor ("piezopins"), lithium niobate and lead zirconate titanate, were compared for durability and repeatability; in addition, some piezopins were "shielded" with foam and metal foil in order to mitigate premature failure of the pins in high ejecta regimes. These experiments address questions about ejecta production at a given shock pressure as a function of surface finish; piezopin results are compared with those from complementary diagnostics such as x-ray radiography and time-resolved optical transmission techniques. The mass ejection shows a marked dependence on groove characteristics and cannot be described by a groove defect theory alone.

High Resolution Digital Elevation Models of Pristine Explosion Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, T. G.; Krabill, W.; Garvin, J. B.

2004-01-01

In order to effectively capture a realistic terrain applicable to studies of cratering processes and landing hazards on Mars, we have obtained high resolution digital elevation models of several pristine explosion craters at the Nevada Test Site. We used the Airborne Terrain Mapper (ATM), operated by NASA's Wallops Flight Facility to obtain DEMs with 1 m spacing and 10 cm vertical errors of 4 main craters and many other craters and collapse pits. The main craters that were mapped are Sedan, Scooter, Schooner, and Danny Boy. The 370 m diameter Sedan crater, located on Yucca Flat, is the largest and freshest explosion crater on Earth that was formed under conditions similar to hypervelocity impact cratering. As such, it is effectively pristine, having been formed in 1962 as a result of a controlled detonation of a 100 kiloton thermonuclear device, buried at the appropriate equivalent depth of burst required to make a simple crater. Sedan was formed in alluvium of mixed lithology and subsequently studied using a variety of field-based methods. Nearby secondary craters were also formed at the time and were also mapped by ATM. Adjacent to Sedan and also in alluvium is Scooter, about 90 m in diameter and formed by a high-explosive event. Schooner (240 m) and Danny Boy (80 m) craters were also important targets for ATM as they were excavated in hard basalt and therefore have much rougher ejecta. This will allow study of ejecta patterns in hard rock as well as engineering tests of crater and rock avoidance and rover trafficability. In addition to the high resolution DEMs, crater geometric characteristics, RMS roughness maps, and other higher-order derived data products will be generated using these data. These will provide constraints for models of landing hazards on Mars and for rover trafficability. Other planned studies will include ejecta size-frequency distribution at the resolution of the DEM and at finer resolution through air photography and field measurements, correlation of ejecta size and composition with radar and visible-thermal IR remote sensing signatures, and comparison of these results with similar measurements of Mars. The final DEMs, ancillary data sets, and derived data products will be made available to the community.

Low-energy Spectra of Gamma-Ray Bursts from Cooling Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Jin-Jun; Huang, Yong-Feng; Wu, Xue-Feng; Zhang, Bing; Zong, Hong-Shi

2018-01-01

The low-energy spectra of gamma-ray bursts’ (GRBs) prompt emission are closely related to the energy distribution of electrons, which is further regulated by their cooling processes. We develop a numerical code to calculate the evolution of the electron distribution with given initial parameters, in which three cooling processes (i.e., adiabatic, synchrotron, and inverse Compton cooling) and the effect of a decaying magnetic field are coherently considered. A sequence of results is presented by exploring the plausible parameter space for both the fireball and the Poynting flux–dominated regime. Different cooling patterns for the electrons can be identified, and they are featured by a specific dominant cooling mechanism. Our results show that the hardening of the low-energy spectra can be attributed to the dominance of synchrotron self-Compton cooling within the internal shock model or to decaying synchrotron cooling within the Poynting flux–dominated jet scenario. These two mechanisms can be distinguished by observing the hard low-energy spectra of isolated short pulses in some GRBs. The dominance of adiabatic cooling can also lead to hard low-energy spectra when the ejecta is moving at an extreme relativistic speed. The information from the time-resolved low-energy spectra can help to probe the physical characteristics of the GRB ejecta via our numerical results.

Cydonia Craters

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-22

In this image from NASA Mars Odyssey, eroded mesas and secondary craters dot the landscape in an area of Cydonia Mensae. The single oval-shaped crater displays a butterfly ejecta pattern, indicating that the crater formed from a low-angle impact.

Photometric Characteristics of Lunar Terrains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Hiroyuki; Hapke, Bruce W.; Denevi, Brett W.; Robinson, Mark

2016-10-01

The photometric properties of the lunar depend on albedo, surface roughness, porosity, and the internal/external structure of particles. Hapke parameter maps derived using a bidirectional reflectance model [Hapke, 2012] from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Wide Angle Camera (WAC) images demonstrated the spatial and spectral variation of the photometric properties of the Moon [Sato et al., 2014]. Using the same methodology, here we present the photometric characteristics of typical lunar terrains, which were not systematically analyzed in the previous study.We selected five representative terrain types: mare, highland, swirls, and two Copernican (fresh) crater ejecta (one mare and one highlands example). As for the datasets, we used ~39 months of WAC repeated observations, and for each image pixel, we computed latitude, longitude, incidence, emission, and phase angles using the WAC GLD100 stereo DTM [Scholten et al., 2012]. To obtain similar phase and incidence angle ranges, all sampling sites are near the equator and in the vicinity of Reiner Gamma. Three free Hapke parameters (single scattering albedo: w, HG2 phase function parameter: c, and angular width of SHOE: hs) were then calculated for the seven bands (321-689 nm). The remaining parameters were fixed by simplifying the model [Sato et al., 2014].The highlands, highland ejecta, and swirl (Reiner Gamma) showed clearly higher w than the mare and mare ejecta. The derived c values were lower (less backscattering) for the swirl and higher (more backscattering) for the highlands (and ejecta) relative to the other sites. Forward scattering materials such as unconsolidated transparent crystalline materials might be relatively enriched in the swirl. In the highlands, anorthositic agglutinates with dense internal scattering could be responsible for the strong backscattering. The mare and mare ejecta showed continuously decreasing c from UV to visible wavelengths. This might be caused by the FeO-rich pyroxene and glass in the mare becoming more translucent at longer wavelengths.

Chappy Oblique

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Looking east to west across the rim and down into Chaplygin crater reveals this beautiful example of a fresh young crater and its perfectly preserved ejecta blanket. The delicate patterns of flow across, over, and down local topography clearly show that ejecta traveled as a ground hugging flow for great distances, rather than simply being tossed out on a ballistic trajectory. Very near the rim lies a dark, lacy, discontinuous crust of now frozen impact melt. Clearly this dark material is on top of the bright material so it was the very last material ejected from the crater. The melt was formed as the tremendous energy of impact was converted to heat and the lunar crust was melted at the impact point. As the crater rebounded and material sloughed down the walls of the deforming crater the melt was splashed out over the rim and froze. Its low reflectance is mostly due to a high percentage of glass because the melt cooled so quickly that minerals did not have time to crystallize. The fact that the delicate splash patterns are so well preserved testifies to the very young age of this crater. But how young? For comparison "Chappy" (informal name) is 200 m larger than Meteor crater (1200 m diameter) in Arizona, which is about 50,000 years old. Craters of this size form every 100,000 years or so on the Moon and the Earth. Since there are very few superposed craters on Chappy, and its ejecta is so perfectly preserved it may be much younger than Meteor crater. However, we can't know the true true absolute age of "Chappy" until we can obtain a sample of its impact melt for radiometric age dating. Investigate all of Chappy's ejecta, at full resolution: lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/901 Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University/LRO/LROC

Processes of Geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

Released 16 July 2003

This THEMIS visible image captures a complex process of deposition, burial and exhumation. The crater ejecta in the top of the image is in the form of flow lobes, indicating that the crater was formed in volatile-rich terrain. While a radial pattern can be seen in the ejecta, the pattern is sharper in the lower half of the ejecta. This is because the top half of the ejecta is still buried by a thin layer of sediment. It is most likely that at one time the entire area was covered. Wind, and perhaps water erosion have started to remove this layer, once again exposing the what was present underneath.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -34.3, Longitude 181.2 East (178.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Proceedings of the 2nd Columbia River Basalt Symposium: Maar volcanoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waters, A. C.; Fisher, R. V.

1971-01-01

Examination of maar-type volcanic cones, including tuff rings, from more than 40 localities in western North America indicates that water had access to volcano orifices during their activity. The most convincing evidence is the abundance of sideromelane (chilled basaltic glass) or its palagonitic decomposition products in the ejecta. Moreover, the volcanoes which were examined erupted in basins that either contained surface water, or else they grew above highly permeable aquifers at shallow dept. Characteristic features of maar ejecta are continuous thin beds, undulations and antidunes characteristic of base surge stratification, abundant accretionary lapilli or mud-armored rock particles, bedding sags that show soft sediment deformation, and in the subaqueous parts of the maar ramparts, great piles of subtly graded thin lenses of hyaloclastic debris.

The Chemistry of Population III Supernova Ejecta. II. The Nucleation of Molecular Clusters as a Diagnostic for Dust in the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherchneff, Isabelle; Dwek, Eli

2010-04-01

We study the formation of molecular precursors to dust in the ejecta of Population III supernovae (Pop. III SNe) using a chemical kinetic approach to follow the evolution of small dust cluster abundances from day 100 to day 1000 after explosion. Our work focuses on zero-metallicity 20 M sun and 170 M sun progenitors, and we consider fully macroscopically mixed and unmixed ejecta. The dust precursors comprise molecular chains, rings, and small clusters of chemical composition relevant to the initial elemental composition of the ejecta under study. The nucleation stage for small silica, metal oxides and sulfides, pure metal, and carbon clusters is described with a new chemical reaction network highly relevant to the kinetic description of dust formation in hot circumstellar environments. We consider the effect of the pressure dependence of critical nucleation rates and test the impact of microscopically mixed He+ on carbon dust formation. Two cases of metal depletion on silica clusters (full and no depletion) are considered to derive upper limits to the amounts of dust produced in SN ejecta at 1000 days, while the chemical composition of clusters gives a prescription for the type of dust formed in Pop. III SNe. We show that the cluster mass produced in the fully mixed ejecta of a 170 M sun progenitor is ~ 25 M sun whereas its 20 M sun counterpart forms ~ 0.16 M sun of clusters. The unmixed ejecta of a 170 M sun progenitor SN synthesize ~5.6 M sun of small clusters, while its 20 M sun counterpart produces ~0.103 M sun. Our results point to smaller amounts of dust formed in the ejecta of Pop. III SNe by a factor of ~ 5 compared to values derived by previous studies, and to different dust chemical compositions. Such deviations result from some erroneous assumptions made, the inappropriate use of classical nucleation theory to model dust formation, and the omission of the synthesis of molecules in SN ejecta. We also find that the unmixed ejecta of massive Pop. III SNe chiefly form silica and/or silicates, and pure silicon grains whereas their lower mass counterparts form a dust mixture dominated by silica and/or silicates, pure silicon, and iron sulfides. Amorphous carbon can only condense via the nucleation of carbon chains and rings characteristic of the synthesis of fullerenes when the ejecta carbon-rich zone is deprived of He+. The first dust enrichment to the primordial gas in the early universe from Pop. III massive SN comprises primarily pure silicon, silica, and silicates. If carbon dust is present at redshift z > 6, alternative dust sources must be considered.

MODELING SNR CASSIOPEIA A FROM THE SUPERNOVA EXPLOSION TO ITS CURRENT AGE: THE ROLE OF POST-EXPLOSION ANISOTROPIES OF EJECTA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orlando, S.; Miceli, M.; Pumo, M. L.

The remnants of core-collapse supernovae (SNe) have complex morphologies that may reflect asymmetries and structures developed during the progenitor SN explosion. Here we investigate how the morphology of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) reflects the characteristics of the progenitor SN with the aim of deriving the energies and masses of the post-explosion anisotropies responsible for the observed spatial distribution of Fe and Si/S. We model the evolution of Cas A from the immediate aftermath of the progenitor SN to the three-dimensional interaction of the remnant with the surrounding medium. The post-explosion structure of the ejecta is described bymore » small-scale clumping of material and larger-scale anisotropies. The hydrodynamic multi-species simulations consider an appropriate post-explosion isotopic composition of the ejecta. The observed average expansion rate and shock velocities can be well reproduced by models with ejecta mass M {sub ej} ≈ 4 M {sub ⊙} and explosion energy E {sub SN} ≈ 2.3 × 10{sup 51} erg. The post-explosion anisotropies (pistons) reproduce the observed distributions of Fe and Si/S if they had a total mass of ≈0.25 M {sub ⊙} and a total kinetic energy of ≈1.5 × 10{sup 50} erg. The pistons produce a spatial inversion of ejecta layers at the epoch of Cas A, leading to the Si/S-rich ejecta physically interior to the Fe-rich ejecta. The pistons are also responsible for the development of the bright rings of Si/S-rich material which form at the intersection between the reverse shock and the material accumulated around the pistons during their propagation. Our result supports the idea that the bulk of asymmetries observed in Cas A are intrinsic to the explosion.« less

PGEs and Quartz Grains in a Resedimented Late Archean Impact Horizon in the Hamersley Group of Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonson, B. M.; Davies, D.; Wallace, M.; Reeves, S.; Hassler, S.

1996-03-01

The early Precambrian Hamersley Group of Western Australia contains two thick packages of carbonate-rich strata, the Carawine Dolomite and the Wittenoom Formation, that occupy mutually exclusive areas within the Hamersley Basin. Within each of these formations is a single horizon which contains sand- to fine gravel-size particles believed to be distal ejecta from a large bolide impact. In the Carawine Dolomite, the ejecta are restricted to a coarse-grained dolomitic debris flow deposit up to 25 m thick. In the Wittenoom Formation, the ejecta are restricted to a turbidite which is <=1.3 m thick and consists largely of sand-size carbonate and argillite intraclasts. Together, these two horizons constitute a single, unique layer that appears to have been deposited rapidly over an area >= 50,000 km2 by a single high-energy event around 2.5 Ga. Deposition is inferred to have taken place in a series of distinct stages as follows: (1.) ballistic dispersal of mostly sand-size particles from the impact site to the seafloor in the Hamersley Basin, (2.) reworking of the newly deposited ejecta in the Hamersley Basin into large symmetrical ripples by impact-generated tsunami waves, and (3.) subsequent erosion and re-sedimentation of most of the ejecta by one to three large sedimentary gravity flows that moved south and west down the paleoslope of the Hamersley Basin. New data will be presented concerning the two main types of ejecta found in this layer: microkrystites and quartz grains. Specifically, microkrystite-rich samples are enriched in Ir and Ru by an order of magnitude or more relative to the surrounding strata, but other siderophile elements (Pd, Pt, Au, Cr, Co, and Ni) display neither anomalously high concentrations nor chondritic interelement ratios. As for the quartz grains, their petrographic characteristics clearly indicate they are not volcanic in origin, but they do not appear to have planar deformation features like those reported from numerous other impact ejecta horizons.

Origin of the outer layer of martian low-aspect ratio layered ejecta craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, Joseph M.; Wilson, Lionel; Barlow, Nadine G.

2015-01-01

Low-aspect ratio layered ejecta (LARLE) craters are one of the most enigmatic types of martian layered ejecta craters. We propose that the extensive outer layer of these craters is produced through the same base surge mechanism as that which produced the base surge deposits generated by near-surface, buried nuclear and high-explosive detonations. However, the LARLE layers have higher aspect ratios compared with base surge deposits from explosion craters, a result of differences in thicknesses of these layers. This characteristics is probably caused by the addition of large amounts of small particles of dust and ice derived from climate-related mantles of snow, ice and dust in the areas where LARLE craters form. These deposits are likely to be quickly stabilized (order of a few days to a few years) from eolian erosion by formation of duricrust produced by diffusion of water vapor out of the deposits.

Remote Sensing Observations and Numerical Simulation for Martian Layered Ejecta Craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Yue, Z.; Zhang, C.; Li, D.

2018-04-01

To understand past Martian climates, it is important to know the distribution and nature of water ice on Mars. Impact craters are widely used ubiquitous indicators for the presence of subsurface water or ice on Mars. Remote sensing observations and numerical simulation are powerful tools for investigating morphological and topographic features on planetary surfaces, and we can use the morphology of layered ejecta craters and hydrocode modeling to constrain possible layering and impact environments. The approach of this work consists of three stages. Firstly, the morphological characteristics of the Martian layered ejecta craters are performed based on Martian images and DEM data. Secondly, numerical modeling layered ejecta are performed through the hydrocode iSALE (impact-SALE). We present hydrocode modeling of impacts onto targets with a single icy layer within an otherwise uniform basalt crust to quantify the effects of subsurface H2O on observable layered ejecta morphologies. The model setup is based on a layered target made up of a regolithic layer (described by the basalt ANEOS), on top an ice layer (described by ANEOS equation of H2O ice), in turn on top of an underlying basaltic crust. The bolide is a 0.8 km diameter basaltic asteroid hitting the Martian surface vertically at a velocity of 12.8 km/s. Finally, the numerical results are compared with the MOLA DEM profile in order to analyze the formation mechanism of Martian layered ejecta craters. Our simulations suggest that the presence of an icy layer significantly modifies the cratering mechanics, and many of the unusual features of SLE craters may be explained by the presence of icy layers. Impact cratering on icy satellites is significantly affected by the presence of subsurface H2O.

Geologic Mapping of the Martian Impact Crater Tooting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mouginis-Mark, Peter; Boyce, Joseph M.

2008-01-01

Tooting crater is approximately 29 km in diameters, is located at 23.4 deg N, 207.5 deg E and is classified as a multi-layered ejecta crater. Tooting crater is a very young crater, with an estimated age of 700,000 to 2M years. The crater formed on virtually flat lava flows within Amazonis Planitia where there appears to have been no major topographic features prior to the impact, so that we can measure ejecta thickness and cavity volume. In the past 12 months, the authors have: published their first detailed analysis of the geometry of the crater cavity and the distribution of the ejecta layers; refined the geologic map of the interior of Tooting crater through mapping of the cavity at a scale of 1:1100K; and continued the analysis of an increasing number of high resolution images obtained by the CTX and HiRISE instruments. Currently the authors seek to resolve several science issues that have been identified during this mapping, including: what is the origin of the lobate flows on the NW and SW rims of the crater?; how did the ejecta curtain break apart during the formation of the crater, and how uniform was the emplacement process for the ejecta layers; and, can we infer physical characteristics about the ejecta? Future study plans include the completion of a draft geologic map of Tooting crater and submission of it to the U.S. Geological survey for a preliminary review, publishing a second research paper on the detailed geology of the crater cavity and the distribution of the flows on the crater rim, and completing the map text for the 1:100K geologic map description of units at Tooting crater.

Experimental hypervelocity impact into quartz sand - Distribution and shock metamorphism of ejecta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoeffler, D.; Gault, D. E.; Wedekind, J.; Polkowski, G.

1975-01-01

Results are presented for vertical impacts of 0.3-g cylindrical plastic projectiles into noncohesive quartz sand in which vertical and horizontal reference strate were employed by using layers of colored sand. The impacts were performed at velocities of 5.9-6.9 km/sec with a vertical gun ballistic range. The craters, 30-33 cm in diameter, reveal a radial decay of the ejecta mass per unit area with a power of -2.8 to -3.5. Material displaced from the upper 15% of the crater depth d is represented within the whole ejecta blanked, material from deeper than 28% of d is deposited inside 2 crater radii, and no material from deeper than 33% of d was ejected beyond the crater rim. Shock-metamorphosed particles (glassy agglutinates, cataclastic breccias, and comminuted quartz) amount to some 4% of the total displaced mass and indicate progressive zones of decay of shock intensity from a peak pressure of 300 kbar. The shock-metamorphosed particles and the shock-induced change in the grain size distribution of ejected samples have close analogies to the basic characteristics of the lunar regolith. Possible applications to regolith formation and to ejecta formations of large-scale impact craters are discussed.

Impact cratering experiments in Bingham materials and the morphology of craters on Mars and Ganymede

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, J. H.; Greeley, R.; Gault, D. E.

1982-01-01

Results from a series of laboratory impacts into clay slurry targets are compared with photographs of impact craters on Mars and Ganymede. The interior and ejecta lobe morphology of rampart-type craters, as well as the progression of crater forms seen with increasing diameter on both Mars and Ganymede, are equalitatively explained by a model for impact into Bingham materials. For increasing impact energies and constant target rheology, laboratory craters exhibit a morphologic progression from bowl-shaped forms that are typical of dry planetary surfaces to craters with ejecta flow lobes and decreasing interior relief, characteristic of more volatile-rich planets. A similar sequence is seen for uniform impact energy in slurries of decreasing yield strength. The planetary progressions are explained by assuming that volatile-rich or icy planetary surfaces behave locally in the same way as Bingham materials and produce ejecta slurries with yield strenghs and viscosities comparable to terrestrial debris flows. Hypothetical impact into Mars and Ganymede are compared, and it is concluded that less ejecta would be produced on Ganymede owing to its lower gravitational acceleration, surface temperature, and density of surface materials.

Multiple (immiscible) melt phases of mafic composition in Chicxulub impact ejecta from northeastern Mexico: New constraints on target lithologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, P.; Stinnesbeck, W.; Kontny, A.; Stüben, D.; Kramar, U.; Harting, M.

2002-12-01

Proximal ejecta deposits in sections from NE Mexico (Rancho Nuevo, La Sierrita, El Peñon, El Mimbral) have been investigated by backscattered electron imaging, wave-length dispersive electron microprobe analyses, and cathodoluminiscence, in order to characterize target lithologies, and ejecta mixing, fractionation, and distribution mechanisms. Additional investigations included magnetic properties (Kontny et al, this meeting) and trace element analyses (Harting et al, this meeting). Petrological features of these ejecta deposits are extraordinarily well preserved. They consist of mm-cm sized vesiculated spherical to drop-shaped spherules and angular to filamentous (ejecta-) fragments, as well as carbonate clasts, marl clasts, and rare benthic foraminifera floating in a carbonaceous matrix. Occasionally, spherules and fragments show welding-amalgamation features and enclose other components, thus resulting in a foam-like texture. An origin from the Chicxulub impact is suggested by geographical proximity and morphologically similarity to spherules found in other K-T sites in North to Central America and the Atlantic. The far distribution of such coarse-grained, foamy, and fragile ejecta-clasts as well as welding features suggest ignimbrite-like transport mechanisms or nearby secondary impacts. Several silicic ejecta phases have been observed that occur as distinct phases, even within one ejecta particle with textures indicative of liquid immiscibility: (1) Fe- (25-35 wt%), Mg- (10-15 wt%) rich phases with <25 wt% SiO2, altered to chlorite, (2) K- (5-8 wt.%) and Al- (25-30 wt%) rich hydrated glass with 45-50 wt% SiO2, and (3) rare SiO2- (>60 wt%) rich andesitic glasses. In addition to these silicic phases, abundant carbonate characterizes all studied ejecta deposits. It occurs within spherules and fragments and as clasts and globules, and shows textures indicative of either liquid immiscibility and/or quenching (`feathery calcite'). Quenched carbonates are enriched in Fe and Mg (up to one wt%) and are characterized by dark red-brown luminescence, in contrast to the carbonaceous matrix, which shows bright luminescence colors. Within all phases, but mainly in (1), various inclusions have been observed: (a) Globules enriched in Fe and Mg, (b) schlieren, rich in Ti, K, Fe, (c) garland-shaped Ti-rich lamellae, (d) dendritic and skeletal crystals of Ti-Fe oxides, (e) hematite crystals with a Ni-content up to 0.4 wt%, as well as goethite and rutile crystals, (f) rare μm-sized Co-, Ni-, Fe-rich metallic or sulfidic particles. These compositional phases are present in all studied outcrops, but their individual amount varies with prevailing Fe-rich phases at Rancho Nuevo and La Sierrita and Fe-, K-rich and silicic phases at El Peñon and El Mimbral. These characteristics imply an origin of the ejecta from mafic lithologies and carbonaceous sediments, in addition to contribution from felsic rocks. The occurrence of different compositional phases in single ejecta layers and even within individual ejecta particles suggests strong fractionation effects and/or negligible mixing of different melt phases. The presence of metallic Fe, Ni and Co may indicate that additional contamination by meteoritic material occurred.

Radar scattering mechanisms within the meteor crater ejecta blanket: Geologic implications and relevance to Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garvin, J. B.; Campbell, B. A.; Zisk, S. H.; Schaber, Gerald G.; Evans, C.

1989-01-01

Simple impact craters are known to occur on all of the terrestrial planets and the morphologic expression of their ejecta blankets is a reliable indicator of their relative ages on the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and most recently for Venus. It will be crucial for the interpretation of the geology of Venus to develop a reliable means of distinguishing smaller impact landforms from volcanic collapse and explosion craters, and further to use the observed SAR characteristics of crater ejecta blankets (CEB) as a means of relative age estimation. With these concepts in mind, a study was initiated of the quantitative SAR textural characteristics of the ejecta blanket preserved at Meteor Crater, Arizona, the well studied 1.2 km diameter simple crater that formed approx. 49,000 years ago from the impact of an octahedrite bolide. While Meteor Crater was formed as the result of an impact into wind and water lain sediments and has undergone recognizable water and wind related erosion, it nonetheless represents the only well studied simple impact crater on Earth with a reasonably preserved CEB. Whether the scattering behavior of the CEB can provide an independent perspective on its preservation state and style of erosion is explored. Finally, airborne laser altimeter profiles of the microtopography of the Meteor Crater CEB were used to further quantify the subradar pizel scale topographic slopes and RMS height variations for comparisons with the scattering mechanisms computed from SAR polarimetry. A preliminary assessment was summarized of the L-band radar scattering mechanisms within the Meteor Crater CEB as derived from a NASA/JPL DC-8 SAR Polarimetry dataset acquired in 1988, and the dominant scattering behavior was compared with microtopographic data (laser altimeter profiles and 1:10,000 scale topographic maps).

Chicxulub Ejecta Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

OKeefe, John D.; Stewart, Sarah T.; Ahrens, Thomas J.

2001-01-01

We modeled in detail the ejecta dynamics associated with the Chicxulub impact. We determined: (1) ejecta trajectories, (2) stratigraphic motions, (3) depth of ejecta stages, (4) thermodynamic histories of the ejecta particles, and (5) the final ejecta distribution. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Modeling the ejecta cloud in the first seconds after Deep Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagdimunov, L.; Kolokolova, L.; Wolff, M.; A'Hearn, M.; Farnham, T.

2014-07-01

Although the Deep Impact experiment was performed nine years ago, analysis of its data continues to shed light on our understanding of cometary atmospheres, surfaces, and interiors. We analyze the images acquired by the Deep Impact spacecraft High Resolution Instrument (HRI) in the first seconds after impact. These early images reflect the development of the material excavation from the cometary nucleus, enabling a study of fresh, unprocessed nuclear material, and potentially allowing a peek into the interior. Simply studying the brightness of the ejecta plume and its distribution as a function of height and time after impact could provide some insight into the characteristics of the ejecta. However, the optical thickness of the ejecta offers an additional source of information through the resultant shadow on the surface of the nucleus and brightness variations within it. Our goal was to reproduce both the distribution of brightness in the plume and in its shadow, thus constraining the characteristics of the ejecta. To achieve this, we used a 3D radiative-transfer package HYPERION [1], which allows an arbitrary spatial distribution and multiple dust components, for simulations of multiple scattering with realistic scattering and observational geometries. The parameters of our dust modeling were composition, size distribution, and number density of particles at the base of the ejecta cone (the last varied with the height, h, as h^{-3}). Composition was created as a mixture of so called Halley-like dust (silicates, carbon, and organics, see [2]), ice, and voids to account for particle porosity. We performed a parameter survey, searching for dust/ice ratios and particle porosity that could reproduce a density of the individual particles equal to the bulk density of the nucleus, 0.4 g/(cm^3), or 1.75 g/(cm^3) used in [3] to model crater development. The size distribution was taken from [4] and the number density was varied to achieve the best fit. To further constrain the results, we compared them with those of crater modeling [3]. Based on the approach given in [3] and using the crater diameter from [5], the mass of the ejecta 1 sec. after impact was estimated as 9×10^3-2×10^4 kg. The best fit to Deep Impact data and excavated mass constraints was achieved with ˜10% Halley dust, ˜20% ice, and the rest voids by volume for density 0.4 g/(cm^3) and ˜65% Halley dust with 38-8 % ice, depending on porosity, for density 1.75 g/(cm^3). Both cases result in a number density of ˜(10^4) particles/(cm^3). The dust/ice mass ratio for each density is ≥1, which is consistent with [6]. To reproduce the correct position and geometry of the shadow, we had to modify the geometry of the ejecta cone originally prescribed in [3]. This was required, in part, by the use of a revised nuclear shape model [7]. Our estimate of cone tilt differs from the previous one by 13.2°. It appeared that the observed change in brightness of the plume and shadow during the first second cannot be reproduced by a hollow cone. This is consistent with lab simulations of oblique impacts [8] which showed that hollowness of the ejecta cone can develop somewhat later in the plume evolution. Variations of brightness within the plume and the shadow can reveal the structure of the upper layers of the nucleus.

Mud volcanism and morphology of impact craters in Utopia Planitia on Mars: Evidence for the ancient ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Mikhail A.; Hiesinger, H.; Erkeling, G.; Reiss, D.

2014-01-01

Results of our detailed geological mapping and interpretation of the nature and relative and absolute model ages of units and structures in the SW portion of Utopia Planitia (20-45°N, 100-120°E) suggest the following. (1) The size-frequency distribution (SFD) of craters that both are buried by materials of the Vastitas Borealis units (VB) and superpose its surface indicate that the absolute model ages of terrain predating the emplacement of the VB is ˜3.7 Ga. (2) Lack of craters that are partly embayed by materials of the VB in the SW portion of Utopia Planitia implies that the emplacement of the VB was faster than the rate of accumulation of impact craters and is consistent with the geologically short time of emplacement of the VB due to catastrophic release of water from outflow channels (e.g., Carr, M.H. [1996]. Water on Mars. Oxford University Press, New York, p. 229). (3) The SFD of craters that superpose the surface of the VB indicates an absolute model age of ˜3.6-3.5 Ga. The absolute model ages of etched flows, which represent the upper stratigraphic limit of the VB, are estimated to be ˜3.5 Ga. (4) The majority of the larger (i.e., >1 km) impact craters show ejecta morphologies (rampart and pancake-like ejecta) that are indicative of the presence of ice/water in the target materials. The distal portions of the pancake-like ejecta are heavily degraded (not due to embayment). This suggests that these craters formed in targets that contained higher abundances of volatiles. (5) The diameter ranges of the craters with either rampart- or pancake-like ejecta are overlapping (from ˜2 to ˜60 km). Craters with pancake-like ejecta are concentrated within the central portion of the Utopia basin (less than ˜1000 km from the basin center) and rampart craters occur at the periphery of the basin. This pattern of the crater spatial distribution suggests that materials within the center of Utopia Planitia contained more ice/water. (6) Etched flows around the central portion of Utopia Planitia were erupted from beneath of the surface of the VB. Their morphology and pattern of degradation, however, are inconsistent with lava and, instead, indicate formation of the flows due to mud volcanism. (7) Etched flows are spatially associated with giant polygons and there is evidence that these features populated the center portion of Utopia Planitia before it was covered by the Elysium-derived units. The outer (southern) edge of the zone of polygonal troughs and etched flows approximately corresponds to the transition from pancake-like ejecta to rampart ejecta. This suggest that the outer edge of the zone of the polygons and flows may outline the deeper portions of the large body (˜2000 km across) of water/ice that likely existed in the center of Utopia Planitia in late Hesperian.

Impact-generated winds on Venus: Causes and effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Pater H.

1992-01-01

The pressure of the dense atmosphere of Venus significantly changes the appearance of ejecta deposits relative to craters on the Moon and Mercury. Conversely, specific styles and sequences of ejecta emplacement can be inferred to represent different intensities of atmospheric response winds acting over different timescales. Three characteristic timescales can be inferred from the geologic record: surface scouring and impactor-controlled (angle and direction) initiation of the long fluidized run-out flows; nonballistic emplacement of inner, radar-bright ejecta facies and radar-dark outer facies; and very late reworking of surface materials. These three timescales roughly correspond to processes observed in laboratory experiments that can be scaled to conditions on Venus (with appropriate assumptions): coupling between the atmosphere and earlytime vapor/melt (target and impactor) that produces an intense shock that subsequently evolves into blast/response winds; less energetic dynamic response of the atmosphere to the outward-moving ballistic ejecta curtain that generates nonthermal turbulent eddies; and late recovery of the atmosphere to impact-generated thermal and pressure gradients expressed as low-energy but long-lived winds. These different timescales and processes can be viewed as the atmosphere equivalent of shock melting, material motion, and far-field seismic response in the target. The three processes (early Processes, Atmospheric Processes, and Late Recovery Winds) are discussed at length.

Impulsive and Varying Injection in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows.

PubMed

Sari; Mészáros

2000-05-20

The standard model of gamma-ray burst afterglows is based on synchrotron radiation from a blast wave produced when the relativistic ejecta encounters the surrounding medium. We reanalyze the refreshed shock scenario, in which slower material catches up with the decelerating ejecta and reenergizes it. This energization can be done either continuously or in discrete episodes. We show that such a scenario has two important implications. First, there is an additional component coming from the reverse shock that goes into the energizing ejecta. This persists for as long as the reenergization itself, which could extend for up to days or longer. We find that during this time the overall spectral peak is found at the characteristic frequency of the reverse shock. Second, if the injection is continuous, the dynamics will be different from that in constant energy evolution and will cause a slower decline of the observed fluxes. A simple test of the continuously refreshed scenario is that it predicts a spectral maximum in the far-infrared or millimeter range after a few days.

Geomorphology and Geology of the Southwestern Margaritifer Sinus and Argyre Regions of Mars. Part 4: Flow Ejecta Crater Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, T. J.; Pieri, D. C.

1985-01-01

Flow ejecta craters - craters surrounded by lobate ejecta blankets - are found throughout the study area. The ratio of the crater's diameter to that of the flow ejecta in this region is approximately 40 to 45%. Flow ejecta craters are dominantly sharply defined craters, with slightly degraded craters being somewhat less common. This is probably indicative of the ejecta's relatively low resistence to weathering and susceptibility to burial. Flow ejecta craters here seem to occur within a narrow range of crater sizes - the smallest being about 4km in diameter and the largest being about 27km in diameter. Ejecta blankets of craters at 4km are easily seen and those of smaller craters are simply not seen even in images with better than average resolution for the region. This may be due to the depth of excavation of small impacting bodies being insufficient to reach volatile-rich material. Flow ejecta craters above 24km are rare, and those craters above 27km do not display flow ejecta blankets. This may be a result of an excavation depth so great that the volatile content of the ejecta is insufficient to form a fluid ejecta blanket. The geomorphic/geologic unit appears also to play an important role in the formation of flow ejecta craters. Given the typical size range for the occurrence of flow ejecta craters for most units, it can be seen that the percentage of flow ejecta craters to the total number of craters within this size range varies significantly from one unit to the next. The wide variance in flow ejecta crater density over this relatively small geographical area argues strongly for a lithologic control of their distribution.

Characterization of Lunar Crater Ejecta Deposits Using Radar Data from the Mini-RF Instrument on LRO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, G. W.; Raney, R. K.; Cahill, J. T.; Bussey, B.

2012-12-01

Impact cratering is the dominant weathering process on the surface of the Moon and a primary means of distrib-uting material on the lunar surface [1]. Radar data provide unique information on both the horizontal and vertical distribution of impact deposits [2]. The Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument flown on the Lunar Re-connaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with an innovative hybrid dual-polarimetric archi-tecture, transmitting (quasi-) circular polarization, and receiving orthogonal linear polarizations and their relative phase [3]. The four Stokes parameters that characterize the observed backscattered EM field are calculated from the received data. These parameters can be used to derive a variety of child products that include the circular polariza-tion ratio (CPR) and the m-chi decomposition. The former provides an indication of surface roughness and the latter provides an indication of the scattering properties of the surface [4]. Using these products, we examine the crater Byrgius A and demonstrate the ability to differentiate materials within ejecta deposits and their relative thicknesses. Byrgius A is a 19 km diameter Copernican located in the lunar highlands east of the Orientale Basin and west of Mare Humorum. Visible image data of the region obtained by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Wide An-gle Camera (LROC WAC) [5] at a resolution of 100 m/pixel show optically bright ejecta deposits associated with the crater that extend to radial distances of 100s of km, with near continuous deposits observed to an average radial distance of 70 km. Mini-RF CPR information derived from S-band (12.6 cm) data of the region show an increased roughness for Byrgius A and its ejecta deposits relative to the surrounding terrain. This is a commonly observed characteristic of young, fresh craters and indicates that the crater and its ejecta have a higher fraction of cm- to m-scale scatterers at the surface and/or buried to depths of up to ~1 m. As observed with visible image data, the increased roughness as-sociated with the ejecta of Byrgius A appears nearly continuous to a radial distance of ~70 km. An m-chi decomposition of Mini-RF S-band data for Byrgius A suggests that the portion of ejecta that extends radially from ~10 to 70 km appears far less continuous than is suggested in both optical data and CPR information (Fig. 1). The implication is that we are observing properties of the ejecta and lunar background terrain in the top meter of the surface. In other words the thickness of the ejecta in this distance range is on the order of meters or less. This result suggests that the thickness of ejecta at radial distances > a crater radius differ significantly from estimates of ejecta thickness derived from models of ejecta emplacement [6,7]. References: [1] Melosh, H. J. (1989), Oxford Univ. Press; [2] Ghent, R. R. et al. (2008), Geology, 36, 343-346; [3] Raney, R. K. et al. (2011), Proc. of the IEEE, 99, 808-823; [4] Raney, R.K. et al. (2012), JGR, 117, E00H21; [5] Robinson, M. S. et al. (2010), Space Sci. Rev., 150, 81-124; [6] McGetchin et al. (1973), EPSL, 20, 226-236; [7] Pike (1974), EPSL, 23, 265-274.

Mini-RF Bistatic Observations of Lunar Crater Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stickle, A. M.; Patterson, G. W.; Cahill, J. T.

2017-12-01

The Mini-RF radar onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is currently operating in a bistatic configuration using the Goldstone DSS-13 and Arecibo Observatory as transmitters in X-band (4.2-cm) and S-band (12.6 cm), respectively. The Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) is a typical product derived from backscattered microwave radiation that examines the scattering properties of the lunar surface, particularly the roughness of the surface on the order of the radar wavelength. Throughout the LRO extended mission, Mini-RF has targeted young craters on the lunar surface to examine the scattering properties of their ejecta blankets in both S- and X-band. Several observed craters and their ejecta blankets exhibit a clear coherent backscatter opposition effect at low bistatic (phase) angles. This opposition effect is consistent with optical studies of lunar soils done in the laboratory, but these observations are the first time this effect has been measured on the Moon at radar wavelengths. The style of the observed opposition effect differs between craters, which may indicate differences in ejecta fragment formation or emplacement. Differences in the CPR behavior as a function of bistatic angle may also provide opportunities for relative age dating between Copernican craters. Here, we examine the ejecta of nine Copernican and Eratosthenian aged craters in both S-band and X-band and document CPR characteristics as a function bistatic angle in order to test that hypothesis. The youngest craters observed by Mini-RF (e.g., Byrgius A (48 My), Kepler (635-1250 My)) exhibit a clear opposition effect, while older craters such as Hercules have a fairly flat response in CPR as a function of phase angle. Craters with ages between these two ends, e.g., Aristarchus, exhibit a weaker opposition response. Observing the scattering behavior of continuous ejecta blankets in multiple wavelengths may provide further information about the rate of breakdown of rocks of varying size to provide increased understanding of how impacts produce regolith on the Moon.

Chicxulub ejecta at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-P) boundary in Northeastern Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Peter; Kontny, Agnes

2005-04-01

The combined petrological and rock magnetic study of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-P) boundary in northeastern Mexico revealed compositionally and texturally complex Chicxulub ejecta deposits. The predominant silicic ejecta components are Fe-Mg-rich chlorite and Si-Al-K-rich glass spherules with carbonate inclusions and schlieren. Besides these silica phases, the most prominent ejecta component is carbonate. Carbonate occurs as lithic clasts, accretionary lapilli, melt globules (often with quench textures), and as microspar. The composition of the spherules provides evidence for a range of target rocks of mafic to intermediate composition, presumably situated in the northwestern sector of the Chicxulub impact structure. The abundance of carbonate ejecta suggests that this area received ejecta mainly from shallow, carbonate-rich lithologies. Rare µm-sized metallic and sulfidic Ni-Co-rich inclusions in the spherules indicate a possible contamination by meteoritic material. This complex composition underlines the similarities of ejecta in NE Mexico to Chicxulub ejecta from K-P sections worldwide. Although the ejecta display a great variability, the magnetic susceptibility, remanence, and hysteresis properties of the ejecta deposits are fairly homogeneous, with dominantly paramagnetic susceptibilities and a weak ferromagnetic contribution from hematite and goethite. The absence of spinels and the ubiquitous presence of hematite and goethite points to high oxygen fugacity during the impact process. The microfacies and internal texture of the ejecta deposits show welding and fusing of components, as well as evidence for liquid immiscibility between silicic and carbonate melts. No evidence for binary mixing of ejecta phases was found. Therefore, Chicxulub ejecta in NE Mexico probably derived from less energetic parts of the ejecta curtain. However, welding features of ejecta particles and enclosed marl clasts and/or benthic foraminifera from a siliciclastic environment suggest interaction of the - still hot - ! ejecta curtain with northern Mexican shelf sediments. In addition, an initial ground surge-like ejecta-dispersion mode seems possible.

Trajectories of ballistic impact ejecta on a rotating Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvarez, W.

1994-01-01

On an airless, slowly rotating planetary body like the Moon, ejecta particles from an impact follow simple ballistic trajectories. If gaseous interactions in the fireball are ignored, ejecta particles follow elliptical orbits with the center of the planetary body at one focus until they encounter the surface at the point of reimpact. The partial elliptical orbit of the ejecta particle lies in a plane in inertial (galactic) coordinates. Because of the slow rotation rate (for example, 360 degrees/28 days for the Moon), the intersection of the orbital plane and the surface remains nearly a great circle during the flight time of the ejecta. For this reason, lunar rays, representing concentrations of ejecta with the same azimuth but different velocities and/or ejecta angles, lie essentially along great circles. Ejecta from airless but more rapidly rotating bodies will follow more complicated, curving trajectories when plotted in the coordinate frame of the rotating planet or viewed as rays on the planetary surface. The curvature of trajectories of ejecta particles can be treated as a manifestation of the Coriolis effect, with the particles being accelerated by Coriolis pseudoforces. However, it is more straightforward to calculate the elliptical orbit in inertial space and then determine how far the planet rotates beneath the orbiting ejecta particle before reimpact. The Earth's eastward rotation affects ballistic ejecta in two ways: (1) the eastward velocity component increases the velocity of eastbound ejecta and reduces the velocity of westbound ejecta; and (2) the Earth turns underneath inflight ejecta, so that although the latitude of reimpact is not changed, the longitude is displaced westward, with the displacement increasing as a function of the time the ejecta remains aloft.

Martian impact crater ejecta morphologies and their potential as indicators of subsurface volatile distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, Nadine G.

1991-01-01

Many martian impact craters ejecta morphologies suggestive of fluidization during ejecta emplacement. Impact into subsurface volatile reserviors (i.e., water, ice, CO2, etc.) is the mechanism favored by many scientists, although acceptance of this mechanism is not unanimous. In recent years, a number of studies were undertaken to better understand possible relationships between ejecta morphology and latitude, longitude, crater diameter, and terrain. These results suggest that subsurface volatiles do influence the formation of specific ejecta morphologies and may provide clues to the vertical and horizontal distribution of volatiles in more localized regions of Mars. The location of these volatile reservoirs will be important to humans exploring and settling Mars in the future. Qualitative descriptions of ejecta morphology and quantitative analyses of ejecta sinuosity and ejecta lobe areal extent from the basis of the studies. Ejecta morphology studies indicate that morphology is correlated with crater diameter and latitude, and, using depth-diameter relationships, these correlations strongly suggest that changes in morphology are related to transition among subsurface layers with varying amounts of volatiles. Ejecta sinuosity studies reveal correlations between degree of sinuosity (lobateness) and crater morphology, diameter, latitude, and terrain. Lobateness, together with variations in areal extent of the lobate ejecta blanket with morphology and latitude, probably depends most directly on the ejecta emplacement process. The physical parameters measured here can be compared with those predicted by existing ejecta emplacement models. Some of these parameters are best reproduced by models requiring incorporation of volatiles within the ejecta. However, inconsistencies between other parameters and the models indicate that more detailed modeling is necessary before the location of volatile reservoirs can be confidently predicted based on ejecta morphology studies alone.

Jets, Rings, And Holes In Cassiopeia A: New Insights Into The Explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLaney, Tracey; Smith, J. D.; Rudnick, L.; Rho, J.; Reach, W.; Ennis, J.; Gomez, H.; Kozasa, T.

2007-05-01

The spectral mapping of Cassiopeia A with Spitzer has allowed us to use Doppler measurements to construct a 3-D model of the remnant structure. Combined with Doppler measurements from X-ray spectra and the locations of optical ejecta beyond the forward shock, we have gained new insights into the explosion that caused Cas A. The structure of Cas A can be characterized into "holes", "rings", and "jets". The holes refer to gaps between the front and back surfaces of the unshocked infrared ejecta that occur mostly in the plane of the sky. The shocked IR ejecta and the Si-rich X-ray ejecta form ring-like structures that line the holes in the unshocked ejecta. The well-known northeast and southwest jets extend through two of the holes in the unshocked ejecta. The Fe-rich X-ray ejecta has a different distribution from the other ejecta in that it is oriented approximately 90 degrees from the jet axis. The Fe-rich X-ray ejecta can be described as forming two jets that also extend through holes in the unshocked ejecta. The outer optical ejecta beyond the forward shock appears mostly in the plane of the sky and is certainly associated with the holes in the unshocked ejecta. Taken together, these clues indicate a series of blow-outs or jets in the plane of the sky where the highest velocity ejecta are found. The distribution of the Fe-rich ejecta provides a tidy explanation for the offset of the point source from the expansion center of the remnant and challenges the idea of overturning in the ejecta layers. We would like to thank J. Lazendic and D. Dewey for their HETG Doppler data and M. Stage and G. Allen for their ACIS Ms Doppler data.

Venus - Impact Crater in Eastern Navka Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This Magellan image, which is 50 kilometers (31 miles) in width and 80 kilometers (50 miles) in length, is centered at 11.9 degrees latitude, 352 degrees longitude in the eastern Navka Region of Venus. The crater, which is approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter, displays a butterfly symmetry pattern. The ejecta pattern most likely results from an oblique impact, where the impactor came from the south and ejected material to the north.

Ba-rich sanidine megacrysts in trachytic rocks of Eslamy volcano, NW Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aßbichler, Donjá; Asadpour, Manijeh; Heuss-Aßbichler, Soraya; Kunzmann, Thomas

2016-04-01

The Eslamy volcano is located on a peninsula at the eastern coast of Urumieh lake, NW Iran. The complex stratovolcano with gentle slope flanks exposes a collapsed caldera in the central part. Specific features are different sanidine rich rocks that occur in form of ejecta and flows. According to the field observations they are products of one volcanic event. XRF measurements show they all have trachytic compositions. Typical for this locality are the large sanidine phenocrysts. In the trachytic flow the sanidine crystals reach average size of ~4 cm embedded in a greenish-blue matrix consisting mainly of crystallized feldspar and subordinate pyroxen. Occasionally feldspar megacrysts of approx. 10 cm were observed. Na content of the sanidine megacrysts varies between 0.05 - 0.5 pfu with higher concentrations in the cores. Furthermore they show oscillatory zoning patterns caused by variations of Ba content (0-0.04 pfu). The matrix of the trachytic flow consist mainly of interlocking sanidine crystals (0.05-0.45 pfu Na) partly with Ba-rich cores containing up to 0.06 pfu Ba. In contrast to the megacrysts they show slightly higher Fe contents (0.025-0.035 pfu). The volcanic ejecta with bombs of approx. 50 cm in size were found in one distinct layer within a pyroclastic horizon. The average diameter of the feldspar phenocrysts is much smaller (0.5-2 cm). Sanidine is the main phase of these rocks (up to 80 %). As mafic phase up to 30 % pyroxen (mainly diospide) ± biotite can be observed. Accessories are magnetite ± apatite ± titanite ± zircon. In contrast to the flow rocks the main phase of the matrix of the ejecta is always glass with higher Fe2O3 (total) contents (up to 6 wt.-%) indicating a fast cooling of the sample due to ejection. They are completely depleted in Ba. In two samples zoned feldspar relicts enclosed in glass show remolten rims. Similar to flow rocks the feldspar phenocrysts of all ejecta show a complex zoning pattern, e.g. three samples expose high Ba contents within the core of the feldspars with a maximum Ba-content of 0.12 pfu. In addition, all phenocrysts show an oscillatory zoning pattern. The very fine rimed zones are mainly caused by the variation of Ba content (0-0.06 pfu).

New morphological mapping and interpretation of ejecta deposits from Orientale Basin on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morse, Zachary R.; Osinski, Gordon R.; Tornabene, Livio L.

2018-01-01

Orientale Basin is one of the youngest and best-preserved multi-ring impact basins in the Solar System. The structure is ∼950 km across and is located on the western edge of the nearside of the Moon. The interior of the basin, which possesses three distinct rings and a post-impact mare fill, has been studied extensively using modern high-resolution datasets. Exterior to these rings, Orientale has an extensive ejecta blanket that extends out radially for at least 800 km from the basin rim in all directions and covers portions of both the nearside and farside of the Moon. These deposits, known as the Hevelius Formation, were first mapped using photographic data from the Lunar Orbiter IV probe. In this study, we map in detail the morphology of each distinct facies observed within the Orientale ejecta blanket using high resolution Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) elevation data. We identified 5 unique facies within the ejecta blanket. Facies A is identified as a region of hummocky plains located in a low-lying topographic region between the Outer Rook and Cordillera rings. This facies is interpreted to be a mix of crater-derived impact melt and km-scale blocks of ballistic ejecta and host rock broken up during the modification stage and formation of the Cordillera ring. Facies B is an inner facies marked by radial grooves extending outward from the direction of the basin center. This facies is interpreted as the continuous ballistic ejecta blanket. Facies C consists of inner and outer groupings of flat smooth-surfaced deposits isolated in local topographic lows. Facies D displays characteristic sinuous ridges and lobate extensions. Facies C and D are interpreted to be impact melt-rich materials, which manifest as flows and ponds. Our observations suggest that these facies were emplaced subsequent to the ballistic ejecta blanket - most likely during the modification stage of crater formation - and flowed and ponded in topographically low-lying regions. Facies E consists of distinct crater chains emanating radially from the basin center and extending from ∼700 to ∼1000 km from the center of Orientale. This facies is considered to be chains of secondary craters formed from large blocks of ballistic ejecta. Our mapping effort shows that the individual ejecta facies were influenced and controlled to varying degrees by pre-existing slopes and topography. At the basin scale, the overall downslope direction toward the lunar lowlands to the east and southeast of the basin center resulted in large impact melt flows 100's of kilometers in length, while the regional upslope trends in the west and northwest inhibited the development of extensive impact melt flows. On a smaller scale it can be observed that ground-hugging ejecta collected behind and flowed around high topographic obstacles while diverting into topographic low regions (e.g., around uplifted pre-existing crater rims, but down into pre-existing crater floors). The dispersion of the various ejecta facies mapped here also indicates both a direction and an angle for the impact event that formed Orientale Basin. The bilateral distribution of both ballistic and impact melt-rich ejecta deposits across a line running northeast - southwest suggests the impact occurred from the northeast toward the southwest. Careful mapping of the secondary impact crater chains (Facies E) shows the development of a ;forbidden zone; lacking these impacts to the northeast as well as a concentration of the longest secondary crater chains to the northwest and southeast, perpendicular to the aforementioned line of bilateral ejecta distribution. This distribution of secondary impact craters contrasts with the circularity of the basin and suggests that Orientale Basin was formed by ∼ 25-45° impact from the northeast.

Relationships among basaltic lunar meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindstrom, Marilyn M.

1991-01-01

During the past two years four meteorites of dominantly mare basalt composition were identified in the Japanese and US Antarctic collections. Basalts represent a much higher proportion of the lunar meteorites than is expected from photogeologic mapping of mare and highland regions. Also, the basaltic lunar meteorites are all described as VLT mare basalt, which is a relatively uncommon type among returned lunar samples. The significance of the basaltic meteorites to the understanding of the lunar crust depends on the evaluation of possible relationships among the individual meteorites. None of the specimens are paired meteorites. They differ from each other in petrography and composition. It is important to determine whether they might be paired ejecta which were ejected from the same mare region by the same impact. The question of paired ejecta must be addressed using a combination of exposure histories and petrographic/compositional characteristics. It is possible that the basaltic lunar meteorites are paired ejecta from the same region of the Moon. However, the relationships among them are more complicated than the basaltic breccias being simply brecciated mare gabbros.

Interior and Ejecta Morphologies of Impact Craters on Ganymede

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barlow, Nadine G.; Klaybor, K.; Katz-Wigmore, J.

2006-09-01

We are utilizing Galileo SSI imagery of Ganymede to classify impact crater interior and ejecta morphologies. Although we are in the early stages of compiling our Catalog of Impact Craters on Ganymede, some interesting trends are beginning to emerge. Few craters display obvious ejecta morphologies, but 68 craters are classified as single layer ejecta and 3 as double layer ejecta. We see no obvious correlation of layered ejecta morphologies with terrain or latitude. All layered ejecta craters have diameters between 10 and 40 km. Sinuosity ("lobateness") and ejecta extent ("ejecta mobility ratio") of Ganymede layered ejecta craters are lower than for martian layered ejecta craters. This suggests less mobility of ejecta materials on Ganymede, perhaps due to the colder temperatures. Interior structures being investigated include central domes, peaks, and pits. 57 dome craters, 212 central peak craters, and 313 central pit craters have been identified. Central domes occur in 50-100 km diameter craters while peaks are found in craters between 20 and 50 km and central pit craters range between 29 and 74 km in diameter. The Galileo Regio region displays higher concentrations of central dome and central pit craters than other regions we have investigated. 67% of central pit craters studied to date are small pits, where the ratio of pit diameter to crater diameter is <0.2. Craters containing the three interior structures preferentially occur on darker terrain units, suggesting that an ice-silicate composition is more conducive to interior feature formation than pure ice alone. Results of this study have important implications not only for the formation of specific interior and ejecta morphologies on Ganymede but also for analogous features associated with Martian impact craters. This research is funded through NASA Outer Planets Research Program Award #NNG05G116G to N. G. Barlow.

Radiative-hydrodynamic Modeling of the SL-9 Plume Infall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, D.; Harrington, J.

1998-09-01

We are developing a model for the plume-infall phase of the SL-9/Jupiter collision. The modeling takes place in two steps. The first step is a ballistic Monte-Carlo simulation of the ejecta from the collision, based on a power-law distribution of ejecta velocities. Parameters from this simulation are adjusted to best reproduce the appearance of the ejecta plume above the jovian limb, and the debris patterns on the disk, as seen by HST. Results of those calculations are reported in a paper by Harrington and Deming (this meeting). In this paper we report results from the second step, wherein the ballistic Monte-Carlo plume simulations are coupled to the Zeus-3D hydrodynamic code. Zeus is used in a 2-D mode to follow both the radial and z-component motions of the infalling plume material, and model the resultant shock-heating of the ambient atmosphere. Zeus was modified to include radiative transport in the gray approximation. We discuss the results as concerns: 1) the temperatures and other physical conditions in the radiating upper atmospheric shocks, 2) the morphology of the light curve, including the nature of secondary maxima, and 3) the structure of the post-collision jovian atmosphere.

Supernova ejecta with a relativistic wind from a central compact object: a unified picture for extraordinary supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Akihiro; Maeda, Keiichi

2017-04-01

The hydrodynamical interaction between freely expanding supernova ejecta and a relativistic wind injected from the central region is studied in analytic and numerical ways. As a result of the collision between the ejecta and the wind, a geometrically thin shell surrounding a hot bubble forms and expands in the ejecta. We use a self-similar solution to describe the early dynamical evolution of the shell and carry out a two-dimensional special relativistic hydrodynamic simulation to follow further evolution. The Rayleigh-Taylor instability inevitably develops at the contact surface separating the shocked wind and ejecta, leading to the complete destruction of the shell and the leakage of hot gas from the hot bubble. The leaking hot materials immediately catch up with the outermost layer of the supernova ejecta and thus different layers of the ejecta are mixed. We present the spatial profiles of hydrodynamical variables and the kinetic energy distributions of the ejecta. We stop the energy injection when a total energy of 1052 erg, which is 10 times larger than the initial kinetic energy of the supernova ejecta, is deposited into the ejecta and follow the subsequent evolution. From the results of our simulations, we consider expected emission from supernova ejecta powered by the energy injection at the centre and discuss the possibility that superluminous supernovae and broad-lined Ic supernovae could be produced by similar mechanisms.

NASA's Lunar Impact Monitoring Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Robert M.; Cooke, William; Swift, Wesley; Hollon, Nicholas

2007-01-01

NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office nas implemented a program to monitor the Moon for meteoroid impacts from the Marshall Space Flight Center. Using off-the-shelf telescopes and video equipment, the moon is monitored for as many as 10 nights per month, depending on weather. Custom software automatically detects flashes which are confirmed by a second telescope, photometrically calibrated using background stars, and published on a website for correlation with other observations, Hypervelocity impact tests at the Ames Vertical Gun Facility have been performed to determine the luminous efficiency ana ejecta characteristics. The purpose of this research is to define the impact ejecta environment for use by lunar spacecraft designers of the Constellation (manned lunar) Program. The observational techniques and preliminary results will be discussed.

Spectral properties of Titan's impact craters imply chemical weathering of its surface

PubMed Central

Barnes, J. W.; Sotin, C.; MacKenzie, S.; Soderblom, J. M.; Le Mouélic, S.; Kirk, R. L.; Stiles, B. W.; Malaska, M. J.; Le Gall, A.; Brown, R. H.; Baines, K. H.; Buratti, B.; Clark, R. N.; Nicholson, P. D.

2015-01-01

Abstract We examined the spectral properties of a selection of Titan's impact craters that represent a range of degradation states. The most degraded craters have rims and ejecta blankets with spectral characteristics that suggest that they are more enriched in water ice than the rims and ejecta blankets of the freshest craters on Titan. The progression is consistent with the chemical weathering of Titan's surface. We propose an evolutionary sequence such that Titan's craters expose an intimate mixture of water ice and organic materials, and chemical weathering by methane rainfall removes the soluble organic materials, leaving the insoluble organics and water ice behind. These observations support the idea that fluvial processes are active in Titan's equatorial regions. PMID:27656006

Windblown Features on Venus and Geological Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald

1999-01-01

The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a global data base of aeolian features by searching Magellan coverage for possible time-variable wind streaks, 2) analyze the data base to characterize aeolian features and processes on Venus, 3) apply the analysis to assessments of wind patterns near the surface and for comparisons with atmospheric circulation models, 4) analyze shuttle radar data acquired for aeolian features on Earth to determine their radar characteristics, and 5) conduct geological mapping of two quadrangles. Wind, or aeolian, features are observed on Venus and aeolian processes play a role in modifying its surface. Analysis of features resulting from aeolian processes provides insight into characteristics of both the atmosphere and the surface. Wind related features identified on Venus include erosional landforms (yardangs), depositional dune fields, and features resulting from the interaction of the atmosphere and crater ejecta at the time of impact. The most abundant aeolian features are various wind streaks. Their discovery on Venus afforded the opportunity to learn about the interaction of the atmosphere and surface, both for the identification of sediments and in mapping near-surface winds.

Venus - Impact Crater in Eastern Navka Region

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-11-20

This Magellan image, which is 50 kilometers (31 miles) in width and 80 kilometers (50 miles) in length, is centered at 11.9 degrees latitude, 352 degrees longitude in the eastern Navka Region of Venus. The crater, which is approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter, displays a butterfly symmetry pattern. The ejecta pattern most likely results from an oblique impact, where the impactor came from the south and ejected material to the north. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00474

X-ray study of the supernova remnant G337.2-0.7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takata, Akihiro; Nobukawa, Masayoshi; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Tsuru, Takeshi Go; Tanaka, Takaaki; Koyama, Katsuji

2016-06-01

This paper reports on the Suzaku result of the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) G337.2-0.7. The X-ray spectrum is well explained by three components in ionizing phase. One is a plasma with a low temperature kT = 0.70_{-0.03}^{+0.02}keV, solar abundances, and an ionization parameter n_et = 5.7^{+0.7}_{-0.4}× 10^{11}s cm-3. The second is a middle-temperature plasma with kT = 1.54^{+0.13}_{-0.02}keV and high metal abundances in a highly ionized state of n_et = 3.6^{+0.2}_{-0.5}× 10^{11}s cm-3, and the third is a high-temperature plasma with kT = 3.1^{+0.2}_{-0.1}keV and high metal abundances in a low-ionized state of n_et=2.1^{+0.4}_{-0.2}× 10^{10}s cm-3. The high metal-abundance plasmas are likely to be of an ejecta origin, while the solar abundance plasma would be of an interstellar-gas origin. The abundance pattern and mass of the ejecta confirm that G337.2-0.7 is a remnant of a Type Ia supernova (SN). The derived Fe mass of ejecta MFe = 0.025-0.039 M⊙ is far smaller than that expected from any Type Ia model, suggesting that most Fe has not yet been heated by the reverse shock. The ejecta has enhanced distribution in the northeastern region compared to the central region, and therefore the SN explosion or SNR evolution would be asymmetric.

Ejecta cloud from the AIDA space project kinetic impact on the secondary of a binary asteroid: I. mechanical environment and dynamical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yang; Michel, Patrick; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Naidu, Shantanu P.; Benner, Lance A. M.

2017-01-01

An understanding of the post-impact dynamics of ejecta clouds are crucial to the planning of a kinetic impact mission to an asteroid, and also has great implications for the history of planetary formation. The purpose of this article is to track the evolution of ejecta produced by AIDA mission, which targets for kinetic impact the secondary of near-Earth binary asteroid (65803) Didymos on 2022, and to feedback essential informations to AIDA's ongoing phase-A study. We present a detailed dynamic model for the simulation of an ejecta cloud from a binary asteroid that synthesizes all relevant forces based on a previous analysis of the mechanical environment. We apply our method to gain insight into the expected response of Didymos to the AIDA impact, including the subsequent evolution of debris and dust. The crater scaling relations from laboratory experiments are employed to approximate the distributions of ejecta mass and launching speed. The size distribution of fragments is modeled with a power law fitted from observations of real asteroid surface. A full-scale demonstration is simulated using parameters specified by the mission. We report the results of the simulation, which include the computed spread of the ejecta cloud and the recorded history of ejecta accretion and escape. The violent period of the ejecta evolution is found to be short, and is followed by a stage where the remaining ejecta is gradually cleared. Solar radiation pressure proves to be efficient in cleaning dust-size ejecta, and the simulation results after two weeks shows that large debris on polar orbits (perpendicular to the binary orbital plane) has a survival advantage over smaller ejecta and ejecta that keeps to low latitudes.

Mapping Ejecta Thickness Around Small Lunar Craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunner, A.; Robinson, M. S.

2016-12-01

Detailed knowledge of the distribution of ejecta around small ( 1 km) craters is still a key missing piece in our understanding of crater formation. McGetchin et al. [1] compiled data from lunar, terrestrial, and synthetic craters to generate a semi-empirical model of radial ejecta distribution. Despite the abundance of models, experiments, and previous field and remote sensing studies of this problem, images from the 0.5 m/pixel Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) [2] provides the first chance to quantify the extent and thickness of ejecta around kilometer scale lunar craters. Impacts excavate fresh (brighter) material from below the more weathered (darker) surface, forming a relatively bright ejecta blanket. Over time space weathering tends to lower the reflectance of the ejected fresh material [3] resulting in the fading of albedo signatures around craters. Relatively small impacts that excavate through the high reflectance immature ejecta of larger fresh craters provide the means of estimating ejecta thickness. These subsequent impacts may excavate material from within the high reflectance ejecta layer or from beneath that layer to the lower-reflectance mature pre-impact surface. The reflectance of the ejecta around a subsequent impact allows us to categorize it as either an upper or lower limit on the ejecta thickness at that location. The excavation depth of each crater found in the ejecta blanket is approximated by assuming a depth-to-diameter relationship relevant for lunar simple craters [4, e.g.]. Preliminary results [Figure] show that this technique is valuable for finding the radially averaged profile of the ejecta thickness and that the data are roughly consistent with the McGetchin equation. However, data from craters with asymmetric ejecta blankets are harder to interpret. [1] McGetchin et al. (1973) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 20, 226-236. [2] Robinson et al. (2010) Space Sci. Rev., 150, 1-4, 81-124. [3] Denevi et al. (2014) J. Geophys. Res. Planets, 119, 5, 976-997. [4] Wood and Anderson (1978), LPSC IX, 3669-3689.

Ejecta velocity distribution for impact cratering experiments on porous and low strength targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michikami, Tatsuhiro; Moriguchi, Kouichi; Hasegawa, Sunao; Fujiwara, Akira

2007-01-01

Impact cratering experiments on porous targets with various compressive strength ranging from ˜0.5 to ˜250 MPa were carried out in order to investigate the relationship between the ejecta velocity, and material strength or porosity of the target. A spherical alumina projectile (diameter ˜1 mm) was shot perpendicularly into the target surface with velocity ranging from 1.2 to 4.5 km/s (nominal 4 km/s), using a two-stage light-gas gun. The ejecta velocity was estimated from the fall point distance of ejecta. The results show that there are in fact a large fraction of ejecta with very low velocities when the material strength of the target is small and the porosity is high. As an example, in the case of one specific target (compressive strength ˜0.5 MPa and porosity 43%), the amount of ejecta with velocities lower than 1 m/s is about 40% of the total mass. The average velocity of the ejecta decreases with decreasing material strength or increasing the porosity of the target. Moreover, in our experiments, the ejecta velocity distributions normalized to total ejecta mass seem to be mainly dependent on the material strength of the target, and not so greatly on the porosity. We also compare our experimental results with those of Gault et al. [1963. Spray ejected from the lunar surface by meteoroid impact. NASA Technical Note D-1767] and Housen [1992. Crater ejecta velocities for impacts on rocky bodies. LPSC XXIII, 555-556] for the ejecta velocity distribution using Housen's nondimensional scaling parameter. The ejecta velocity distributions of our experiments are lower than those of Gault et al. [1963. Spray ejected from the lunar surface by meteoroid impact. NASA Technical Note D-1767] and Housen [1992. Crater ejecta velocities for impacts on rocky bodies. LPSC XIII, 555-556].

Erosion of ejecta at Meteor Crater, Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, John A.; Schultz, Peter H.

1993-01-01

New methods for estimating erosion at Meteor Crater, Arizona, indicate that continuous ejecta deposits beyond 1/4-1/2 crater radii from the rim have been lowered less than 1 m on the average. This conclusion is based on the results of two approaches: coarsening of unweathered ejecta into surface lag deposits and calculation of the sediment budget within a drainage basin on the ejecta. Preserved ejecta morphologies beneath thin alluvium revealed by ground-penetrating radar provide qualitative support for the derived estimates. Although slightly greater erosion of less resistant ejecta locally has occurred, such deposits were limited in extent, particularly beyond 0.25R-0.5R from the present rim. Subtle but preserved primary ejecta features further support our estimate of minimal erosion of ejecta since the crater formed about 50,000 years ago. Unconsolidated deposits formed during other sudden extreme events exhibit similarly low erosion over the same time frame; the common factor is the presence of large fragments or large fragments in a matrix of finer debris. At Meteor Crater, fluvial and eolian processes remove surrounding fines leaving behind a surface lag of coarse-grained ejecta fragments that armor surfaces and slow vertical lowering.

The Acraman impact and its widespread ejecta, South Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gostin, V. A.; Keays, R. R.; Wallace, M. W.

1992-01-01

Discovery of a widespread horizon of shock-deformed volcaniclastic ejecta preserved in Late Proterozoic (approx. 600 Ma) shales in South Australia and its probable link to the Acraman impact structure in the Middle Proterozoic Gawler Range. Volcanics provide a rare opportunity to study the effects of a major terrestrial impact, including the sedimentology and distribution of an ejecta blanket and its precious-metal signature. The ejecta horizon occurs in the Bunyeroo Formation at many localities within the Adelaide Geosyncline, including the Wearing Hills, which are approx. 350 km northeast of the Acraman impact site. Following a search at the same stratigraphic level in other basins in South Australia, the ejecta has been located within the Lower Rodda beds of the Officer Basin, extending the limits of the ejecta to approx. 470 km northwest of the Acraman impact structure. The ejecta is therefore widely dispersed, and provides an important chronostratigraphic marker enabling precise correlation of Late Proterozoic sequences in southern Australia. In summary, the Bunyeroo ejecta is unique as the only known example of a widely dispersed, coarse-grained ejecta blanket that is, moreover, strongly linked to a known major impact structure. The marked Ir-PGE anomalies in the ejecta horizon provide support for the hypothesis that meteorite impact events can produce Ir anomalies interrestrial sediments. The findings also indicate that Ir can be mobilized and concentrated in sediments by low-temperature diagenetic processes. The identification of ejecta horizons in sedimentary rocks therefore should be based on the coincidence of shock-metamorphic features in the detritus and clear Ir anomalies.

A Recent Cluster of Impacts

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-07

The dark spots in this enhanced-color infrared image are the recent impact craters that occurred in the Tharsis region between 2008 and 2014. These impact craters were first discovered by the Mars Context Camera (or CTX, also onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) as a cluster of dark spots. The meteoroid that formed these craters must have broken up upon atmospheric entry and fragmented into two larger masses along with several smaller fragments, spawning at least twenty or so smaller impact craters. The dark halos around the resulting impact craters are a combination of the light-toned dust being cleared from the impact event and the deposition of the underlying dark toned materials as crater ejecta. The distribution and the pattern of the rayed ejecta suggests that the meteoroid most-likely struck from the south. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11176

Kinematical analysis of the ejecta created after a catastrophic collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dell'Oro, A.; Cellino, A.; Paolicchi, P.; Tanga, P.

2014-07-01

The creation of an asteroid dynamical family as the outcome of a high-energy collision is essentially a two-step process: (1) the hydrodynamical phase, when the colliding system (projectile+target) is partially or completely shattered and the fragments are ejected (with several side effects, such as the creation of a plasma cloud, usually not relevant for the final observable properties); (2) the ballistic phase, when the ejecta collide or are reaccumulated due to the mutual gravity. At the end of this phase, the asteroid family is established, and its observable properties, also after a long time interval of dynamical evolution (including Yarkovsky-driven acceleration of the small members), have significant footprints of this original structure. In turn, this structure depends on the overall properties (mass and velocity distributions) in the beginning of the ballistic phase (D'Abramo et al. 1999, Michel et al. 2004). According to the results of hydrodynamical simulations, most of the ejecta entering the ballistic phase are small (their size is essentially limited by the resolution of the code). A kinematical analysis of their properties may be helpful to clarify several points: 1) How can these small fragments reaccumulate into larger bodies, to create an observable family? If one starts from an expanding field and a set of small fragments, it is not easy to obtain a significant reaccumulation into many bodies; simple kinematical models, such as spherical expansion, but also the less symmetrical geometries defined from the semiempirical models of the 90's, allow essentially a more or less massive reaccumulation into very few bodies (sometimes only the largest remnant). What are the general properties of an ejection field causing a process of reaccumulation able to produce the observational evidence? 2) May some significant results be resolution-dependent? 3) Is it possible to define a general qualitative pattern of the ejecta field, allowing, in principle, to avoid huge computations, whenever one is interested in the general properties of the process, and not in the details? In this preliminary analysis, we have studied a pair of ejecta fields produced by old SPH computations (Michel et al., 2001). The most surprising and significant indication is that, at least in these cases, about 20 % of the original ejecta appear to have initially crossing trajectories forcing them to have necessarily mutual impacts, without any role played by the mutual gravity. This property marks a significant difference with respect to the ''simple'' models, usually allowing collisions only as a consequence of the gravity, and might be important to shape the reaccumulation properties. It has to be noted that this property is not resolution-independent (in principle, for a given total volume of the ejecta, a larger number of smaller ejecta with similar kinematical properties should entail a larger collision probability). We also discuss the possibility of identifying in these ejection fields an analogue of the ''irradiation point'' usually defined in the semiempirical models.

Chappy Oblique

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-30

Looking east to west across the rim and down into Chaplygin crater reveals this beautiful example of a fresh young crater and its perfectly preserved ejecta blanket. The delicate patterns of flow across, over, and down local topography clearly show that ejecta traveled as a ground hugging flow for great distances, rather than simply being tossed out on a ballistic trajectory. Very near the rim lies a dark, lacy, discontinuous crust of now frozen impact melt. Clearly this dark material is on top of the bright material so it was the very last material ejected from the crater. The melt was formed as the tremendous energy of impact was converted to heat and the lunar crust was melted at the impact point. As the crater rebounded and material sloughed down the walls of the deforming crater the melt was splashed out over the rim and froze. Its low reflectance is mostly due to a high percentage of glass because the melt cooled so quickly that minerals did not have time to crystallize. The fact that the delicate splash patterns are so well preserved testifies to the very young age of this crater. But how young? For comparison "Chappy" (informal name) is 200 m larger than Meteor crater (1200 m diameter) in Arizona, which is about 50,000 years old. Craters of this size form every 100,000 years or so on the Moon and the Earth. Since there are very few superposed craters on Chappy, and its ejecta is so perfectly preserved it may be much younger than Meteor crater. However, we can't know the true true absolute age of "Chappy" until we can obtain a sample of its impact melt for radiometric age dating. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University/LRO/LROC

Lobate impact melt flows within the extended ejecta blanket of Pierazzo crater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, Veronica J.; Atwood-Stone, Corwin; Neish, Catherine D.; Artemieva, Natalia A.; McEwen, Alfred S.; McElwaine, Jim N.

2018-02-01

Impact melt flows are observed within the continuous and discontinuous ejecta blanket of the 9 km lunar crater Pierazzo, from the crater rim to more than 40 km away from the center of the crater. Our mapping, fractal analysis, and thermal modeling suggest that melt can be emplaced ballistically and, upon landing, can become separated from solid ejecta to form the observed flow features. Our analysis is based on the identification of established melt morphology for these in-ejecta flows and supported by fractal analysis and thermal modeling. We computed the fractal dimension for the flow boundaries and found values of D = 1.05-1.17. These are consistent with terrestrial basaltic lava flows (D = 1.06-1.2) and established lunar impact melt flows (D = 1.06-1.18), but inconsistent with lunar dry granular flows (D = 1.31-1.34). Melt flows within discontinuous ejecta deposits are noted within just 1.5% of the mapping area, suggesting that the surface expression of impact melt in the extended ejecta around craters of this size is rare, most likely due to the efficient mixing of melts with solid ejecta and local target rocks. However, if the ejected fragments (both, molten and solid) are large enough, segregation of melt and its consequent flow is possible. As most of the flows mapped in this work occur on crater-facing slopes, the development of defined melt flows within ejecta deposits might be facilitated by high crater-facing topography restricting the flow of ejecta soon after it makes ground contact, limiting the quenching of molten ejecta through turbulent mixing with solid debris. Our study confirms the idea that impact melt can travel far beyond the continuous ejecta blanket, adding to the lunar regolith over an extensive area.

Generation and emplacement of fine-grained ejecta in planetary impacts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ghent, R.R.; Gupta, V.; Campbell, B.A.; Ferguson, S.A.; Brown, J.C.W.; Fergason, R.L.; Carter, L.M.

2010-01-01

We report here on a survey of distal fine-grained ejecta deposits on the Moon, Mars, and Venus. On all three planets, fine-grained ejecta form circular haloes that extend beyond the continuous ejecta and other types of distal deposits such as run-out lobes or ramparts. Using Earth-based radar images, we find that lunar fine-grained ejecta haloes represent meters-thick deposits with abrupt margins, and are depleted in rocks 1cm in diameter. Martian haloes show low nighttime thermal IR temperatures and thermal inertia, indicating the presence of fine particles estimated to range from ???10??m to 10mm. Using the large sample sizes afforded by global datasets for Venus and Mars, and a complete nearside radar map for the Moon, we establish statistically robust scaling relationships between crater radius R and fine-grained ejecta run-out r for all three planets. On the Moon, ???R-0.18 for craters 5-640km in diameter. For Venus, radar-dark haloes are larger than those on the Moon, but scale as ???R-0.49, consistent with ejecta entrainment in Venus' dense atmosphere. On Mars, fine-ejecta haloes are larger than lunar haloes for a given crater size, indicating entrainment of ejecta by the atmosphere or vaporized subsurface volatiles, but scale as R-0.13, similar to the ballistic lunar scaling. Ejecta suspension in vortices generated by passage of the ejecta curtain is predicted to result in ejecta run-out that scales with crater size as R1/2, and the wind speeds so generated may be insufficient to transport particles at the larger end of the calculated range. The observed scaling and morphology of the low-temperature haloes leads us rather to favor winds generated by early-stage vapor plume expansion as the emplacement mechanism for low-temperature halo materials. ?? 2010 Elsevier Inc.

NEUTRINO-DRIVEN WINDS IN THE AFTERMATH OF A NEUTRON STAR MERGER: NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSIENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, D.; Perego, A.; Arcones, A.

2015-11-01

We present a comprehensive nucleosynthesis study of the neutrino-driven wind in the aftermath of a binary neutron star merger. Our focus is the initial remnant phase when a massive central neutron star is present. Using tracers from a recent hydrodynamical simulation, we determine total masses and integrated abundances to characterize the composition of unbound matter. We find that the nucleosynthetic yields depend sensitively on both the life time of the massive neutron star and the polar angle. Matter in excess of up to 9 × 10{sup −3} M{sub ⊙} becomes unbound until ∼200 ms. Due to electron fractions of Y{submore » e} ≈ 0.2–0.4, mainly nuclei with mass numbers A < 130 are synthesized, complementing the yields from the earlier dynamic ejecta. Mixing scenarios with these two types of ejecta can explain the abundance pattern in r-process enriched metal-poor stars. Additionally, we calculate heating rates for the decay of the freshly produced radioactive isotopes. The resulting light curve peaks in the blue band after about 4 hr. Furthermore, high opacities due to heavy r-process nuclei in the dynamic ejecta lead to a second peak in the infrared after 3–4 days.« less

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Estimated thickness of ejecta deposits compared to to crater rim heights. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leake, M. A.

1982-01-01

The area of the continuous ejecta deposits on mercury was calculated to vary from 2.24 to 0.64 times the crater's area for those of diameter 40 km to 300 km. Because crater boundaries on the geologic map include the detectable continuous ejecta blanket, plains exterior to these deposits must consist of farther-flung ejecta (of that or other craters), or volcanic deposits flooding the intervening areas. Ejecta models are explored.

Suzaku spectra of a Type-II supernova remnant, Kes 79

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Tamotsu; Koyama, Katsuji; Lee, Shiu-Hang; Takahashi, Tadayuki

2016-06-01

This paper reports on results of a Suzaku observation of the supernova remnant (SNR) Kes 79 (G33.6+0.1). The X-ray spectrum is best fitted by a two-temperature model: a non-equilibrium ionization (NEI) plasma and a collisional ionization equilibrium (CIE) plasma. The NEI plasma is spatially confined within the inner radio shell with kT ˜ 0.8 keV, while the CIE plasma is found in more spatially extended regions associated with the outer radio shell with kT ˜0.2 keV and solar abundance. Therefore, the NEI plasma is attributable to the SN ejecta, and the CIE plasma is the forward shocked interstellar medium. In the NEI plasma, we discovered K-shell lines of Al, Ar, and Ca for the first time. The abundance pattern and estimated mass of the ejecta are consistent with a core-collapse supernova explosion of a ˜30-40M⊙ progenitor star. An Fe line with a center energy of ˜6.4 keV is also found in the southeast (SE) portion of the SNR, a close peripheral region around dense molecular clouds. One possibility is that the line is associated with the ejecta. However, the centroid energy of ˜6.4 keV and the spatial distribution of enhancement near the SE peripheral do not favor this scenario. Since the ˜6.4 keV emitting region coincides with the molecular clouds, we propose another possibility, that the Fe line is due to K-shell ionization of neutral Fe by the interaction of locally accelerated protons (LECRp) with the surrounding molecular cloud. Both of these possibilities, heated ejecta or LECRp origin, are discussed based on the observational facts.

Signatures of hypermassive neutron star lifetimes on r-process nucleosynthesis in the disc ejecta from neutron star mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lippuner, Jonas; Fernández, Rodrigo; Roberts, Luke F.; Foucart, Francois; Kasen, Daniel; Metzger, Brian D.; Ott, Christian D.

2017-11-01

We investigate the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in the winds ejected by accretion discs formed in neutron star mergers. We compute the element formation in disc outflows from hypermassive neutron star (HMNS) remnants of variable lifetime, including the effect of angular momentum transport in the disc evolution. We employ long-term axisymmetric hydrodynamic disc simulations to model the ejecta, and compute r-process nucleosynthesis with tracer particles using a nuclear reaction network containing ∼8000 species. We find that the previously known strong correlation between HMNS lifetime, ejected mass and average electron fraction in the outflow is directly related to the amount of neutrino irradiation on the disc, which dominates mass ejection at early times in the form of a neutrino-driven wind. Production of lanthanides and actinides saturates at short HMNS lifetimes (≲10 ms), with additional ejecta contributing to a blue optical kilonova component for longer-lived HMNSs. We find good agreement between the abundances from the disc outflow alone and the solar r-process distribution only for short HMNS lifetimes (≲10 ms). For longer lifetimes, the rare-earth and third r-process peaks are significantly underproduced compared to the solar pattern, requiring additional contributions from the dynamical ejecta. The nucleosynthesis signature from a spinning black hole (BH) can only overlap with that from an HMNS of moderate lifetime (≲60 ms). Finally, we show that angular momentum transport not only contributes with a late-time outflow component, but that it also enhances the neutrino-driven component by moving material to shallower regions of the gravitational potential, in addition to providing additional heating.

New Location of Chicxulub's Impact Ejecta in Central Belize.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocampo, A.; Ames, D.; Pope, K.; Smit, J.

2003-04-01

Chicxulub ejecta composed of altered glass, accretionary lapilli, and pebble to cobble sized carbonate clasts are found in the Cayo District of central Belize, about 500 km southeast of the Chicxulub impact crater centre. The ejecta layer, found near the town of Armenia, in central Belize, is about 4 m thick, and rests unconformably on a deeply weathered Cretaceous land surface, of the Barton Creek Formation dolomite. There are similarities between these ejecta and the basal bed (spheroid bed) of the continuous ejecta blanket deposits (Albion Formation) found in northern Belize and southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, 340-360 km from Chicxulub. Although, the spheroid bed in the Armenia location exhibits an exceptional state of impact glass preservation, than that found in Northern Belize. Overlying the bed with glass and lapilli is a 5-m-thick layer of limestone pebbles and cobbles, which contain altered glass and shocked quartz in the matrix. The well-rounded limestone pebbles and cobbles show striated and amygdaloidal textures. We interpret the central Belize spheroid bed deposit with accretionary lapilli as ejecta deposited by the rapidly expanding vapour plume, and may contain carbonate condensates. The altered glass component consists of an inter-stratified illite-smectite mixed layer clay dominated by illite. The overlying pebble and cobble bed may be a later deposit containing re-worked ejecta, or a lateral extension of the coarse ejecta beds found in northern Belize. This new impact ejecta deposit, found in central Belize ~500 km from Chicxulub, emphasizes the importance of volatile-rich target rock and the dispersal of ejecta by the expanding vapour plume.

Investigation of Charon's Craters With Abrupt Terminus Ejecta, Comparisons With Other Icy Bodies, and Formation Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robbins, Stuart J.; Runyon, Kirby; Singer, Kelsi N.; Bray, Veronica J.; Beyer, Ross A.; Schenk, Paul; McKinnon, William B.; Grundy, William M.; Nimmo, Francis; Moore, Jeffrey M.; Spencer, John R.; White, Oliver L.; Binzel, Richard P.; Buie, Marc W.; Buratti, Bonnie J.; Cheng, Andrew F.; Linscott, Ivan R.; Reitsema, Harold J.; Reuter, Dennis C.; Showalter, Mark R.; Tyler, G. Len; Young, Leslie A.; Olkin, Catherine B.; Ennico, Kimberly S.; Weaver, Harold A.; Stern, S. Alan

2018-01-01

On the moon and other airless bodies, ballistically emplaced ejecta transitions from a thinning, continuous inner deposit to become discontinuous beyond approximately one crater radius from the crater rim and can further break into discrete rays and secondary craters. In contrast, on Mars, ejecta often form continuous, distinct, and sometimes thick deposits that transition to a low ridge or escarpment that may be circular or lobate. The Martian ejecta type has been variously termed pancake, rampart, lobate, or layered, and in this work we refer to it as "abrupt termini" ejecta (ATE). Two main formation mechanisms have been proposed, one requiring interaction of the ejecta with the atmosphere and the other mobilization of near-surface volatiles. ATE morphologies are also unambiguously seen on Ganymede, Europa, Dione, and Tethys, but they are not as common as on Mars. We have identified up to 38 craters on Charon that show signs of ATE, including possible distal ramparts and lobate margins. These ejecta show morphologic and morphometric similarities with other moons in the solar system, which are a subset of the properties observed on Mars. From comparison of these ejecta on Charon and other solar system bodies, we find the strongest support for subsurface volatile mobilization and ejecta fluidization as the main formation mechanism for the ATE, at least on airless, icy worlds. This conclusion comes from the bodies on which they are found, an apparent preference for certain terrains, and the observation that craters with ATE can be near to similarly sized craters that only have gradational ejecta.

Analysis of Regolith Simulant Ejecta Distributions from Normal Incident Hypervelocity Impact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, David L.; Cooke, William; Suggs, Rob; Moser, Danielle E.

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has established the Constellation Program. The Constellation Program has defined one of its many goals as long-term lunar habitation. Critical to the design of a lunar habitat is an understanding of the lunar surface environment; of specific importance is the primary meteoroid and subsequent ejecta environment. The document, NASA SP-8013 'Meteoroid Environment Model Near Earth to Lunar Surface', was developed for the Apollo program in 1969 and contains the latest definition of the lunar ejecta environment. There is concern that NASA SP-8013 may over-estimate the lunar ejecta environment. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) has initiated several tasks to improve the accuracy of our understanding of the lunar surface ejecta environment. This paper reports the results of experiments on projectile impact into powdered pumice and unconsolidated JSC-1A Lunar Mare Regolith simulant targets. Projectiles were accelerated to velocities between 2.45 and 5.18 km/s at normal incidence using the Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). The ejected particles were detected by thin aluminum foil targets strategically placed around the impact site and angular ejecta distributions were determined. Assumptions were made to support the analysis which include; assuming ejecta spherical symmetry resulting from normal impact and all ejecta particles were of mean target particle size. This analysis produces a hemispherical flux density distribution of ejecta with sufficient velocity to penetrate the aluminum foil detectors.

Sinuosity of Martian rampart ejecta deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, Nadine G.

1994-01-01

The sinuosities of 2213 Martian rampart ejecta craters are quantified through measurement of the ejecta flow front perimeter and ejecta area. This quantity, called lobateness, was computed for each complete lobe of the 1582 single lobe (SL), 251 double lobe (DL), and 380 multiple lobe (ML) craters included in this study. A lobateness value of 1 indicates a circular ejecta blanket, whereas more sinuous ejecta perimeters have lobateness values greater than 1. Although resolution does have an effect on the absolute values of lobateness, the general relationships between lobateness and morphology exist regardless of resolution. Evaluation of the lobateness values reveals that the outer lobes of DL and ML craters have higher median lobateness values (i.e., are more sinuous) than the inner lobes. The outermost lobe of ML craters displays higher lobateness values than the outer lobe of DL craters or the single lobe of SL craters. Previous reports of lobateness-diameter, lobateness-latitude, and lobateness-terrain relationships for rampart craters are not supported by this study. Many of the differences between the results of this study and the previous lobateness analyses can be attributed to the inclusion of resolution effects and the distinction between different ejecta morphologies in this study. The results of this study taken together with a previous analysis of the distribution and diameter dependence of different ejecta morphologies are most consistent with the theory that Martian lobate ejecta morphologies form from impact into subsurface volatiles.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Sangwook; Bhalerao, Jayant, E-mail: s.park@uta.edu

The supernova remnant (SNR) N49B in the Large Magellanic Cloud is a peculiar example of a core-collapse SNR that shows the shocked metal-rich ejecta enriched only in Mg without evidence for a similar overabundance in O and Ne. Based on archival Chandra data, we present results from our extensive spatially resolved spectral analysis of N49B. We find that the Mg-rich ejecta gas extends from the central regions of the SNR out to the southeastern outermost boundary of the SNR. This elongated feature shows an overabundance for Mg similar to that of the main ejecta region at the SNR center, andmore » its electron temperature appears to be higher than the central main ejecta gas. We estimate that the Mg mass in this southeastern elongated ejecta feature is ∼10% of the total Mg ejecta mass. Our estimated lower limit of >0.1 M {sub ⊙} on the total mass of the Mg-rich ejecta confirms the previously suggested large mass for the progenitor star ( M  ≳ 25 M {sub ⊙}). We entertain scenarios of an SNR expanding into a nonuniform medium and an energetic jet-driven supernova in an attempt to interpret these results. However, with the current results, the origins of the extended Mg-rich ejecta and the Mg-only-rich nature of the overall metal-rich ejecta in this SNR remain elusive.« less

Complexities of plinian fall deposition at vent: An example from the 1912 Novarupta eruption (Alaska)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fierstein, J.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Wilson, C.J.N.; Hildreth, W.

1997-01-01

An extremely proximal ejecta ring, with exposures to within 100 m of vent, was deposited during later-stage plinian fall activity during the 1912 Novarupta eruption in Alaska. One bed in the ejecta ring (bed S) contains predominantly andesitic clasts which serve to delineate the striking contrast in thinning rates along dispersal axis of the ejecta ring [Pyle bt values of 70 m (bed S alone) or 190 m (whole ejecta ring)] and the coeval dacitic plinian fall deposits [Pyle bt, values of 4 km (proximal) and 37 km (medial-distal)]. The locally deposited andesitic and dacitic clasts of the ejecta ring are interpreted as products of an irregular 'collar' of low-fountaining ejecta partially sheathing the core of higher-velocity dacitic ejecta that fed the stable, convecting 23-km-high column. The presence of such an extremely proximal accumulation of ejecta appears to be a feature common to several other historic eruptions that generated widespread fall deposits. This feature in part accounts for conflicts between measured and calculated values for thickness maxima in plinian fall deposits and suggests that modifications may be required of existing models for plinian eruption columns.

Comparison of hydrodynamic simulations with two-shockwave drive target experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karkhanis, Varad; Ramaprabhu, Praveen; Buttler, William

2015-11-01

We consider hydrodynamic continuum simulations to mimic ejecta generation in two-shockwave target experiments, where metallic surface is loaded by two successive shock waves. Time of second shock in simulations is determined to match experimental amplitudes at the arrival of the second shock. The negative Atwood number (A --> - 1) of ejecta simulations leads to two successive phase inversions of the interface corresponding to the passage of the shocks from heavy to light media in each instance. Metallic phase of ejecta (solid/liquid) depends on shock loading pressure in the experiment, and we find that hydrodynamic simulations quantify the liquid phase ejecta physics with a fair degree of accuracy, where RM instability is not suppressed by the strength effect. In particular, we find that our results of free surface velocity, maximum ejecta velocity, and maximum ejecta areal density are in excellent agreement with their experimental counterparts, as well as ejecta models. We also comment on the parametric space for hydrodynamic simulations in which they can be used to compare with the target experiments.

Multiple light scattering in metallic ejecta produced under intense shockwave compression.

PubMed

Franzkowiak, J-E; Mercier, P; Prudhomme, G; Berthe, L

2018-04-10

A roughened metallic plate, subjected to intense shock wave compression, gives rise to an expanding ejecta particle cloud. Photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV), a fiber-based heterodyne velocimeter, is often used to track ejecta velocities in dynamic compression experiments and on nanosecond time scales. Shortly after shock breakout at the metal-vacuum interface, a particular feature observed in many experiments in the velocity spectrograms is what appear to be slow-moving ejecta, below the free-surface velocity. Using Doppler Monte Carlo simulations incorporating the transport of polarization in the ejecta, we show that this feature is likely to be explained by the multiple scattering of light, rather than by possible collisions among particles, slowing down the ejecta. As the cloud expands in a vacuum, the contribution of multiple scattering decreases due to the limited field of view of the pigtailed collimator used to probe the ejecta, showing that the whole geometry of the system must be taken into account in the calculations to interpret and predict PDV measurements.

Simulation of Ejecta Production and Mixing Process of Sn Sample under shock loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pei; Chen, Dawei; Sun, Haiquan; Ma, Dongjun

2017-06-01

Ejection may occur when a strong shock wave release at the free surface of metal material and the ejecta of high-speed particulate matter will be formed and further mixed with the surrounding gas. Ejecta production and its mixing process has been one of the most difficult problems in shock physics remain unresolved, and have many important engineering applications in the imploding compression science. The present paper will introduce a methodology for the theoretical modeling and numerical simulation of the complex ejection and mixing process. The ejecta production is decoupled with the particle mixing process, and the ejecta state can be achieved by the direct numerical simulation for the evolution of initial defect on the metal surface. Then the particle mixing process can be simulated and resolved by a two phase gas-particle model which uses the aforementioned ejecta state as the initial condition. A preliminary ejecta experiment of planar Sn metal Sample has validated the feasibility of the proposed methodology.

A Young, Fresh Crater in Hellespontus

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-01-14

This image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft is of a morphologically fresh and simple impact crater in the Hellespontus region. At 1.3 kilometers in diameter, this unnamed crater is only slightly larger than Arizona's Barringer (aka Meteor) Crater, by about 200 meters. Note the simple bowl shape and the raised crater rim. Rock and soil excavated out of the crater by the impacting meteor -- called ejecta -- forms the ejecta deposit. It is continuous for about one crater radius away from the rim and is likely composed of about 90 percent ejecta and 10 percent in-place material that was re-worked by both the impact and the subsequently sliding ejecta. The discontinuous ejecta deposit extends from about one crater radius outward. Here, high velocity ejecta that was launched from close to the impact point -- and got the biggest kick -- flew a long way, landed, rolled, slid, and scoured the ground, forming long tendrils of ejecta and v-shaped ridges. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20340

Preflow stresses in Martian rampart ejecta blankets - A means of estimating the water content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woronow, A.

1981-02-01

Measurements of extents of rampart ejecta deposits as a function of the size of the parent craters support models which, for craters larger than about 6 km diameter, constrain ejecta blankets to all have a similar maximum thickness regardless of the crater size. These volatile-rich ejecta blankets may have failed under their own weights, then flowed radially outward. Assuming this to be so, some of the physicomechanical properties of the ejecta deposits at the time of their emplacement can then be determined. Finite-element studies of the stress magnitudes, distributions, and directions in hypothetical Martian rampart ejecta blankets reveal that the material most likely failed when the shear stresses were less than 500 kPa and the angle of internal friction was between 26 and 36 deg. These figures imply that the ejecta has a water content between 16 and 72%. Whether the upper limit or the lower limit is more appropriate depends on the mode of failure which one presumes: namely, viscous flow of plastic deformation.

Foreword to the Special Issue on Ejecta

DOE PAGES

Buttler, William Tillman; Williams, Robin J. R.; Najjar, Fady M.

2017-05-22

We report that ejecta physics is a young field, having developed over the last 60 years or so. Essentially, ejecta forms as a spray of dense particles generated from the free surface of metals subjected to strong shocks, but the detailed mechanisms controlling the properties of this particulate ejecta are only now being fully elucidated. The field is dynamic and rapidly growing, with military and industrial applications, and applications to areas such as fusion research. This Special Issue on Ejecta reports the current state of the art in ejecta physics, describing experimental, theoretical and computational work by research groups aroundmore » the world. While much remains to be done, the dramatic recent progress in the field, some of it first reported here, means that this volume provides a particularly timely review. In this foreword, we provide a brief historical overview of the development of ejecta physics, to define the context for the work in the rest of this Special Issue.« less

Preflow stresses in Martian rampart ejecta blankets - A means of estimating the water content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woronow, A.

1981-01-01

Measurements of extents of rampart ejecta deposits as a function of the size of the parent craters support models which, for craters larger than about 6 km diameter, constrain ejecta blankets to all have a similar maximum thickness regardless of the crater size. These volatile-rich ejecta blankets may have failed under their own weights, then flowed radially outward. Assuming this to be so, some of the physicomechanical properties of the ejecta deposits at the time of their emplacement can then be determined. Finite-element studies of the stress magnitudes, distributions, and directions in hypothetical Martian rampart ejecta blankets reveal that the material most likely failed when the shear stresses were less than 500 kPa and the angle of internal friction was between 26 and 36 deg. These figures imply that the ejecta has a water content between 16 and 72%. Whether the upper limit or the lower limit is more appropriate depends on the mode of failure which one presumes: namely, viscous flow of plastic deformation.

Preliminary results from the Viking orbiter imaging experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, M.H.; Masursky, H.; Baum, W.A.; Blasius, K.R.; Briggs, G.A.; Cutts, J.A.; Duxbury, T.; Greeley, R.; Guest, J.E.; Smith, B.A.; Soderblom, L.A.; Veverka, J.; Wellman, J.B.

1976-01-01

During its first 30 orbits around Mars, the Viking orbiter took approximately 1000 photographic frames of the surface of Mars with resolutions that ranged from 100 meters to a little more than 1 kilometer. Most were of potential landing sites in Chryse Planitia and Cydonia and near Capri Chasma. Contiguous high-resolution coverage in these areas has led to an increased understanding of surface processes, particularly cratering, fluvial, and mass-wasting phenomena. Most of the surfaces examined appear relatively old, channel features abound, and a variety of features suggestive of permafrost have been identified. The ejecta patterns around large craters imply that fluid flow of ejecta occurred after ballistic deposition. Variable features in the photographed area appear to have changed little since observed 5 years ago from Mariner 9. A variety of atmospheric phenomena were observed, including diffuse morning hazes, both stationary and moving discrete white clouds, and wave clouds covering extensive areas.

Experimental study of ejecta from shock melted lead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yongtao; Hu, Haibo; Tang, Tiegang; Ren, Guowu; Li, Qingzhong; Wang, Rongbo; Buttler, William T.

2012-03-01

This effort investigates the dynamic properties of ejecta from explosively shocked, melted Pb targets. The study shows that the ejecta cloud that expands beyond the shocked surface is characterized by a high density and low velocity fragment layer between the free-surface and the high velocity micro-jetting particle cloud. This slow, dense ejecta layer is liquid micro-spall. The properties of micro-spall layer, such as the mass, density and velocity, were diagnosed in a novel application of an Asay window, while micro-jetting particles by lithium niobate piezoelectric pins and high speed photography. The total mass-velocity distribution of ejecta, including micro-spall fragments and micro-jetting particles, is presented. Furthermore, the sensitivity of ejecta production to slight variations in the shockwave drive using the Asay foil is studied.

A model for wind-extension of the Copernicus ejecta blanket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rehfuss, D. E.; Michael, D.; Anselmo, J. C.; Kincheloe, N. K.

1977-01-01

The interaction between crater ejecta and the transient wind from impact-shock vaporization is discussed. Based partly on Shoemaker's (1962) ballistic model of the Copernicus ejecta and partly on Rehfuss' (1972) treatment of lunar winds, a simple model is developed which indicates that if Copernicus were formed by a basaltic meteorite impacting at 20 km/s, then 3% of the ejecta mass would be sent beyond the maximum range expected from purely ballistic trajectories. That 3% mass would, however, shift the position of the outer edge of the ejecta blanket more than 400% beyond the edge of the ballistic blanket. For planetary bodies lacking an intrinsic atmosphere, the present model indicates that this form of hyperballistic transport can be very significant for small (no more than about 1 kg) ejecta fragments.

Probing the underlying physics of ejecta production from shocked Sn samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, M. B.; McNeil, W. Vogan; Hammerberg, J. E.; Hixson, R. S.; Obst, A. W.; Olson, R. T.; Payton, J. R.; Rigg, P. A.; Routley, N.; Stevens, G. D.; Turley, W. D.; Veeser, L.; Buttler, W. T.

2008-06-01

This effort investigates the underlying physics of ejecta production for high explosive (HE) shocked Sn surfaces prepared with finishes typical to those roughened by tool marks left from machining processes. To investigate the physical mechanisms of ejecta production, we compiled and re-examined ejecta data from two experimental campaigns [W. S. Vogan et al., J. Appl. Phys. 98, 113508 (1998); M. B. Zellner et al., ibid. 102, 013522 (2007)] to form a self-consistent data set spanning a large parameter space. In the first campaign, ejecta created upon shock release at the back side of HE shocked Sn samples were characterized for samples with varying surface finishes but at similar shock-breakout pressures PSB. In the second campaign, ejecta were characterized for HE shocked Sn samples with a constant surface finish but at varying PSB.

Effects of Shock-Breakout Pressure on Ejection of Micron-Scale Material from Shocked Tin Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, Michael; Hammerberg, James; Hixson, Robert; Morley, Kevin; Obst, Andrew; Olson, Russell; Payton, Jeremy; Rigg, Paulo; Buttler, William; Grover, Michael; Iverson, Adam; Macrum, Gregory; Stevens, Gerald; Turley, William; Veeser, Lynn; Routley, Nathan

2007-06-01

Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) is actively engaged in the development of a model to predict the formation of micron-scale fragments ejected (ejecta) from shocked metal surfaces. The LANL ejecta model considers that the amount of ejecta is mainly related to the material's phase on shock release at the free-surface. This effort investigates the relation between ejecta production and shock-breakout pressure for Sn shocked with high explosives to pressures near the solid-on-release/partial-liquid-on-release phase transition region. We found that the amount of ejecta produced for shock-breakout pressures that resulted in partial-liquid-on-release increased significantly compared to that which resulted in solid-on-release. Additionally, we found that the amount of ejecta remained relatively constant within the partial-liquid-on-release, regardless of shock-breakout pressure.

Pressure Effects on the Ejection of Material from Shocked Tin Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, M. B.; Grover, M.; Hammerberg, J. E.; Hixson, R. S.; Iverson, A. J.; Macrum, G. S.; Morley, K. B.; Obst, A. W.; Olson, R. T.; Payton, J. R.; Rigg, P. A.; Routley, N.; Stevens, G. D.; Turley, W. D.; Veeser, L.; Buttler, W. T.

2007-12-01

Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) is actively engaged in the development of a model to predict the formation of micron-scale fragments ejected (ejecta) from shocked metals that have surface defects. The LANL ejecta model considers that the amount of ejecta is mainly related to the material's phase on shock release at the free-surface. This effort investigates the relation between ejecta production and shock-breakout pressure for Sn shocked with high explosives to pressures near the solid-on-release/partial-liquid-on-release phase transition region. We found that the amount of ejecta produced for shock-breakout pressures that resulted in partial-liquid-on-release increased significantly compared to that which resulted in solid-on-release. Additionally, we found that the amount of ejecta remained relatively constant within the partial-liquid-on-release, regardless of shock-breakout pressure.

Rock magnetic properties of iron-rich Chicxulub impact ejecta from La Sierrita, northeastern Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontny, A.; Schulte, P.; Stinnesbeck, W.

2002-12-01

Chicxulub ejecta deposits from La Sierrita, NE Mexico, are composed mainly of mm-cm sized vesicular spherules and (ejecta-) fragments that consist of Fe- and Mg-rich chlorite, opaque phases, and calcite infillings. Their Fe-rich and Si-poor composition may be indicative of contribution to the ejecta from mafic target rocks (Schulte et al., this meeting). This study addresses the magnetic mineralogy and properties of these ejecta deposits, since they could provide clues to target lithologies, physical conditions during the impact (quenching, crystallization, oxidation), and diagenetic processes. Optical microscopy, backscattered electron images, and electron microprobe (EMP) analyses show that opaque phases within spherules and fragments (even in calcite infillings) are hematite, goethite, rutile, and Ti-Fe oxides. Cubic and hexagonal hematite crystals are up to 20 μm in size and show a zonar composition with elevated Si (4-8 wt%) and Ni (up to 0.4 wt%) concentrations in the cores of crystals. Hematite formed either primary from melt or as replacement product of cubic minerals such as magnetite or pyrite during diagenesis. Garland-shaped, Ti- and Fe-rich lamellae are present with grain sizes of the opaque minerals below the resolution of the EMP; rutile and Ti-Fe oxide phases within these lamellae show crystal sizes growing towards the interior of grains. Some Ti-Fe oxides also show dendritic or skeletal crystals with spinifex textures that may be indicative of quenching. The volume magnetic susceptibility (MS) of ejecta deposits show relatively homogeneous paramagnetic values between 6 and 30 x 10-6 SI/g that correlate well with the bulk Fe-content and are enhanced as compared to the surrounding marls and sandstones. In the range from -192 to 700°C, temperature-dependent MS shows a dominant exponential decrease, thus confirming the paramagnetic behavior. However, a small peak at about -80°C is superimposed on the paramagnetic curve. This peak either indicates a Curie or Néel temperature or reflects a grain-size effect of a ferromagnetic phase. The heating leg of the MS(T) curve generally displays constant low MS values. However, heating and cooling runs are irreversible and the cooling leg displays two Curie temperatures (TC) at 570 and 480°C, thus indicating transformation during heating of iron-bearing minerals into magnetite or magnetite-near phases. No characteristic TC related either to hematite or to goethite has been detected; this absence could be related to impurities (Si, Ni) or cation deficiency. Intensity of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of the ejecta deposits is very small (0.3-0.7 mA/m). In fields below 10 mT, alternating field-demagnetization of NRM shows initial rapid decrease of about 50 % of the original intensity, whereas in fields of 160 mT no further demagnetization occurs. Induced remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition curves reveal that some studied samples are nearly saturated in fields of 1000 mT while others are not. Furthermore, the IRM data confirm the presence of a single dominant high coercive mineral such as hematite and goethite; these are the main iron-bearing magnetic phases, in addition to chlorite. The occurrence of hematite and goethite in the La Sierrita ejecta points to highly oxidizing conditions during or after ejecta formation. Such conditions may have prevented the origination of stronger (ferro-) magnetic phases (e.g. magnetite) or destroyed them.

Ejecta patterns of Meteor Crater, Arizona derived from the linear un-mixing of TIMS data and laboratory thermal emission spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, Michael S.; Christensen, Philip R.

1992-01-01

Accurate interpretation of thermal infrared data depends upon the understanding and removal of complicating effects. These effects may include physical mixing of various mineralogies and particle sizes, atmospheric absorption and emission, surficial coatings, geometry effects, and differential surface temperatures. The focus is the examination of the linear spectral mixing of individual mineral or endmember spectra. Linear addition of spectra, for particles larger than the wavelength, allows for a straight-forward method of deconvolving the observed spectra, predicting a volume percent of each endmember. The 'forward analysis' of linear mixing (comparing the spectra of physical mixtures to numerical mixtures) has received much attention. The reverse approach of un-mixing thermal emission spectra was examined with remotely sensed data, but no laboratory verification exists. Understanding of the effects of spectral mixing on high resolution laboratory spectra allows for the extrapolation to lower resolution, and often more complicated, remotely gathered data. Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data for Meteor Crater, Arizona were acquired in Sep. 1987. The spectral un-mixing of these data gives a unique test of the laboratory results. Meteor Crater (1.2 km in diameter and 180 m deep) is located in north-central Arizona, west of Canyon Diablo. The arid environment, paucity of vegetation, and low relief make the region ideal for remote data acquisition. Within the horizontal sedimentary sequence that forms the upper Colorado Plateau, the oldest unit sampled by the impact crater was the Permian Coconino Sandstone. A thin bed of the Toroweap Formation, also of Permian age, conformably overlays the Coconino. Above the Toroweap lies the Permian Kiabab Limestone which, in turn, is covered by a thin veneer of the Moenkopi Formation. The Moenkopi is Triassic in age and has two distinct sub-units in the vicinity of the crater. The lower Wupatki member is a fine-grained sandstone, while the upper Moqui member is a fissile siltstone. Ejecta from these units are preserved as inverted stratigraphy up to 2 crater radii from the rim. The mineralogical contrast between the units, relative lack of post-emplacement erosion and ejecta mixing provide a unique site to apply the un-mixing model. Selection of the aforementioned units as endmembers reveals distinct patterns in the ejecta of the crater.

X-Ray Ejecta Kinematics of the Galactic Core-Collapse Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhalerao, Jayant; Park, Sangwook; Dewey, Daniel; Hughes, John P.; Mori, Koji; Lee, Jae-Joon

2015-02-01

We report on the results from the analysis of our 114 ks Chandra High Energy Transmision Grating Spectrometer observation of the Galactic core-collapse supernova remnant G292.0+1.8. To probe the three-dimensional structure of the clumpy X-ray emitting ejecta material in this remnant, we measured Doppler shifts in emission lines from metal-rich ejecta knots projected at different radial distances from the expansion center. We estimate radial velocities of ejecta knots in the range of -2300 lsim vr lsim 1400 km s-1. The distribution of ejecta knots in velocity versus projected-radius space suggests an expanding ejecta shell with a projected angular thickness of ~90'' (corresponding to ~3 pc at d = 6 kpc). Based on this geometrical distribution of the ejecta knots, we estimate the location of the reverse shock approximately at the distance of ~4 pc from the center of the supernova remnant, putting it in close proximity to the outer boundary of the radio pulsar wind nebula. Based on our observed remnant dynamics and the standard explosion energy of 1051 erg, we estimate the total ejecta mass to be lsim8 M ⊙, and we propose an upper limit of lsim35 M ⊙ on the progenitor's mass.

The size distributions of fragments ejected at a given velocity from impact craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Keefe, John D.; Ahrens, Thomas J.

1987-01-01

The mass distribution of fragments that are ejected at a given velocity for impact craters is modeled to allow extrapolation of laboratory, field, and numerical results to large scale planetary events. The model is semi-empirical in nature and is derived from: (1) numerical calculations of cratering and the resultant mass versus ejection velocity, (2) observed ejecta blanket particle size distributions, (3) an empirical relationship between maximum ejecta fragment size and crater diameter, (4) measurements and theory of maximum ejecta size versus ejecta velocity, and (5) an assumption on the functional form for the distribution of fragments ejected at a given velocity. This model implies that for planetary impacts into competent rock, the distribution of fragments ejected at a given velocity is broad, e.g., 68 percent of the mass of the ejecta at a given velocity contains fragments having a mass less than 0.1 times a mass of the largest fragment moving at that velocity. The broad distribution suggests that in impact processes, additional comminution of ejecta occurs after the upward initial shock has passed in the process of the ejecta velocity vector rotating from an initially downward orientation. This additional comminution produces the broader size distribution in impact ejecta as compared to that obtained in simple brittle failure experiments.

A search for ejecta nebulae around Wolf-Rayet stars using the SHS Hα survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, D. J.; Barlow, M. J.

2010-12-01

Recent large-scale Galactic plane Hα surveys allow a re-examination of the environs of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars for the presence of a circumstellar nebula. Using the morphologies of WR nebulae known to be composed of stellar ejecta as a guide, we constructed ejecta nebula criteria similar to those of Chu and searched for likely WR ejecta nebulae in the Southern Hα Survey (SHS). A new WR ejecta nebula around WR 8 is found and its morphology is discussed. The fraction of WR stars with ejecta-type nebulae is roughly consistent between the Milky Way (MW) and Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) at around 5-6 per cent, with the MW sample dominated by nitrogen-rich WR central stars (WN type) and the LMC stars having a higher proportion of carbon-rich WR central stars (WC type). We compare our results with those of previous surveys, including those of Marston and Miller & Chu, and find broad consistency. We investigate several trends in the sample: most of the clear examples of ejecta nebulae have WNh central stars, and very few ejecta nebulae have binary central stars. Finally, the possibly unique evolutionary status of the nebula around the binary star WR 71 is explored.

Martian rampart crater ejecta - Experiments and analysis of melt-water interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wohletz, K. H.; Sheridan, M. F.

1983-10-01

Viking images of Martian craters with rampart-bordered ejecta deposits reveal distinct impact ejecta morphology when compared to that associated with similar-sized craters on the Moon and Mercury. It is suggested that target water explosively vaporized during impact alters initial ballistic trajectories of ejecta and produces surging flow emplacement. The dispersal of particulates during a series of controlled steam explosions generated by interaction of a thermite melt with water has been experimentally modeled. Study of terrestrial, lobate, volcanic ejecta produced by steam-blast explosions reveals that particle size and vapor to clast volume ratio are primary parameters characterizing the emplacement mechanism and deposit morphology.

Earth's Archean Impact Record In The ICDP Drilling "Barberton Mountain Land".

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Jörg; Schmitt, Ralf-Thomas; Reimold, Uwe; Koeberl, Christian; Mc Donald, Ian; Hofmann, Axel; Luais, Beatrice

2013-04-01

The marine meta-sedimentary successions in the "Barberton Mountain Land" are formed by Archean volcanic and sedimentary rocks including the oldest known impact ejecta layers on Earth. The chemical signature (high iridium concentrations, chromium isotopic ratios) of some of these up to tens of cm thick Archean spherule layers advocate that these ejecta deposits represent mainly extraterrestrial material [1]. These ejecta layers contain millimetre sized spherules that are larger and accumulated thicker layers compared to any impact ejecta layer known from Phanerozoic sediments, including the global ejecta layer of the Chicxulub impact catering event terminating the Mesozoic era of Earth's history [2]. The Archean spherule layers are interpreted as products of large impacts by 20 to >100 km diameter objects [3, 4]. Identifying traces of mega-impacts in Earth's ancient history could be of relevance for the evolution of atmosphere, biosphere, and parts of the Earth's crust during that time. In addition, recognizing global stratigraphic marker horizons is highly valuable for inter-correlating sedimentary successions between Archean cratons [5]. However estimates regarding size of the impact event and correlations between the different outcrops in the Barberton mountain land are complicated by post depositional alterations of the tectonically deformed sediments [6, 7]. The relatively fresh samples recovered from below the water table during the 2011-2012 ICDP drilling "Barberton Mountain Land" are promising samples to investigate and to discriminate primary and secondary features of these rare rocks. We plan to conduct 1) petrographic, micro-chemical and mineralogical characterization of the impact ejecta layers, 2) bulk chemical analyses of major and trace elements, and 3) LAICP- MS elemental mapping of platinum group element (PGE) distributions. and elemental analyses of moderately siderophile elements. This aims at 1) characterization of the ejecta layers, 2) identification of the phases hosting the extraterrestrial PGE signature, 3) discrimination of the primary geological evidence of the impact event from those characteristics that resulted from syn- and post-sedimentary alteration. Acknowledgement: Financial support by the DFG - RE 528/14-1. References: [1] Lowe D. R. et al. (2003) Astrobiology 3, 7-47. [2] Simonson B. M. and Harnik P. (2000) Geology 28, 975-978. [3] Lowe D. R. and Byerly G. R. (1986) Geology 14, 83-86. [4] Melosh H. J. and Vickery A. M. (1991) Nature 350, 494-497. [5] Byerly G. R. et al. (2002) Science 297, 1325-1327. [6] Reimold W. U. et al. (2000) Impacts and the Early Earth. Eds.: Gilmour I., Koeberl C. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences 91, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp.117-180. [7] Hofmann A. et al. (2006) GSA Special Paper 405, 33 - 56.

Thicknesses of and Primary Ejecta Fractions in Basin Ejecta Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.; McKinnon, William B.

2003-01-01

We have developed a model for production of ba-sin ejecta deposits to address provenances of materials collected at the Apollo and Luna landing sites and for consideration in interpreting remote sensing data.

Thicknesses of and Primary Ejecta Fractions in Basin Ejecta Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.; McKinnon, William B.

2003-01-01

We have developed a model for production of basin ejecta deposits to address provenances of materials collected at the Apollo and Luna landing sites and for consideration in interpreting remote sensing data.

Constraints on the formation of the Martian crustal dichotomy from remnant crustal magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Citron, Robert I.; Zhong, Shijie

2012-12-01

The Martian crustal dichotomy characterizing the topographic difference between the northern and southern hemispheres is one of the most important features on Mars. However, the formation mechanism for the dichotomy remains controversial with two competing proposals: exogenic (e.g., a giant impact) and endogenic (e.g., degree-1 mantle convection) mechanisms. Another important observation is the Martian crustal remnant magnetism, which shows a much stronger field in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere and also magnetic lineations. In this study, we examine how exogenic and endogenic mechanisms for the crustal dichotomy are constrained by the crustal remnant magnetism. Assuming that the dichotomy is caused by a giant impact in the northern hemisphere, we estimate that the average thickness of ejecta in the southern hemisphere is 20-25 km. While such a giant impact may cause crustal demagnetization in the northern hemisphere, we suggest that the impact could also demagnetize the southern hemisphere via ejecta thermal blanketing, impact demagnetization, and heat transfer from the hot layer of ejecta, thus posing a challenge for the giant impact model. We explore how the pattern of magnetic lineations relates to endogenic theories of dichotomy formation, specifically crustal production via degree-1 mantle convection. We observe that the pattern of lineations roughly corresponds to concentric circles about a single pole, and determine the pole for the concentric circles at 76.5° E and 84.5° S, which nearly overlaps with the centroid of the thickened crust in the southern hemisphere. We suggest that the crustal magnetization pattern, magnetic lineations, and crustal dichotomy (i.e., thickened crust in the highlands) can be explained by a simple endogenic process; one-plume convection causes melting and crustal production above the plume in the southern hemisphere, and strong crustal magnetization and magnetic lineations are formed in the southern hemisphere as crustal production fronts spread radially out from the plume center and as the newly created crust cools in the presence of a dynamo with polarity reversals.

The Study of High-Speed Surface Dynamics Using a Pulsed Proton Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, William; Stone, Benjamin; Oro, David; Dimonte, Guy; Preston, Dean; Cherne, Frank; Germann, Timothy; Terrones, Guillermo; Tupa, Dale

2011-06-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory is presently engaged in development and implementation of ejecta source term and transport models for integration into LANL hydrodynamic computer codes. Experimental support for the effort spans a broad array of activities, including ejecta source term measurements from machine roughened Sn surfaces shocked by HE or flyer plates. Because the underlying postulate for ejecta formation is that ejecta are characterized by Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) phenomena, a key element of the theory and modeling effort centers on validation and verification RMI experiments at the LANSCE Proton Radiography Facility (pRad) to compare with modeled ejecta measurements. Here we present experimental results used to define and validate a physics based ejecta model together with remarkable, unexpected results of Sn instability growth in vacuum and gasses, and Sn and Cu RM growth that reveals the sensitivity of the RM instability to the yield strength of the material, Cu. The motivation of this last subject, RM growth linked to material strength, is to probe the shock pressure regions over which ejecta begins to form. Presenter

Iridium Concentrations and Abundances of Meteoritic Ejecta from the Eltanin Impact in Sediment Cores from Polarstern Expedition ANT XII/4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyte, Frank T.

2002-01-01

The abundances of meteoritic ejecta from the Eltanin asteroid impact have been examined in several sediment cores recovered by the FS Polarstern during expedition ANT XII/4 using elemental concentrations of iridium and weights of coarse ejecta debris. Three cores with well-preserved impact deposits, PS204-1, PS2708-1, and PS2709-1, each contain Ir and ejecta fluences similar to those found in USNS Eltanin core E13-4. Small Ir anomalies and traces of ejecta were found in cores PS2706-1 and PS2710-1, but since these cores lack well-defined deposits, these are considered to be reworked and not representative of the fallout. No evidence of ejecta was found in cores PS2802-1 and PS2705-1. These results confirm earlier speculation that the Eltanin impact resulted in deposits of ejecta with up to 1 gram/sq centimeter of depris over a wide area of the ocean floor. However, there are sill large uncertainties over the actual regional or global extent of this unique sediment deposit.

Raining Rocks

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-01

Impact ejecta is material that is thrown up and out of the surface of a planet as a result of the impact of an meteorite, asteroid or comet. The material that was originally beneath the surface of the planet then rains down onto the environs of the newly formed impact crater. Some of this material is deposited close to the crater, folding over itself to form the crater rim, visible here as a yellowish ring. Other material is ejected faster and falls down further from the crater rim creating two types of ejecta: a "continuous ejecta blanket" and "discontinuous ejecta." Both are shown in this image. The blocky area at the center of the image close to the yellowish crater rim is the "continuous" ejecta. The discontinuous ejecta is further from the crater rim, streaking away from the crater like spokes on a bicycle. (Note: North is to the right.) http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11180

Reply to Gopalswamy et al.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cane, H. V.; Richardson, I. G.

2003-01-01

The comment of Gopalswamy et al. (thereafter GMY) relates to a letter discussing coronal mass ejections (CMEs), interplanetary ejecta and geomagnetic storms. GMY contend that Cane et al. incorrectly identified ejecta (interplanetary CMEs) and hypothesize that this is because Cane et al. fail to understand how to separate ejecta from "shock sheaths" when interpreting solar wind and energetic particle data sets. They (GMY) are wrong be cause the relevant section of the paper was concerned with the propagation time to 1 AU of any potentially geoeffective structures caused by CMEs, i.e. upstream compression regions with or without shocks, or ejecta. In other words, the travel times used by Cane et al. were purposefully and deliberately distinct from ejecta travel times (except for those slow ejecta, approx. 30% of their events, which generated no upstream features), and no error in identification was involved. The confusion of GMY stems from the description did not characterize the observations sufficiently clearly.

Early Observations of the Type Ia Supernova iPTF 16abc: A Case of Interaction with Nearby, Unbound Material and/or Strong Ejecta Mixing

DOE PAGES

Miller, A. A.; Cao, Y.; Piro, A. L.; ...

2018-01-11

Early observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide a unique probe of their progenitor systems and explosion physics. Here we report the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) discovery of an extraordinarily young SN Ia, iPTF 16abc. By fitting a power law to our early light curve, we infer that first light for the SN, that is when the SN could have first been detected by our survey, occurred onlymore » $$0.15\\pm_{0.07}^{0.15}$$ days before our first detection. In the $$\\sim$$24 hr after discovery, iPTF 16abc rose by $$\\sim$$2 mag, featuring a near-linear rise in flux for $$\\gtrsim$$3 days. Early spectra show strong C II absorption, which disappears after $$\\sim$$7 days. Unlike the extensivelyobserved SN Ia SN 2011fe, the $$(B-V)_0$$ colors of iPTF 16abc are blue and nearly constant in the days after explosion. We show that our early observations of iPTF 16abc cannot be explained by either SN shock breakout and the associated, subsequent cooling or the SN ejecta colliding with a stellar companion. Instead, we argue that the early characteristics of iPTF 16abc, including (i) the rapid, near-linear rise, (ii) the nonevolving blue colors, and (iii) the strong C II absorption, are the result of either ejecta interaction with nearby, unbound material or vigorous mixing of radioactive 56Ni in the SN ejecta, or a combination of the two. Finally, in the next few years, dozens of very young normal SNe Ia will be discovered, and observations similar to those presented here will constrain the white dwarf explosion mechanism.« less

Early Observations of the Type Ia Supernova iPTF 16abc: A Case of Interaction with Nearby, Unbound Material and/or Strong Ejecta Mixing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, A. A.; Cao, Y.; Piro, A. L.

Early observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide a unique probe of their progenitor systems and explosion physics. Here we report the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) discovery of an extraordinarily young SN Ia, iPTF 16abc. By fitting a power law to our early light curve, we infer that first light for the SN, that is when the SN could have first been detected by our survey, occurred onlymore » $$0.15\\pm_{0.07}^{0.15}$$ days before our first detection. In the $$\\sim$$24 hr after discovery, iPTF 16abc rose by $$\\sim$$2 mag, featuring a near-linear rise in flux for $$\\gtrsim$$3 days. Early spectra show strong C II absorption, which disappears after $$\\sim$$7 days. Unlike the extensivelyobserved SN Ia SN 2011fe, the $$(B-V)_0$$ colors of iPTF 16abc are blue and nearly constant in the days after explosion. We show that our early observations of iPTF 16abc cannot be explained by either SN shock breakout and the associated, subsequent cooling or the SN ejecta colliding with a stellar companion. Instead, we argue that the early characteristics of iPTF 16abc, including (i) the rapid, near-linear rise, (ii) the nonevolving blue colors, and (iii) the strong C II absorption, are the result of either ejecta interaction with nearby, unbound material or vigorous mixing of radioactive 56Ni in the SN ejecta, or a combination of the two. Finally, in the next few years, dozens of very young normal SNe Ia will be discovered, and observations similar to those presented here will constrain the white dwarf explosion mechanism.« less

Momentum transfer in asteroid impacts. I. Theory and scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holsapple, Keith A.; Housen, Kevin R.

2012-11-01

When an asteroid experiences an impact, its path is changed. How much it changes is important to know for both asteroid evolution studies and for attempts to prevent an asteroid from impacting the Earth. In an impact process the total momentum of the material is conserved. However, not all of the material is of interest, but only that remaining with the asteroid. The ratio of the change of momentum of the remaining asteroid to that of the impactor is called the momentum multiplication factor; and is commonly given the symbol β. It has been known for some time that β can be greater than unity, and in some cases far greater. That could be a significant factor in attempts to deflect an asteroid with an impact, and can also be important in the stirring of objects in the asteroid belt due to mutual impacts. The escaping crater ejecta are the source of the momentum multiplication. Housen and Holsapple (Housen, K.R., Holsapple, K.A. [2011a]. Icarus 211, 856-875) have given a recent summary of ejecta characteristics and scaling. Here we use those ejecta results to determine how β depends on the impactor properties, on the asteroid size and composition, and establish the paths and time of flight of all of the ejecta particles. The approach is to add the contribution of each element of ejected mass accounting for its initial velocity, its trajectory and whether it escapes the asteroid. The goal in this paper is to provide a theoretical framework of the fundamental results which can be used as a test of the veracity of experiments and detailed numerical calculations of impacts. A subsequent paper will present direct laboratory results and numerical simulations of momentum multiplication in various geological materials.

Early Observations of the Type Ia Supernova iPTF 16abc: A Case of Interaction with Nearby, Unbound Material and/or Strong Ejecta Mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, A. A.; Cao, Y.; Piro, A. L.; Blagorodnova, N.; Bue, B. D.; Cenko, S. B.; Dhawan, S.; Ferretti, R.; Fox, O. D.; Fremling, C.; Goobar, A.; Howell, D. A.; Hosseinzadeh, G.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Laher, R. R.; Lunnan, R.; Masci, F. J.; McCully, C.; Nugent, P. E.; Sollerman, J.; Taddia, F.; Kulkarni, S. R.

2018-01-01

Early observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide a unique probe of their progenitor systems and explosion physics. Here we report the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) discovery of an extraordinarily young SN Ia, iPTF 16abc. By fitting a power law to our early light curve, we infer that first light for the SN, that is, when the SN could have first been detected by our survey, occurred only 0.15{+/- }0.070.15 days before our first detection. In the ∼24 hr after discovery, iPTF 16abc rose by ∼2 mag, featuring a near-linear rise in flux for ≳ 3 days. Early spectra show strong C II absorption, which disappears after ∼7 days. Unlike the extensively observed Type Ia SN 2011fe, the {(B-V)}0 colors of iPTF 16abc are blue and nearly constant in the days after explosion. We show that our early observations of iPTF 16abc cannot be explained by either SN shock breakout and the associated, subsequent cooling or the SN ejecta colliding with a stellar companion. Instead, we argue that the early characteristics of iPTF 16abc, including (i) the rapid, near-linear rise, (ii) the nonevolving blue colors, and (iii) the strong C II absorption, are the result of either ejecta interaction with nearby, unbound material or vigorous mixing of radioactive 56Ni in the SN ejecta, or a combination of the two. In the next few years, dozens of very young normal SNe Ia will be discovered, and observations similar to those presented here will constrain the white dwarf explosion mechanism.

Hydrocode modeling of oblique impacts into terrestrial planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, Jordan D.

The abundance of moderately siderophile elements ("iron-loving"; e.g., Co, Ni) in the Earth's mantle is 10 to 100 times larger than predicted by chemical equilibrium between silicate melt and iron at low pressure, but it does match expectation for equilibrium at high pressure and temperature. Recent studies of differentiated planetesimal impacts assume that planetesimal cores survive the impact intact as concentrated masses that passively settle from a zero initial velocity and undergo turbulent entrainment in a global magma ocean; under these conditions, cores greater than 10 km in diameter do not fully mix without a sufficiently deep magma ocean. I have performed hydrocode simulations that revise this assumption and yield a clearer picture of the impact process for differentiated planetesimals possessing iron cores with radius = 100 km that impact into magma oceans. The impact process strips away the silicate mantle of the planetesimal and then stretches the iron core, dispersing the liquid iron into a much larger volume of the underlying liquid silicate mantle. Lagrangian tracer particles track the initially intact iron core as the impact stretches and disperses the core. The final displacement distance of initially closest tracer pairs gives a metric of core stretching. The statistics of stretching imply mixing that separates the iron core into sheets, ligaments, and smaller fragments, on a scale of 10 km or less. The impact dispersed core fragments undergo further mixing through turbulent entrainment as the molten iron fragments sink through the magma ocean and settle deeper into the planet. My results thus support the idea that iron in the cores of even large differentiated planetesimals can chemically equilibrate deep in a terrestrial magma ocean. The largest known impact on the Moon formed the South Pole-Aitken (SP-A) basin and excavated material as deep as the mantle. Here I suggest that large impacts eject enough material to cover the farside of the Moon. During the impact process, ejecta leave the crater and travel well beyond the transient crater. Ejecta blankets depend on impactor size and angle. I use iSALE, an impact hydrocode, to determine the ejecta distribution, volume, and thickness. I calculate the trajectory of ejecta that leave the crater and return to the lunar surface. In these simulations, an ejecta blanket forms, with a thickness of kilometers, over the lunar farside. The ejecta blanket thicknesses are comparable to the difference between nearside and farside crustal thickness. Previous studies suggest other possible mechanisms for the lunar farside-nearside dichotomy. However, the impact that formed SP-A basin was large enough to eject material onto the farside. I also suggest a differentiated impactor's core would disperse downrange of the impact point underneath the basin. Doublet craters form within crater rays on terrestrial bodies. The near simultaneous impact of two projectiles results in overlapping craters. This process results in modified crater morphologies and ejecta morphologies. I modeled the impact of two identical projectiles and vary the angle, timing, and initial separation distance. In this work, I identified projectiles with a separation distance of four times their initial diameter will form distinct craters, but the ejecta from the uprange crater will overfill the downrange crater and result in a smaller crater depth. This result implies the direction of the impactor may be inferred from the crater depths. Also, I found impacts that form closer together result in elliptical or dumbbell craters depending upon the impact parameters. The ejecta curtains interact in each simulation and result in structures similar to the V-shaped ridges or "herringbone" patterns traversing clusters of secondary craters in observations. The ejecta that lands within the ridges comes from a depth that is 100 to 125 m for a 500 m impactor traveling at 1 km/s. This is less deep than the maximum excavation depth of 125 to 150 m, depending upon the impact angle. This work represents a first step towards a more comprehensive method for not only determining how doublet craters form and how aberrant craters form, such as Messier A on the Moon, but also determining how the regolith changes and the ejecta blanket forms for such impacts.

(U) An Analytic Study of Piezoelectric Ejecta Mass Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tregillis, Ian Lee

2017-02-16

We consider the piezoelectric measurement of the areal mass of an ejecta cloud, for the specific case where ejecta are created by a single shock at the free surface and fly ballistically through vacuum to the sensor. To do so, we define time- and velocity-dependent ejecta “areal mass functions” at the source and sensor in terms of typically unknown distribution functions for the ejecta particles. Next, we derive an equation governing the relationship between the areal mass function at the source (which resides in the rest frame of the free surface) and at the sensor (which resides in the laboratorymore » frame). We also derive expressions for the analytic (“true”) accumulated ejecta mass at the sensor and the measured (“inferred”) value obtained via the standard method for analyzing piezoelectric voltage traces. This approach enables us to derive an exact expression for the error imposed upon a piezoelectric ejecta mass measurement (in a perfect system) by the assumption of instantaneous creation. We verify that when the ejecta are created instantaneously (i.e., when the time dependence is a delta function), the piezoelectric inference method exactly reproduces the correct result. When creation is not instantaneous, the standard piezo analysis will always overestimate the true mass. However, the error is generally quite small (less than several percent) for most reasonable velocity and time dependences. In some cases, errors exceeding 10-15% may require velocity distributions or ejecta production timescales inconsistent with experimental observations. These results are demonstrated rigorously with numerous analytic test problems.« less

Surface Modeling to Support Small-Body Spacecraft Exploration and Proximity Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riedel, Joseph E.; Mastrodemos, Nickolaos; Gaskell, Robert W.

2011-01-01

In order to simulate physically plausible surfaces that represent geologically evolved surfaces, demonstrating demanding surface-relative guidance navigation and control (GN&C) actions, such surfaces must be made to mimic the geological processes themselves. A report describes how, using software and algorithms to model body surfaces as a series of digital terrain maps, a series of processes was put in place that evolve the surface from some assumed nominal starting condition. The physical processes modeled in this algorithmic technique include fractal regolith substrate texturing, fractally textured rocks (of empirically derived size and distribution power laws), cratering, and regolith migration under potential energy gradient. Starting with a global model that may be determined observationally or created ad hoc, the surface evolution is begun. First, material of some assumed strength is layered on the global model in a fractally random pattern. Then, rocks are distributed according to power laws measured on the Moon. Cratering then takes place in a temporal fashion, including modeling of ejecta blankets and taking into account the gravity of the object (which determines how much of the ejecta blanket falls back to the surface), and causing the observed phenomena of older craters being progressively buried by the ejecta of earlier impacts. Finally, regolith migration occurs which stratifies finer materials from coarser, as the fine material progressively migrates to regions of lower potential energy.

Evolution of Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) Profiles of Kilometer-scale Craters on the Lunar Maria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, I. R.; Fassett, C. I.; Thomson, B. J.; Minton, D. A.; Watters, W. A.

2017-01-01

When sufficiently large impact craters form on the Moon, rocks and unweathered materials are excavated from beneath the regolith and deposited into their blocky ejecta. This enhances the rockiness and roughness of the proximal ejecta surrounding fresh impact craters. The interior of fresh craters are typically also rough, due to blocks, breccia, and impact melt. Thus, both the interior and proximal ejecta of fresh craters are usually radar bright and have high circular polarization ratios (CPR). Beyond the proximal ejecta, radar-dark halos are observed around some fresh craters, suggesting that distal ejecta is finer-grained than background regolith. The radar signatures of craters fade with time as the regolith grows.

Basin Contributions to the Stratigraphy of the Apollo 16 Landing Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskin, Larry A.

2001-01-01

Ejecta deposit modeling suggests that the megaregolith at the Apollo 16 landing site is dominated by Imbrium and Serenitatis ejecta, and Nectaris ejecta are a minor componen Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.t.

Mars Exploration Program 2007 Phoenix landing site selection and characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arvidson, R.; Adams, D.; Bonfiglio, G.; Christensen, P.; Cull, S.; Golombek, M.; Guinn, J.; Guinness, E.; Heet, T.; Kirk, R.; Knudson, A.; Malin, M.; Mellon, M.; McEwen, A.; Mushkin, A.; Parker, T.; Seelos, F.; Seelos, K.; Smith, P.; Spencer, D.; Stein, T.; Tamppari, L.

2009-01-01

To ensure a successful touchdown and subsequent surface operations, the Mars Exploration Program 2007 Phoenix Lander must land within 65?? to 72?? north latitude, at an elevation less than -3.5 km. The landing site must have relatively low wind velocities and rock and slope distributions similar to or more benign than those found at the Viking Lander 2 site. Also, the site must have a soil cover of at least several centimeters over ice or icy soil to meet science objectives of evaluating the environmental and habitability implications of past and current near-polar environments. The most challenging aspects of site selection were the extensive rock fields associated with crater rims and ejecta deposits and the centers of polygons associated with patterned ground. An extensive acquisition campaign of Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging Spectrometer predawn thermal IR images, together with ???0.31 m/pixel Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment images was implemented to find regions with acceptable rock populations and to support Monte Carlo landing simulations. The chosen site is located at 68.16?? north latitude, 233.35?? east longitude (areocentric), within a ???50 km wide (N-S) by ???300 km long (E-W) valley of relatively rock-free plains. Surfaces within the eastern portion of the valley are differentially eroded ejecta deposits from the relatively recent ???10-km-wide Heimdall crater and have fewer rocks than plains on the western portion of the valley. All surfaces exhibit polygonal ground, which is associated with fracture of icy soils, and are predicted to have only several centimeters of poorly sorted basaltic sand and dust over icy soil deposits. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

Evolution of Lunar Crater Ejecta Through Time: Influence of Crater Size on the Record of Dynamic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghent, R. R.; Tai Udovicic, C.; Mazrouei, S.; Bottke, W. F., Jr.

2017-12-01

The bombardment history of the Moon holds the key to understanding important aspects of the evolution of the Solar System at 1AU. It informs our thinking about the rates and chronology of events on other planetary bodies and the evolution of the asteroid belt. In previous work, we established a quantitative relationship between the ages of lunar craters and the rockiness of their ejecta. That result was based on the idea that crater-forming impacts eject rocks from beneath the regolith, instantaneously emplacing a deposit with characteristic initial physical properties, such as rock abundance. The ejecta rocks are then gradually removed and / or covered by a combination of mechanical breakdown via micrometeorite bombardment, emplacement of regolith fines due to nearby impacts, and possibly rupture due to thermal stresses. We found that ejecta rocks, as detected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Diviner thermal radiometer disappear on a timescale of 1 Gyr, eventually becoming undetectable by the Diviner instrument against the ambient background rock abundance of the regolith.The "index" craters we used to establish the rock abundance—age relationship are all larger than 15 km (our smallest index crater is Byrgius A, at 18.7 km), and therefore above the transition diameter between simple and complex craters (15-20 km). Here, we extend our analysis to include craters smaller than the transition diameter. It is not obvious a priori that the initial ejecta properties of simple and complex craters should be identical, and therefore, that the same metrics of crater age can be applied to both populations. We explore this issue using LRO Diviner rock abundance and a high-resolution optical maturity dataset derived from Kaguya multiband imager VIS/NIR data to identify young craters to 5 km diameter. We examine the statistical properties of this population relative to that of the NEO population, and interpret the results in the context of our recently documented evidence for changes in the flux of impactors that create larger craters. Finally, we detail implications of our result for understanding the dynamic history of the lunar surface and the evolution of the asteroid belt.

Striations, Polish, and Related Features from Clasts in Impact-Ejecta Deposits and the "Tillite Problem"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rampino, M. R.; Ernstson, K.; Anguita, F.; Claudin F.

1997-01-01

Proximal ejecta deposits related to three large terrestrial impacts, the 14.8-Ma Ries impact structure in Germany (the Bunte Breccia), the 65-Ma Chicxulub impact structure in the Yucatan (the Albion and Pook's Hill Diamictites in Belize) and the mid-Tertiary Azuara impact structure in Spain (the Pelarda Fm.) occur in the form of widespread debris-flow deposits most likely originating from ballistic processes. These impact-related diamictites typically are poorly sorted, containing grain sizes from clay to large boulders and blocks, and commonly display evidence of mass flow, including preferred orientation of long axes of clasts, class imbrication, flow noses, plugs and pods of coarse debris, and internal shear planes. Clasts of various lithologies show faceting, various degrees of rounding, striations (including nailhead striae), crescentic chattermarks, mirror-like polish, percussion marks, pitting, and penetration features. Considering the impact history of the Earth, it is surprising that so few ballistic ejecta, deposits have been discovered, unless the preservation potential is extremely low, or such materials exist but have been overlooked or misidentified as other types of geologic deposits . Debris-flow diamictites of various kinds have been reported in the geologic record, but these are commonly attributed to glaciation based on the coarse and poorly sorted nature of the deposits and, in many cases, on the presence of clasts showing features considered diagnostic of glacial action, including striations of various kinds, polish, and pitting. These diamictites are the primary evidence for ancient ice ages. We present evidence of the surface features on clasts from known proximal ejecta debris-flow deposits and compare these features with those reported in diamictites. interpreted as ancient glacial deposits (tillites). Our purpose is to document the types of features seen on clasts in diamictites of ejecta origin in order to help in the interpretation of the origin of ancient diamictites. The recognition of characteristic features in clast populations in ancient diamictites may allow identification and discrimination of debris-flow deposits of various origins (e.g., impact glacial, tectonic) and may shed light on some climatic paradoxes, such as inferred Proterozoic glaciations at low paleolatitudes.

Evidence for self-secondary cratering of Copernican-age continuous ejecta deposits on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanetti, M.; Stadermann, A.; Jolliff, B.; Hiesinger, H.; van der Bogert, C. H.; Plescia, J.

2017-12-01

Crater size-frequency distributions on the ejecta blankets of Aristarchus and Tycho Craters are highly variable, resulting in apparent absolute model age differences despite ejecta being emplaced in a geologic instant. Crater populations on impact melt ponds are a factor of 4 less than on the ejecta, and crater density increases with distance from the parent crater rim. Although target material properties may affect crater diameters and in turn crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) results, they cannot completely reconcile crater density and population differences observed within the ejecta blanket. We infer from the data that self-secondary cratering, the formation of impact craters immediately following the emplacement of the continuous ejecta blanket by ejecta from the parent crater, contributed to the population of small craters (< 300 m diameter) on ejecta blankets and must be taken into account if small craters and small count areas are to be used for relative and absolute model age determinations on the Moon. Our results indicate that the cumulative number of craters larger than 1 km in diameter per unit area, N(1), on the continuous ejecta blanket at Tycho Crater, ranges between 2.17 × 10-5 and 1.0 × 10-4, with impact melt ponds most accurately reflecting the primary crater flux (N(1) = 3.4 × 10-5). Using the cratering flux recorded on Tycho impact melt deposits calibrated to accepted exposure age (109 ± 1.5 Ma) as ground truth, and using similar crater distribution analyses on impact melt at Aristarchus Crater, we infer the age of Aristarchus Crater to be ∼280 Ma. The broader implications of this work suggest that the measured cratering rate on ejecta blankets throughout the Solar System may be overestimated, and caution should be exercised when using small crater diameters (i.e. < 300 m on the Moon) for absolute model age determination.

Martian impact craters: Continuing analysis of lobate ejecta sinuosity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, Nadine G.

1990-01-01

The lobate ejecta morphology surrounding most fresh Martian impact craters can be quantitatively analyzed to determine variations in ejecta sinuosity with diameter, latitude, longitude, and terrain. The results of such studies provide another clue to the question of how these morphologies formed: are they the results of vaporization of subsurface volatiles or caused by ejecta entrainment in atmospheric gases. Kargel provided a simple expression to determine the degree of non-circularity of an ejecta blanket. This measure of sinuosity, called 'lobateness', is given by the ratio of the ejecta perimeter to the perimeter of a circle with the same area as that of the ejecta. The Kargel study of 538 rampart craters in selected areas of Mars led to the suggestion that lobateness increased with increasing diameter, decreased at higher latitude, and showed no dependence on elevation or geologic unit. Major problems with the Kargel analysis are the limited size and distribution of the data set and the lack of discrimination among the different types of lobate ejecta morphologies. Bridges and Barlow undertook a new lobateness study of 1582 single lobe (SL) and 251 double lobe (DL) craters. The results are summarized. These results agree with the finding of Kargel that lobateness increases with increasing diameter, but found no indication of a latitude dependence for SL craters. The Bridges and Barlow study has now been extended to multiple lobe (ML) craters. Three hundred and eighty ML craters located across the entire Martian surface were studied. ML craters provide more complications to lobateness studies than do SL and DL craters - in particular, the ejecta lobes surrounding the crater are often incomplete. Since the lobateness formula compares the perimeter of the ejecta lobe to that of a circle, the analysis was restricted only to complete lobes. The lobes are defined sequentially starting with the outermost lobe and moving inward.

Thermophysical properties of lunar impact ejecta and their evolution through time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghent, R. R.; Bandfield, J.; Hayne, P. O.; Tai Udovicic, C.; Carter, L. M.; Paige, D. A.

2016-12-01

On the Moon, impact cratering has occurred continuously over the past 4 billion years, and has a profound effect on all aspects of lunar geology. Large impacts excavate large blocks from beneath the regolith, and impacts of sub-cm sized objects rupture and sandblast large ejected fragments and turn them into regolith. The regolith, in turn, is space weathered and aged by the impact of micrometeorites, together with exposure to solar wind. The state of impact-related materials at any given site can thus be interpreted in the context of relative or absolute age, and can provide information about the rates of geological processes. Here, we report on observations of the thermophysical properties of lunar impact ejecta from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Diviner thermal radiometer. Nighttime thermal IR data are sensitive to the abundance of meter-scale rocks at the surface, and to variations in the density structure of the upper meter of the regolith. Comparison of these thermal observations with those from radar instruments allows us to distinguish between large ejecta at the surface and those buried or suspended in the upper 10 m of regolith, and thus to examine the evolution of these two ejecta populations ejecta through time. We have previously found that the surface ejecta rocks associated with large craters break down at a quantifiable rate, and that rocky surface ejecta disappear completely in 1.5 Gyr. Here, we show that rocks buried within the upper m of regolith, detected by radar, can remain undisturbed by surface processes for >3 Gyr. We also investigate the thermophysical properties of radar-dark haloes, comprised of fine-grained distal ejecta, and find that they also persist for long periods (> 3 Gyr). Thus, the surface rockiness of a given ejecta deposit can be used to determine its age. Current work is focusing on exploiting the state of preservation of buried ejecta to constrain the rate of regolith overturn.

Comparison of hydrodynamic simulations with two-shockwave drive target experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karkhanis, Varad; Ramaprabhu, Praveen; Buttler, William

2015-11-01

We consider hydrodynamic continuum simulations to mimic ejecta generation in two-shockwave target experiments, where metallic surface is loaded by two successive shock waves. Time of second shock in simulations is determined to match experimental amplitudes at the arrival of the second shock. The negative Atwood number A --> - 1 of ejecta simulations leads to two successive phase inversions of the interface corresponding to the passage of the shocks from heavy to light media in each instance. Metallic phase of ejecta (solid/liquid) depends on shock loading pressure in the experiment, and we find that hydrodynamic simulations quantify the liquid phase ejecta physics with a fair degree of accuracy, where RM instability is not suppressed by the strength effect. In particular, we find that our results of free surface velocity, maximum ejecta velocity, and maximum ejecta areal density are in excellent agreement with their experimental counterparts, as well as ejecta models. We also comment on the parametric space for hydrodynamic simulations in which they can be used to compare with the target experiments. This work was supported in part by the (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA2-5396.

Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 612 bolide event: New evidence of a late Eocene impact-wave deposit and a possible impact site, US east coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wei, W.; Poag, C. Wylie; Poppe, Lawrence J.; Folger, David W.; Powars, David S.; Mixon, Robert B.; Edwards, Lucy E.; Bruce, Scott

1992-01-01

A remarkable >60-m-thick, upward-fining, polymictic, marine boulder bed is distributed over >15 000 km2 beneath Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain and inner continental shelf. The wide varieties of clast lithologies and microfossil assemblages were derived from at least seven known Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Eocene stratigraphic units. The supporting pebbly matrix contains variably mixed assemblages of microfossils along with trace quantities of impact ejecta. The youngest microfossils in the boulder bed are of early-late Eocene age. On the basis of its unusual characteristics and its stratigraphic equivalent to a layer of impact ejecta at Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 612. It is postulated that this boulder bed was formed by a powerful bolide-generated wave train that scoured the ancient inner shelf and coastal plain of southeastern Virginia. 

Lanthanide/Actinide Opacities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hungerford, Aimee; Fontes, Christopher J.

2018-06-01

Gravitational wave observations benefit from accompanying electromagnetic signals in order to accurately determine the sky positions of the sources. The ejecta of neutron star mergers are expected to produce such electromagnetic transients, called macronovae (e.g. the recent and unprecedented observation of GW170817). Characteristics of the ejecta include large velocity gradients and the presence of heavy r-process elements, which pose significant challenges to the accurate calculation of radiative opacities and radiation transport. Opacities include a dense forest of bound-bound features arising from near-neutral lanthanide and actinide elements. Here we present an overview of current theoretical opacity determinations that are used by neutron star merger light curve modelers. We will touch on atomic physics and plasma modeling codes that are used to generate these opacities, as well as the limited body of laboratory experiments that may serve as points of validation for these complex atomic physics calculations.

Radiative effects of the El Chichon volcanic eruption. Preliminary results concerning remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bandeen, W. R.; Fraser, R. S.

1982-01-01

The aerosols and gases resulting from the El Chichon volcanic eruption had, and may still have, significant effects on satellite measurements of the properties of the Earth's atmosphere. The sea surface temperature measured by the AVHRR was biased up to -2.5 C for many months. The total amount of ozone derived from TOMS with a standard algorithm was greatly in excess of the possible value. This apparent excess can now be explained in terms of additional absorption by SO2. Infrared temperature sounders have observed both positive and negative anomalies. These effects and others on many satellite measurements are addressed following a discussion of the history and composition of the ejecta remaining in the stratosphere. Finally, recommendations are made for further study to account for the effects of volcanic eruptions on satellite observations and for use of such observations to measure the characteristics of the ejecta.

Ulysses Patera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] (Released 18 July 2002) It is helpful to look at the context for this THEMIS image, which covers a large area over the summit of Ulysses Patera. Ulysses Patera is one of the many volcanoes that make up the giant Tharsis volcanic province, although Ulysses itself is fairly small in comparison to the other volcanoes in this area. In the context image, there are 3 circular features near the top of the volcano. The large, central feature is called a 'caldera', and is the result of volcanic activity at Ulysses. The other two circular features are impact craters. The THEMIS image primarily spans across the central caldera, but also covers a portion of the northernmost impact crater. We know that the large central caldera must have formed earlier than the two craters, because its circular form has been cut by the smaller crater rims. In the THEMIS image, there are stair-stepping plateaus in the northern portion of the image. These are part of the rim of the northern crater, and are caused by collapse or subsidence after the impact event. Just to the south of this crater, 'rayed' patterns can be seen on part of the caldera floor. The rayed pattern is most likely due to a landslide of material down the crater rim slope. Another possibility is that the impact that formed the northern crater caused material to be ejected radially, and then parts of the ejecta have either been buried or eroded away. Other signs of mass movement events in this image are dark streaks, caused by dust avalanches, visible in the caldera's northern wall. In the central portion of the image, there are two lobe-shaped features-one overlaps the other-that appear to have flowed westward. It is likely that these features are ejecta lobes, because they are located adjacent to the southeastern crater (see context image). The fluidized appearance of these ejecta lobes is probably due to a significant amount of ice or water being present in the soil at the time of impact. We know that the southeastern crater must have formed after the northern crater, because the fluidized ejecta lobe overlies the rayed pattern. A close-up look at the fluidized ejecta lobes reveals a different surface 'texture' than the surrounding caldera floor. This could be due to compressional features that formed during the lobe emplacement, or to contrasting surface properties that cause the flows to be eroded differently than the caldera floor. In the lower portion of the image, there is a cluster of small circular features in the southernmost part of the central caldera. These features may be layered material that has since been eroded into circular plateaus, or they may be degraded volcanic cones, which would indicate a later stage of smaller-scale volcanism within the caldera. Volcanic cones are common in many calderas on Earth, and are formed after the initial stage of volcanic activity in that caldera. Finally, in the southern wall of the caldera, there is classic 'spur-and-gully' morphology. This type of morphology is often formed on steep slopes, where variations in wall resistance cause the surface to be eroded more easily in some areas.

On the Origin of Nonmare Materials at the Apollo 12 Landing Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.; Gillis, J. J.; Korotev, R. L.; Haskin, L. A.

2000-01-01

Sources of nonmare material at the Apollo 12 site are investigated using remotely sensed FeO and Th data and measured soil compositions. Copernicus ray ejecta, Reinhold ejecta, and vertical gardening of buried crater ejecta (Lansberg) are evaluated.

Exploring Richtmyer-Meshkov instability phenomena and ejecta cloud physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, M. B.; Buttler, W. T.

2008-09-01

This effort investigates ejecta cloud expansion from a shocked Sn target propagating into vacuum. To assess the expansion, dynamic ejecta cloud density distributions were measured via piezoelectric pin diagnostics offset at three heights from the target free surface. The dynamic distributions were first converted into static distributions, similar to a radiograph, and then self compared. The cloud evolved self-similarly at the distances and times measured, inferring that the amount of mass imparted to the instability, detected as ejecta, either ceased or approached an asymptotic limit.

A New Impact Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-29

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) keeps finding new impact sites on Mars. This one occurred within the dense secondary crater field of Corinto Crater, to the north-northeast. The new crater and its ejecta have distinctive color patterns. Once the colors have faded in a few decades, this new crater will still be distinctive compared to the secondaries by having a deeper cavity compared to its diameter. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22462

THE UNREASONABLE WEAKNESS OF R -PROCESS COSMIC RAYS IN THE NEUTRON-STAR-MERGER NUCLEOSYNTHESIS SCENARIO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kyutoku, Koutarou; Ioka, Kunihito, E-mail: koutarou.kyutoku@riken.jp

We reach the robust conclusion that, by combining the observed cosmic rays of r -process elements with the fact that the velocity of the neutron-star-merger ejecta is much higher than that of the supernova ejecta, either (1) the reverse shock in the neutron-star-merger ejecta is a very inefficient accelerator that converts less than 0.003% of the ejecta kinetic energy to the cosmic-ray energy or (2) the neutron star merger is not the origin of the Galactic r -process elements. We also find that the acceleration efficiency should be less than 0.1% for the reverse shock of the supernova ejecta withmore » observed cosmic rays lighter than the iron.« less

The Impact Ejecta Environment of Near Earth Asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szalay, Jamey R.; Horányi, Mihály

2016-10-01

Impact ejecta production is a ubiquitous process that occurs on all airless bodies throughout the solar system. Unlike the Moon, which retains a large fraction of its ejecta, asteroids primarily shed their ejecta into the interplanetary dust population. These grains carry valuable information about the chemical compositions of their parent bodies that can be measured via in situ dust detection. Here, we use recent Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer/Lunar Dust Experiment measurements of the lunar dust cloud to calculate the dust ejecta distribution for any airless body near 1 au. We expect this dust distribution to be highly asymmetric, due to non-isotropic impacting fluxes. We predict that flybys near these asteroids would collect many times more dust impacts by transiting the apex side of the body compared to its anti-apex side. While these results are valid for bodies at 1 au, they can be used to qualitatively infer the ejecta environment for all solar-orbiting airless bodies.

Estimating the Contribution of Dynamical Ejecta in the Kilonova Associated with GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Afrough, M.; Agarwal, B.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allen, G.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Amato, A.; Ananyeva, A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Angelova, S. V.; Antier, S.; Appert, S.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arnaud, N.; Arun, K. G.; Ascenzi, S.; Ashton, G.; Ast, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atallah, D. V.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; AultONeal, K.; Austin, C.; Avila-Alvarez, A.; Babak, S.; Bacon, P.; Bader, M. K. M.; Bae, S.; Baker, P. T.; Baldaccini, F.; Ballardin, G.; Banagiri, S.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barclay, S. E.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barkett, K.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bawaj, M.; Bayley, J. 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S.; Fournier, J.-D.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Frey, V.; Fries, E. M.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H.; Gadre, B. U.; Gaebel, S. M.; Gair, J. R.; Gammaitoni, L.; Ganija, M. R.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garcia-Quiros, C.; Garufi, F.; Gateley, B.; Gaudio, S.; Gaur, G.; Gayathri, V.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; George, D.; George, J.; Gergely, L.; Germain, V.; Ghonge, S.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, K.; Glover, L.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gomes, S.; Goncharov, B.; González, G.; Gonzalez Castro, J. M.; Gopakumar, A.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S. E.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Grado, A.; Graef, C.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Gretarsson, E. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Gruning, P.; Guidi, G. M.; Guo, X.; Gupta, A.; Gupta, M. K.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Halim, O.; Hall, B. R.; Hall, E. D.; Hamilton, E. Z.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanke, M. M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hannuksela, O. A.; Hanson, J.; Hardwick, T.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hart, M. J.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Healy, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennig, J.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hinderer, T.; Hoak, D.; Hofman, D.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Horst, C.; Hough, J.; Houston, E. A.; Howell, E. J.; Hreibi, A.; Hu, Y. M.; Huerta, E. A.; Huet, D.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Indik, N.; Inta, R.; Intini, G.; Isa, H. N.; Isac, J.-M.; Isi, M.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacqmin, T.; Jani, K.; Jaranowski, P.; Jawahar, S.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Johnson-McDaniel, N. K.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Junker, J.; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kamai, B.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kapadia, S. J.; Karki, S.; Karvinen, K. S.; Kasprzack, M.; Kastaun, W.; Katolik, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, S.; Kawabe, K.; Kawaguchi, K.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Kemball, A. J.; Kennedy, R.; Kent, C.; Key, J. S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, I.; Khan, S.; Khan, Z.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J. C.; Kim, K.; Kim, W.; Kim, W. S.; Kim, Y.-M.; Kimbrell, S. J.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinley-Hanlon, M.; Kirchhoff, R.; Kissel, J. S.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Knowles, T. D.; Koch, P.; Koehlenbeck, S. M.; Koley, S.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Korobko, M.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Krämer, C.; Kringel, V.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kumar, S.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwang, S.; Lackey, B. D.; Lai, K. H.; Landry, M.; Lang, R. N.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lanza, R. K.; Larson, S. L.; Lartaux-Vollard, A.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, H. W.; Lee, K.; Lehmann, J.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Li, T. G. F.; Linker, S. D.; Littenberg, T. B.; Liu, J.; Liu, X.; Lo, R. K. L.; Lockerbie, N. A.; London, L. T.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lousto, C. O.; Lovelace, G.; Lück, H.; Lumaca, D.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macas, R.; Macfoy, S.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña Hernandez, I.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magaña Zertuche, L.; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markakis, C.; Markosyan, A. S.; Markowitz, A.; Maros, E.; Marquina, A.; Martelli, F.; Martellini, L.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martynov, D. V.; Mason, K.; Massera, E.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matas, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McCormick, S.; McCuller, L.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McManus, D. J.; McNeill, L.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Mejuto-Villa, E.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Merilh, E. L.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Metzdorff, R.; Meyers, P. M.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, B. B.; Miller, J.; Millhouse, M.; Milovich-Goff, M. C.; Minazzoli, O.; Minenkov, Y.; Ming, J.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moffa, D.; Moggi, A.; Mogushi, K.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Montani, M.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morriss, S. R.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, G.; Muir, A. W.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Muñiz, E. A.; Muratore, M.; Murray, P. G.; Napier, K.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Neilson, J.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Nery, M.; Neunzert, A.; Nevin, L.; Newport, J. M.; Newton, G.; Ng, K. K. Y.; Nguyen, T. T.; Nichols, D.; Nielsen, A. B.; Nissanke, S.; Nitz, A.; Noack, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; North, C.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; O'Dea, G. D.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Okada, M. A.; Oliver, M.; Oppermann, P.; Oram, Richard J.; O'Reilly, B.; Ormiston, R.; Ortega, L. F.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Ossokine, S.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Pace, A. E.; Page, J.; Page, M. A.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pal-Singh, A.; Pan, Howard; Pan, Huang-Wei; Pang, B.; Pang, P. T. H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Parida, A.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patil, M.; Patricelli, B.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perez, C. J.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Pfeiffer, H. P.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O. J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pirello, M.; Pitkin, M.; Poe, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Porter, E. K.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Pratt, J. W. W.; Pratten, G.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rajbhandari, B.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramirez, K. E.; Ramos-Buades, A.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Read, J.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ren, W.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Ricker, P. M.; Rieger, S.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, R.; Romel, C. L.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Ross, M. P.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Rutins, G.; Ryan, K.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sampson, L. M.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sanchez, L. E.; Sanchis-Gual, N.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Sauter, O.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Scheel, M.; Scheuer, J.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulte, B. W.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwalbe, S. G.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seidel, E.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T. J.; Shah, A. A.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaner, M. B.; Shao, L.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, B.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Somala, S.; Son, E. J.; Sonnenberg, J. A.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Spencer, A. P.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staats, K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stevenson, S. P.; Stone, R.; Stops, D. J.; Strain, K. A.; Stratta, G.; Strigin, S. E.; Strunk, A.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sunil, S.; Suresh, J.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Tait, S. C.; Talbot, C.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Taracchini, A.; Tasson, J. D.; Taylor, J. A.; Taylor, R.; Tewari, S. V.; Theeg, T.; Thies, F.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tonelli, M.; Tornasi, Z.; Torres-Forné, A.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trinastic, J.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tsang, K. W.; Tse, M.; Tso, R.; Tsukada, L.; Tsuna, D.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ueno, K.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Varma, V.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Venugopalan, G.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Viets, A. D.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walet, R.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, J. Z.; Wang, W. H.; Wang, Y. F.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Watchi, J.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wessel, E. K.; Weßels, P.; Westerweck, J.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whiting, B. F.; Whittle, C.; Wilken, D.; Williams, D.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Wofford, J.; Wong, K. W. K.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, D. S.; Wysocki, D. M.; Xiao, S.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, L.; Yap, M. J.; Yazback, M.; Yu, Hang; Yu, Haocun; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zelenova, T.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, T.; Zhang, Y.-H.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, S. J.; Zhu, X. J.; Zimmerman, A. B.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.; (LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2017-12-01

The source of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal GW170817, very likely a binary neutron star merger, was also observed electromagnetically, providing the first multi-messenger observations of this type. The two-week-long electromagnetic (EM) counterpart had a signature indicative of an r-process-induced optical transient known as a kilonova. This Letter examines how the mass of the dynamical ejecta can be estimated without a direct electromagnetic observation of the kilonova, using GW measurements and a phenomenological model calibrated to numerical simulations of mergers with dynamical ejecta. Specifically, we apply the model to the binary masses inferred from the GW measurements, and use the resulting mass of the dynamical ejecta to estimate its contribution (without the effects of wind ejecta) to the corresponding kilonova light curves from various models. The distributions of dynamical ejecta mass range between {M}{ej}={10}-3-{10}-2 {M}⊙ for various equations of state, assuming that the neutron stars are rotating slowly. In addition, we use our estimates of the dynamical ejecta mass and the neutron star merger rates inferred from GW170817 to constrain the contribution of events like this to the r-process element abundance in the Galaxy when ejecta mass from post-merger winds is neglected. We find that if ≳10% of the matter dynamically ejected from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers is converted to r-process elements, GW170817-like BNS mergers could fully account for the amount of r-process material observed in the Milky Way.

Broad-band emission properties of central engine powered supernova ejecta interacting with a circumstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Akihiro; Maeda, Keiichi

2018-04-01

We investigate broad-band emission from supernova ejecta powered by a relativistic wind from a central compact object. A recent two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation studying the dynamical evolution of supernova ejecta with a central energy source has revealed that outermost layers of the ejecta are accelerated to mildly relativistic velocities because of the breakout of a hot bubble driven by the energy injection. The outermost layers decelerate as they sweep a circumstellar medium surrounding the ejecta, leading to the formation of the forward and reverse shocks propagating in the circumstellar medium and the ejecta. While the ejecta continue to release the internal energy as thermal emission from the photosphere, the energy dissipation at the forward and reverse shock fronts gives rise to non-thermal emission. We calculate light curves and spectral energy distributions of thermal and non-thermal emission from central engine powered supernova ejecta embedded in a steady stellar wind with typical mass loss rates for massive stars. The light curves are compared with currently available radio and X-ray observations of hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae, as well as the two well-studied broad-lined Ic supernovae, 1998bw and 2009bb, which exhibit bright radio emission indicating central engine activities. We point out that upper limits on radio luminosities of nearby superluminous supernovae may indicate the injected energy is mainly converted to thermal radiation rather than creating mildly relativistic flows owing to photon diffusion time scales comparable to the injection time scale.

Simulated meteorite impacts and volcanic explosions: Ejecta analyses and planetary implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gratz, A. J.; Nellis, W. J.

1992-01-01

Past cratering studies have focused primarily on crater morphology. However, important questions remain about the nature of crater deposits. Phenomena that need to be studied include the distribution of shock effects in crater deposits and crater walls; the origin of mono- and polymict breccia; differences between local and distal ejecta; deformation induced by explosive volcanism; and the production of unshocked, high-speed ejecta that could form the lunar and martian meteorites found on the Earth. To study these phenomena, one must characterize ejecta and crater wall materials from impacts produced under controlled conditions. New efforts at LLNL simulate impacts and volcanism and study resultant deformation. All experiments use the two-stage light-gas gun facility at LLNL to accelerate projectiles to velocities of 0.2 to 4.3 km/s, including shock pressures of 0.9 to 50 GPa. We use granite targets and novel experimental geometries to unravel cratering processes in crystalline rocks. We have thus far conducted three types of simulations: soft recovery of ejecta, 'frozen crater' experiments, and an 'artificial volcano. Our ejecta recovery experiments produced a useful separation of impactites. Material originally below the projectile remained trapped there, embedded in the soft metal of the flyer plate. In contrast, material directly adjacent to the projectile was jetted away from the impact, producing an ejecta cone that was trapped in the foam recovery fixture. We find that a significant component of crater ejecta shows no signs of strong shock; this material comes from the near-surface 'interference zone' surrounding the impact site. This phenomenon explains the existence of unshocked meteorites on the Earth of lunar and martian origin. Impact of a large bolide on neighboring planets will produce high-speed, weakly shocked ejecta, which may be trapped by the Earth's gravitational field. 'Frozen crater' experiments show that the interference zone is highly localized; indeed, disaggregation does not extend beyond approx. 1.5 crater radii. A cone-shaped region extending downward from the impact site is completely disaggregated, including powdered rock that escaped into the projectile tube. Petrographic analysis of crater ejecta and wall material will be presented. Finally, study of ejecta from 0.9- and 1.3-GPa simulations of volcanic explosions reveal a complete lack of shock metamorphism. The ejecta shows no evidence of PDF's, amorphization, high-pressure phases, or mosaicism. Instead, all deformation was brittle, with fractures irregular (not planar) and most intergranular. The extent of fracturing was remarkable, with the entire sample reduced to fragments of gravel size and smaller.

Simulated meteorite impacts and volcanic explosions: Ejecta analyses and planetary implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gratz, A. J.; Nellis, W. J.

1992-09-01

Past cratering studies have focused primarily on crater morphology. However, important questions remain about the nature of crater deposits. Phenomena that need to be studied include the distribution of shock effects in crater deposits and crater walls; the origin of mono- and polymict breccia; differences between local and distal ejecta; deformation induced by explosive volcanism; and the production of unshocked, high-speed ejecta that could form the lunar and martian meteorites found on the Earth. To study these phenomena, one must characterize ejecta and crater wall materials from impacts produced under controlled conditions. New efforts at LLNL simulate impacts and volcanism and study resultant deformation. All experiments use the two-stage light-gas gun facility at LLNL to accelerate projectiles to velocities of 0.2 to 4.3 km/s, including shock pressures of 0.9 to 50 GPa. We use granite targets and novel experimental geometries to unravel cratering processes in crystalline rocks. We have thus far conducted three types of simulations: soft recovery of ejecta, 'frozen crater' experiments, and an 'artificial volcano. Our ejecta recovery experiments produced a useful separation of impactites. Material originally below the projectile remained trapped there, embedded in the soft metal of the flyer plate. In contrast, material directly adjacent to the projectile was jetted away from the impact, producing an ejecta cone that was trapped in the foam recovery fixture. We find that a significant component of crater ejecta shows no signs of strong shock; this material comes from the near-surface 'interference zone' surrounding the impact site. This phenomenon explains the existence of unshocked meteorites on the Earth of lunar and martian origin. Impact of a large bolide on neighboring planets will produce high-speed, weakly shocked ejecta, which may be trapped by the Earth's gravitational field. 'Frozen crater' experiments show that the interference zone is highly localized; indeed, disaggregation does not extend beyond approx. 1.5 crater radii. A cone-shaped region extending downward from the impact site is completely disaggregated, including powdered rock that escaped into the projectile tube. Petrographic analysis of crater ejecta and wall material will be presented. Finally, study of ejecta from 0.9- and 1.3-GPa simulations of volcanic explosions reveal a complete lack of shock metamorphism. The ejecta shows no evidence of PDF's, amorphization, high-pressure phases, or mosaicism.

Heating of Ejecta from a Meteorite Crater by the Perturbed Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuz'micheva, M. Yu.

2018-03-01

Numerical simulation methods are used to investigate the thermal evolution of ejecta from a meteorite crater in the interaction with the perturbed atmosphere in the first few minutes after the impact. The study considers the role of air radiation, collisions of air molecules with the body's surface, and the heat transfer into the interior in the heat exchange of the ejecta and reveals the possibility of additional heating (compared with that at the time of the impact), which affects the geochemical and paleomagnetic properties of the ejecta.

Crater ejecta morphology and the presence of water on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, P. H.

1987-01-01

The possible effects of projectile, target, and environment on the cratering process is reviewed. It is suggested that contradictions in interpreting Martian crater ejecta morphologies reflect over simplifying the process as a singular consequence of buried water. It seem entirely possible that most ejecta facies could be produced without the presence of liquid water. However, the combination of extraordinary ejecta fluidity, absence of secondaries, and high ejection angles all would point to the combined effects of atmosphere and fluid rich substrates. Moreover, recent experiments revealing the broad scour zone associated with rapid vapor expansion may account for numerous craters in the circumpolar regions with subtle radial grooving extending 10 crater radii away with faint distal ramparts. Thus certain crater ejecta morphologies may yet provide fundamental clues for the presence of unbound water.

Comparison of Ejecta Distributions from Normal Incident Hypervelocity Impact on Lunar Regolith Simulant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, David L.; Cooke, William; Scruggs, Rob; Moser, Danielle E.

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is progressing toward long-term lunar habitation. Critical to the design of a lunar habitat is an understanding of the lunar surface environment; of specific importance is the primary meteoroid and subsequent ejecta environment. The document, NASA SP-8013, was developed for the Apollo program and is the latest definition of the ejecta environment. There is concern that NASA SP-8013 may over-estimate the lunar ejecta environment. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) has initiated several tasks to improve the accuracy of our understanding of the lunar surface ejecta environment. This paper reports the results of experiments on projectile impact into powered pumice and unconsolidated JSC-1A Lunar Mare Regolith stimulant (JSC-1A) targets. The Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR) was used to accelerate projectiles to velocities in excess of 5 km/s and impact the targets at normal incidence. The ejected particles were detected by thin aluminum foil targets placed around the impact site and angular distributions were determined for ejecta. Comparison of ejecta angular distribution with previous works will be presented. A simplistic technique to characterize the ejected particles was formulated and improvements to this technique will be discussed for implementation in future tests.

Venusian extended ejecta deposits as time-stratigraphic markers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izenberg, Noam R.

1992-01-01

Use of impact crater ejects at time-stratigraphic markers was established during lunar geologic mapping efforts. The basic premise is that the deposition of impact ejecta, either by itself or mixed with impact-excavated material, is superimposed on a surface. The deposit becomes an observable, mappable unit produced in a single instant in geologic time. Up to two-thirds of Venus craters exhibit extended ejecta deposits. A reconnaissance survey of 336 craters (about 40 percent of the total population) was conducted. About half the craters examined were located in and around the Beta-Atla-Themis region, and half were spread over the western hemisphere of the planet. The survey was conducted using primarily C1-MIDR images. The preliminary survey shows: (1) of the 336 craters, 223 were found to have extended ejecta deposits. This proportion is higher than that found in other Venus crater databases by up to a factor of 2. (2) 53 percent of all extended ejecta craters were unambiguously superimposed on all volcanic and tectonic units. Crater Annia Faustina's associated parabolic ejecta deposit is clearly superimposed on volcanic flows coming from Gula Mons to the west. Parabola material from Faustina has covered the lava flows, smoothing the surface and reducing its specific backscatter cross section. The stratigraphy implies that the parabola material is the youngest observable unit in the region. (3) 12 percent of extended ejecta deposits are superimposed by volcanic materials. Crater Hwangcini has extended ejecta that has been covered by volcanic flows from a dome field to the northwest, implying that the volcanic units were emplaced subsequent to the ejecta deposit and are the youngest units in the locality. (4) It is difficult to determine the stratigraphic relationships of the remaining extended ejecta deposits in SAR at C1-MIDR resolution. Examination of higher resolution images and application of the other Magellan datasets in systematic manner should resolve most of the ambiguous cases. Results from the preliminary survey indicate that extended ejecta deposits are effective time-statigraphic markers for the localities. If stratigraphic relationships between the deposits and surrounding units are studied on a case-by-case basis over the whole planet, they should provide useful constraints on Venus history and development of the surface through time. The continuation of the research will expand the study to include the entire crater population and the Magellan emissivity, altimetry, reflectivity, and rms slope datasets.

Fluidized Crater Ejecta Deposit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

The Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) onboard the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft continued to obtain high resolution images of the red planet into August 1998. At this time, each ground track (the portion of Mars available for MOC imaging on a given orbit) covers areas from about 40oN on the late afternoon side of the planet, up over the sunlit north polar cap, and down the early morning side of Mars to about 20oN latitude. Early morning and late afternoon views provide good shadowing to reveal subtle details on the martian surface. Views of Mars with such excellent lighting conditions will not be seen by MOC once MGS's Science Phasing Orbits end in mid-September 1998.

The image shown here, MOC image 47903, was targeted on Friday afternoon (PDT), August 7, 1998. This picture of ejecta from a nameless 9.1 kilometer (5.7 mile)-diameter crater was designed to take full advantage of the present lighting conditions. When the image was taken (around 5:38 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday, August 8, 1998), the Sun had just risen and was only about 6o above the eastern horizon. With the Sun so low in the local sky, the contrast between sunlit and shadowed surfaces allowed new, subtle details to be revealed on the surface of the crater ejecta deposit.

The crater shown here has ejecta of a type that was first identified in Mariner 9 and Viking Orbiter images as 'fluidized' ejecta. Ejecta is the material that is thrown out from the crater during the explosion that results when a meteor--piece of a comet or asteroid--collides with the planet. Fluidized ejecta is characterized by its lobate appearance, and sometimes by the presence of a ridge along the margin of the ejecta deposit. In the case of the crater shown here, there are two ridges that encircle the crater ejecta--this type of ejecta deposit is sometimes called a double-lobe rampart deposit. The MOC image shows that this particular crater also has 'normal' ejecta that occurs out on the plains, beyond the outermost ridge of the main, fluidized ejecta deposit.

Fluidized or 'rampart' ejecta deposits have long been thought by many Mars scientists to result from an impact into a surface that contains water. The water would have been underground, and could have been frozen or liquid. According to the prevailing model, when the meteor hit, this water was released--along with tons of rock and debris--and the ejecta flowed like mud. Images with resolutions higher than those presently attainable from the 11.6 hr elliptical orbit are needed to see the specific features (such as large boulders 'rafted' by the dense mud) that would confirm or refute this model. Such images may be acquired once MGS is in its mapping orbit.

MOC image 47903 was received and processed by the MOC team at Malin Space Science Systems on Monday afternoon (PDT), August 10, 1998. The image center is located at 27.92oN latitude and 184.66oW longitude, in the northern Tartarus Montes region.

The Ejecta Evolution of Deep Impact: Insight from Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermalyn, B.; Schultz, P. H.; Heineck, J. T.

2010-12-01

The Deep Impact (DI) probe impacted comet 9P/Tempel 1 at an angle of ~30° from local horizontal with a velocity of 10.2 km/s. Examination of the resulting ballistic (e.g., non-vapor driven) ejecta revealed phenomena that largely followed expectations from laboratory investigations of oblique impacts into low-density porous material, including a downrange bias, uprange zone of avoidance, and cardioid (curved) rays (Schultz, et al, 2005, 2007). Modeling of the impact based on canonical models and scaling laws (Richardson, et al, 2007) allowed a first-order reconstruction of the event, but did not fully represent the three-dimensional nature of the ejecta flow-field in an oblique impact essential for interpretation of the DI data. In this study, we present new experimental measurements of the early-time ejecta dynamics in oblique impacts that allow a more complete reconstruction of the ballistic ejecta from the impact, including visualization of the DI encounter and predictions for the upcoming re-encounter with Tempel 1. A suite of hypervelocity 30° impact experiments into granular materials was performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR) for the purpose of interpreting the Deep Impact event. A technique based on Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) permitted non-intrusive measurement of the ejecta velocity within the ejecta curtain. The PTV system developed at the AVGR utilizes a laser light sheet projected parallel to the impact surface to illuminate horizontal “slices” of the ejecta curtain that are then recorded by multiple cameras. Particle displacement between successive frames and cameras allows determination of the three-component velocity of the ejecta curtain. Pioneering efforts with a similar technique (Anderson, et al, 2003, 2006) characterized the main-stage ejecta velocity distributions and demonstrated that asymmetries in velocity and ejection angle persist well into the far-field for oblique impacts. In this study, high-speed cameras capture the time-resolved ejecta flow field in a regime much earlier than prior investigations, which permits reconstruction of the event in a temporal (rather than spatial) fashion. Preliminary results for 30° impacts into sand (Hermalyn, et al, 2010) show asymmetric, time-varying ejection angles throughout measurement of crater growth. The downrange component of ejecta initially has the lowest ejection angle. Incomplete coupling at early times forms the zone of avoidance uprange; once the curtain fully closes, this component exhibits a higher angle of ejection than the lateral or downrange regions. The convolution of the decreasing ejection velocities and coupling time leads to the appearance of “curved” rays in the uprange direction (Schultz, et al, 2009). All azimuths approach the same velocity trend towards the end of crater growth, as seen by Anderson, et al (2003). Reconstruction of the DI event by placing the scaled ejecta distribution from the experiments on the shape model (Thomas, et al, 2007) and matching the trajectory and view of the DI spacecraft permit comparison to the DI event. Investigation of the effect of target porosity and layering on the ejecta dynamics constrains the true nature of the impact conditions and surface structure of Tempel 1.

ON THE BIRTH MASSES OF THE ANCIENT GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conroy, Charlie; Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA

All globular clusters (GCs) studied to date show evidence for internal (star-to-star) variation in their light-element abundances (including Li, C, N, O, F, Na, Mg, Al, and probably He). These variations have been interpreted as evidence for multiple star formation episodes within GCs, with secondary episodes fueled, at least in part, by the ejecta of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars from a first generation of stars. A major puzzle emerging from this otherwise plausible scenario is that the fraction of stars associated with the second episode of star formation is observed to be much larger than expected for a standardmore » initial mass function. The present work investigates this tension by modeling the observed anti-correlation between [Na/Fe] and [O/Fe] for 20 Galactic GCs. If the abundance pattern of the retained AGB ejecta does not depend on GC mass at fixed [Fe/H], then a strong correlation is found between the fraction of current GC stellar mass composed of pure AGB ejecta, f{sub p} , and GC mass. This fraction varies from 0.20 at low masses (10{sup 4.5} M{sub Sun }) to 0.45 at high masses (10{sup 6.5} M{sub Sun }). The fraction of mass associated with pure AGB ejecta is directly related to the total mass of the cluster at birth; the ratio between the initial and present mass in stars can therefore be derived. Assuming a star formation efficiency of 50%, the observed Na-O anti-correlations imply that GCs were at least 10-20 times more massive at birth, a conclusion that is in qualitative agreement with previous work. These factors are lower limits because any mass-loss mechanism that removes first- and second-generation stars equally will leave f{sub p} unchanged. The mass dependence of f{sub p} probably arises because lower mass GCs are unable to retain all of the AGB ejecta from the first stellar generation. Recent observations of elemental abundances in intermediate-age Large Magellanic Cloud clusters are re-interpreted and shown to be consistent with this basic scenario. The small scatter in f{sub p} at fixed GC mass argues strongly that the process responsible for the large mass loss is internal to GCs. A satisfactory explanation of these trends is currently lacking.« less

Estimating the Contribution of Dynamical Ejecta in the Kilonova Associated with GW170817

DOE PAGES

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; ...

2017-12-01

The source of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal GW170817, very likely a binary neutron star merger, was also observed electromagnetically, providing the first multi-messenger observations of this type. The two-week-long electromagnetic (EM) counterpart had a signature indicative of an r-process-induced optical transient known as a kilonova. This Letter examines how the mass of the dynamical ejecta can be estimated without a direct electromagnetic observation of the kilonova, using GW measurements and a phenomenological model calibrated to numerical simulations of mergers with dynamical ejecta. Specifically, we apply the model to the binary masses inferred from the GW measurements, and use the resulting mass of the dynamical ejecta to estimate its contribution (without the effects of wind ejecta) to the corresponding kilonova light curves from various models. The distributions of dynamical ejecta mass range betweenmore » $${M}_{\\mathrm{ej}}={10}^{-3}-{10}^{-2}\\,{M}_{\\odot }$$ for various equations of state, assuming that the neutron stars are rotating slowly. In addition, we use our estimates of the dynamical ejecta mass and the neutron star merger rates inferred from GW170817 to constrain the contribution of events like this to the r-process element abundance in the Galaxy when ejecta mass from post-merger winds is neglected. We find that if ≳10% of the matter dynamically ejected from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers is converted to r-process elements, GW170817-like BNS mergers could fully account for the amount of r-process material observed in the Milky Way.« less

Surface erosion and sedimentation caused by ejecta from the lunar crater Tycho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shkuratov, Y.; Basilevsky, A.; Kaydash, V.; Ivanov, B.; Korokhin, V.; Videen, G.

2018-02-01

We use Kaguya MI images acquired at wavelengths 415, 750, and 950 nm to map TiO2 and FeO content and the parameter of optical maturity OMAT in lunar regions Lubiniezky E and Taurus-Littrow with a spatial resolution of 20 m using the Lucey method [Lucey et al., JGR 2000, 105. 20,297]. We show that some ejecta from large craters, such as Tycho and Copernicus may cause lunar surface erosion, transportation of the eroded material and its sedimentation. The traces of the erosion resemble wind tails observed on Earth, Mars, and Venus, although the Moon has no atmosphere. The highland material of the local topographic prominences could be mobilized by Tycho's granolometrically fine ejecta and caused by its transportation along the ejecta way to adjacent mare areas and subsequent deposition. The tails of mobilized material reveal lower abundances of Ti and Fe than the surrounding mare surface. We have concluded that high-Ti streaks also seen in the Lubiniezky E site, which show unusual combinations of the TiO2 and FeO content on the correlation diagram, could be the result of erosion by Tycho's ejecta too. In these locations, Tycho's material did not form a consolidated deposit, but resulted in erosion of the mare surface material that became intermixed, consequently, diluting the ejecta. The Taurus-Littrow did provide evidence of the mechanical effect of Tycho's ejecta on the local landforms (landslide, secondary craters) and do not show the compositional signature of Tycho's ejecta probably due to intermixing with local materials and dilution.

External Shock in a Multi-bursting Gamma-Ray Burst: Energy Injection Phase Induced by the Later Launched Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Da-Bin; Huang, Bao-Quan; Liu, Tong; Gu, Wei-Min; Mu, Hui-Jun; Liang, En-Wei

2018-01-01

Central engines of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may be intermittent and launch several episodes of ejecta separated by a long quiescent interval. In this scenario, an external shock is formed due to the propagation of the first launched ejecta into the circum-burst medium and the later launched ejecta may interact with the external shock at a later period. Owing to the internal dissipation, the later launched ejecta may be observed at a later time (t jet). In this paper, we study the relation of t b and t jet, where t b is the collision time of the later launched ejecta with the formed external shock. It is found that the relation of t b and t jet depends on the bulk Lorentz factor (Γjet) of the later launched ejecta and the density (ρ) of the circum-burst medium. If the value of Γjet or ρ is low, the t b would be significantly larger than t jet. However, the t b ∼ t jet can be found if the value of Γjet or ρ is significantly large. Our results can explain the large lag of the optical emission relative to the γ-ray/X-ray emission in GRBs, e.g., GRB 111209A. For GRBs with a precursor, our results suggest that the energy injection into the external shock and thus more than one external-reverse shock may appear in the main prompt emission phase. According to our model, we estimate the Lorentz factor of the second launched ejecta in GRB 160625B.

Well-preserved low thermal inertia ejecta deposits surrounding young secondary impact craters on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, J. R.; Christensen, P. R.

2017-06-01

Following the most recent updates to the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System daytime and nighttime infrared global mosaics, a colorized global map was produced that combines the thermophysical information from the nighttime infrared global mosaic with the morphologic context of the daytime infrared global mosaic. During the validation of this map, large numbers of low thermal inertia ejecta deposits surrounding small young impact craters were observed. A near-global survey (60°N-60°S) identified 4024 of these low thermal inertia ejecta deposits, which were then categorized based on their apparent state of degradation. Mapping their locations revealed that they occur almost exclusively in regions with intermediate-to-high thermal inertias, with distinct clusters in northern Terra Sirenum, Solis Planum, and southwestern Daedalia Planum. High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment images show that the thermophysically distinct facies of the deposits are well correlated with the estimated average ejecta grain sizes, which decrease with radial distance from the crater. Comparisons with recent primary impact craters and secondary impact craters surrounding Zunil Crater show that the low thermal inertia ejecta deposits very closely resemble the secondary craters, but not the primary craters. We conclude that the low thermal inertia ejecta deposits are secondary impact crater ejecta deposits, many of which originated from the rayed crater primary impact events, and are both well preserved and easily identifiable due to the absence of dust cover and aeolian modification that would otherwise reduce the thermal contrast between the ejecta facies and the surrounding terrain.

Estimating the Contribution of Dynamical Ejecta in the Kilonova Associated with GW170817

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.

The source of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal GW170817, very likely a binary neutron star merger, was also observed electromagnetically, providing the first multi-messenger observations of this type. The two-week-long electromagnetic (EM) counterpart had a signature indicative of an r-process-induced optical transient known as a kilonova. This Letter examines how the mass of the dynamical ejecta can be estimated without a direct electromagnetic observation of the kilonova, using GW measurements and a phenomenological model calibrated to numerical simulations of mergers with dynamical ejecta. Specifically, we apply the model to the binary masses inferred from the GW measurements, and use the resulting mass of the dynamical ejecta to estimate its contribution (without the effects of wind ejecta) to the corresponding kilonova light curves from various models. The distributions of dynamical ejecta mass range betweenmore » $${M}_{\\mathrm{ej}}={10}^{-3}-{10}^{-2}\\,{M}_{\\odot }$$ for various equations of state, assuming that the neutron stars are rotating slowly. In addition, we use our estimates of the dynamical ejecta mass and the neutron star merger rates inferred from GW170817 to constrain the contribution of events like this to the r-process element abundance in the Galaxy when ejecta mass from post-merger winds is neglected. We find that if ≳10% of the matter dynamically ejected from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers is converted to r-process elements, GW170817-like BNS mergers could fully account for the amount of r-process material observed in the Milky Way.« less

The Large Impact Process Inferred from the Geology of Lunar Multiring Basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spudis, Paul D.

1994-01-01

The study of the geology of multiring impact basins on the Moon over the past ten years has given us a rudimentary understanding of how these large structures have formed and evolved on the Moon and other bodies. Two-ring basins on the Moon begin to form at diameters of about 300 km; the transition diameter at which more than two rings appear is uncertain, but it appears to be between 400 and 500 km in diameter. Inner rings tend to be made up of clusters or aligned segments of massifs and are arranged into a crudely concentric pattern; scarp-like elements may or may not be present. Outer rings are much more scarp-like and massifs are rare to absent. Basins display textured deposits, interpreted as ejecta, extending roughly an apparent basin radius exterior to the main topographic rim. Ejecta may have various morphologies, ranging from wormy and hummocky deposits to knobby surfaces; the causes of these variations are not known, but may be related to the energy regime in which the ejecta are deposited. Outside the limits of the textured ejecta are found both fields of satellitic craters (secondaries) and light plains deposits. Impact melt sheets are observed on the floors of relatively unflooded basins. Samples of impact melts from lunar basins have basaltic major-element chemistry, characterized by K, rare-earth elements (REE), P, and other trace elements of varying concentration (KREEP); ages are between 3.8 and 3.9 Ga. These lithologies cannot be produced through the fusion of known pristine (plutonic) rock types, suggesting the occurrence of unknown lithologies within the Moon. These melts were probably generated at middle to lower crustal levels. Ejecta compositions, preservation of pre-basin topography, and deposit morphologies all indicate that the excavation cavity of multiring basins is between about 0.4 and 0.6 times the diameter of the apparent crater diameter. Basin depths of excavation can be inferred from the composition of basin ejecta. A variety of mechanisms has been proposed to account for the formation of basin rings but none of them are entirely plausible. Mechanisms can be divided into two broad groups: (1) forcible uplift due to fluidization of the target; (2) concentric, brittle, fracturing and failure of the target, on regional (megaterraces) to global scales (lithospheric fracturing). Most basin rings are spaced at a constant factor on all planets. Evidence supports divergent ringforming models, so it may be that the ring-locating mechanism differs from the ring-forming mechanism. Thus, large-scale crustal foundering (megaterracing) could occur along concentric zones of weakness created by some type of resonant wave mechanism (fluidization and uplift); such immediate crustal adjustment could then be followed by long-term adjustment of the fractured lithosphere.

Lunar Crater Ejecta: Physical Properties Revealed by Radar and Thermal Infrared Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghent, R. R.; Carter, L. M.; Bandfield, J. L.; Udovicic, C. J. Tai; Campbell, B. A.

2015-01-01

We investigate the physical properties, and changes through time, of lunar impact ejecta using radar and thermal infrared data. We use data from two instruments on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) - the Diviner thermal radiometer and the Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) radar instrument - together with Earth-based radar observations. We use this multiwavelength intercomparison to constrain block sizes and to distinguish surface from buried rocks in proximal ejecta deposits. We find that radar-detectable rocks buried within the upper meter of regolith can remain undisturbed by surface processes such as micrometeorite bombardment for greater than 3 Gyr. We also investigate the thermophysical properties of radar-dark haloes, comprised of fine-grained, rock-poor ejecta distal to the blocky proximal ejecta. Using Diviner data, we confirm that the halo material is depleted in surface rocks, but show that it is otherwise thermophysically indistinct from background regolith. We also find that radar-dark haloes, like the blocky ejecta, remain visible in radar observations for craters with ages greater than 3 Ga, indicating that regolith overturn processes cannot replenish their block populations on that timescale.

Properties of Neutrino-driven Ejecta from the Remnant of a Binary Neutron Star Merger: Pure Radiation Hydrodynamics Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujibayashi, Sho; Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Kiuchi, Kenta; Shibata, Masaru

2017-09-01

We performed general relativistic, long-term, axisymmetric neutrino radiation hydrodynamics simulations for the remnant formed after a binary neutron star merger, which consists of a massive neutron star and a torus surrounding it. As an initial condition, we employ the result derived in a three-dimensional, numerical relativity simulation for the binary neutron star merger. We investigate the properties of neutrino-driven ejecta. Due to the pair-annihilation heating, the dynamics of the neutrino-driven ejecta are significantly modified. The kinetic energy of the ejecta is about two times larger than that in the absence of pair-annihilation heating. This suggests that the pair-annihilation heating plays an important role in the evolution of merger remnants. The relativistic outflow, which is required for driving gamma-ray bursts, is not observed because the specific heating rate around the rotational axis is not sufficiently high, due to the baryon loading caused by the neutrino-driven ejecta from the massive neutron star. We discuss the condition for launching the relativistic outflow and the nucleosynthesis in the ejecta.

Exploring hotspots of pneumococcal pneumonia and potential impacts of ejecta dust exposure following the Christchurch earthquakes.

PubMed

Pearson, Amber L; Kingham, Simon; Mitchell, Peter; Apparicio, Philippe

2013-12-01

The etiology of pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) is well-known. Yet, some events may increase its incidence. Natural disasters may worsen air quality, a risk factor for PP. We investigated spatial/spatio-temporal clustering of PP pre- and post-earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. The earthquakes resulted in deaths, widespread damage and liquefaction ejecta (a source of air-borne dust). We tested for clusters and associations with ejecta, using 97 cases (diagnosed 10/2008-12/2011), adjusted for age and area-level deprivation. The strongest evidence to support the potential role of ejecta in clusters of PP cases was the: (1) geographic shift in the spatio-temporal cluster after deprivation adjustment to match the post-earthquake clusters and; (2) increased relative risk in the fully-adjusted post-earthquake compared to the pre-earthquake cluster. The application of spatial statistics to study PP and ejecta are novel. Further studies to assess the long-term impacts of ejecta inhalation are recommended particularly in Christchurch, where seismic activity continues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crater ejecta morphology and the presence of water on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Peter H.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this contribution is to review the possible effects of projectile, target, and environment on the cratering process. The discussion presented suggests that contradictions in interpreting Martian crater ejecta morphologies reflect oversimplifying the process as a singular consequence of buried water. It seem entirely possible that most ejecta facies could be produced without the presence of liquid water. However, the combination of extraordinary ejecta fluidity, absence of secondaries, and high ejection angles all would point to the combined effects of atmosphere and fluid rich substrates. Moreover, recent experiments revealing the broad scour zone associated with rapid vapor expansion may account for numerous craters in the circum-polar regions with subtle radial grooving extending 10 crater radii away with faint distal ramparts. Thus certain crater ejecta morphologies may yet provide fundamental clues for the presence of unbound water.

Phase Doppler Anemometry as an Ejecta Diagnostic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, David; Chapman, David

2015-06-01

When a shock wave is incident on a free surface, micron sized pieces of the material can be ejected from the surface. Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) is being developed to simultaneously measure the size and velocity of the individual shock induced ejecta particles. The measurements will provide an insight into ejecta phenomena. The results from experiments performed on the 13 mm bore light gas gun at the Institute of Shock Physics, Imperial College London are presented. Specially grooved tin targets were shocked at pressures of up to 14 GPa, below the melt on release pressure, to generate ejecta particles. The experiments are the first time that PDA has been successfully fielded on dynamic ejecta experiments. The results and the current state of the art of the technique are discussed along with the future improvements required to further improve performance and increase usability.

Phase Doppler anemometry as an ejecta diagnostic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, D. J.; Chapman, D. J.

2017-01-01

When a shock wave is incident on a free surface, micron sized pieces of the material can be ejected from that surface. Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) is being developed to simultaneously measure the sizes and velocities of the individual shock induced ejecta particles; providing an important insight into ejecta phenomena. The results from experiments performed on the 13 mm bore light gas gun at the Institute of Shock Physics, Imperial College London are presented. Specially grooved tin targets were shocked at pressures of up to 14 GPa, below the melt on release pressure, to generate ejecta particles. These experiments are the first time that PDA has been successfully fielded on dynamic ejecta experiments. The results and current state of the art of the technique are discussed along with the future improvements required to optimise performance and increase usability.

Small Rayed Crater Ejecta Retention Age Calculated from Current Crater Production Rates on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calef, F. J. III; Herrick, R. R.; Sharpton, V. L.

2011-01-01

Ejecta from impact craters, while extant, records erosive and depositional processes on their surfaces. Estimating ejecta retention age (Eret), the time span when ejecta remains recognizable around a crater, can be applied to estimate the timescale that surface processes operate on, thereby obtaining a history of geologic activity. However, the abundance of sub-kilometer diameter (D) craters identifiable in high resolution Mars imagery has led to questions of accuracy in absolute crater dating and hence ejecta retention ages (Eret). This research calculates the maximum Eret for small rayed impact craters (SRC) on Mars using estimates of the Martian impactor flux adjusted for meteorite ablation losses in the atmosphere. In addition, we utilize the diameter-distance relationship of secondary cratering to adjust crater counts in the vicinity of the large primary crater Zunil.

Eta Carinae and the Homunculus: An Astrophysical Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gull, Theodore R.

2006-01-01

High spatial resolution spectroscopy with HST/STIS between 1998.0 and 2004.2 has provided much exciting information about the central binary system and the physics of its N-rich, C,O-poor ejecta. Stellar He I profiles, noticeably blue-shifted relative to P Cygni H and Fe II line profiles, originate from the ionized wind region between two massive companions. Changes in profiles of He I singlet and triplet lines provide clues to the excitation mechanisms involved as the hot, UV companion moves in its highly eccentric orbit. For 90% of the 5.54-year period, the spectra of nearby Weigelt blobs and the Little Homunculus include highly excited emission lines of Ar, Ne, and Fe. During the few month-long spectroscopic minimum, these systems are deprived of Lyman continuum. Recombination, plus cooling, occurs. In the skirt region between the bipolar Homunculus, a neutral emission region, devoid of hydrogen emission, glows in Ti II, Fe I, Sr II, Sc II, etc. We find the ejecta to have Ti/Ni abundances nearly 100 times solar, not due to nuclear processing, but due to lack of oxygen. Many metals normally tied up in interstellar dust remain in gaseous phase. Much information is being obtained on the physical processes in these warm N-rich gases, whose excitation varies with time in a predictable pattern. Indeed recent GRB high dispersion spectra include signatures of circumGRB warm gases. This indicates that the early, primordial massive stars have warm massive ejecta reminiscent to that around Eta Carinae.

Constraining planetary atmospheric density: application of heuristic search algorithms to aerodynamic modeling of impact ejecta trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z. Y. C.; Shirzaei, M.

2015-12-01

Impact craters on the terrestrial planets are typically surrounded by a continuous ejecta blanket that the initial emplacement is via ballistic sedimentation. Following an impact event, a significant volume of material is ejected and falling debris surrounds the crater. Aerodynamics rule governs the flight path and determines the spatial distribution of these ejecta. Thus, for the planets with atmosphere, the preserved ejecta deposit directly recorded the interaction of ejecta and atmosphere at the time of impact. In this study, we develop a new framework to establish links between distribution of the ejecta, age of the impact and the properties of local atmosphere. Given the radial distance of the continuous ejecta extent from crater, an inverse aerodynamic modeling approach is employed to estimate the local atmospheric drags and density as well as the lift forces at the time of impact. Based on earlier studies, we incorporate reasonable value ranges for ejection angle, initial velocity, aerodynamic drag, and lift in the model. In order to solve the trajectory differential equations, obtain the best estimate of atmospheric density, and the associated uncertainties, genetic algorithm is applied. The method is validated using synthetic data sets as well as detailed maps of impact ejecta associated with five fresh martian and two lunar impact craters, with diameter of 20-50 m, 10-20 m, respectively. The estimated air density for martian carters range 0.014-0.028 kg/m3, consistent with the recent surface atmospheric density measurement of 0.015-0.020 kg/m3. This constancy indicates the robustness of the presented methodology. In the following, the inversion results for the lunar craters yield air density of 0.003-0.008 kg/m3, which suggest the inversion results are accurate to the second decimal place. This framework will be applied to older martian craters with preserved ejecta blankets, which expect to constrain the long-term evolution of martian atmosphere.

Low-Energy Impacts onto Lunar Regolith Simulant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seward, Laura M.; Colwell, J.; Mellon, M.; Stemm, B.

2012-10-01

Low-Energy Impacts onto Lunar Regolith Simulant Laura M. Seward1, Joshua E. Colwell1, Michael T. Mellon2, and Bradley A. Stemm1, 1Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, 2Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. Impacts and cratering in space play important roles in the formation and evolution of planetary bodies. Low-velocity impacts and disturbances to planetary regolith are also a consequence of manned and robotic exploration of planetary bodies such as the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. We are conducting a program of laboratory experiments to study low-velocity impacts of 1 to 5 m/s into JSC-1 lunar regolith simulant, JSC-Mars-1 Martian regolith simulant, and silica targets under 1 g. We use direct measurement of ejecta mass and high-resolution video tracking of ejecta particle trajectories to derive ejecta mass velocity distributions. Additionally, we conduct similar experiments under microgravity conditions in a laboratory drop tower and on parabolic aircraft with velocities as low as 10 cm/s. We wish to characterize and understand the collision parameters that control the outcome of low-velocity impacts into regolith, including impact velocity, impactor mass, target shape and size distribution, regolith depth, target relative density, and crater depth, and to experimentally determine the functional dependencies of the outcomes of low-velocity collisions (ejecta mass and ejecta velocities) on the controlling parameters of the collision. We present results from our ongoing study showing the positive correlation between impact energy and ejecta mass. The total ejecta mass is also dependent on the packing density (porosity) of the regolith. We find that ejecta mass velocity fits a power-law or broken power-law distribution. Our goal is to understand the physics of ejecta production and regolith compaction in low-energy impacts and experimentally validate predictive models for dust flow and deposition. We will present our results from one-g and microgravity impact experiments.

The Crater Ejecta Distribution on Ceres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmedemann, Nico; Neesemann, Adrian; Schulzeck, Franziska; Krohn, Katrin; Gathen, Isabel; Otto, Katharina; Jaumann, Ralf; Michael, Gregory; Raymond, Carol; Russell, Christopher

2017-04-01

Since March 6 2015 the Dawn spacecraft [1] has been in orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. At small crater diameters Ceres appears to be peppered with secondary craters that often align in chains or form clusters. Some of such possible crater chains follow curved geometries and are not in a radial orientation with respect to possible source craters [2]. Ceres is a fast rotating body ( 9 h per revolution) with comparatively low surface gravity ( 0.27 m/s2). A substantial fraction of impact ejecta may be launched with velocities similar to Ceres' escape velocity (510 m/s), which implies that many ejected particles follow high and long trajectories. Thus, due to Ceres' fast rotation the distribution pattern of the reimpacting ejected material is heavily affected by Coriolis forces that results in a highly asymmetrical and curved pattern of secondary crater chains. In order to simulate flight trajectories and distribution of impact ejected material for individual craters on Ceres we used the scaling laws by [3] adjusted to the Cerean impact conditions [4] and the impact ejecta model by [5]. These models provide the starting conditions for tracer particles in the simulation. The trajectories of the particles are computed as n-body simulation. The simulation calculates the positions and impact velocities of each impacting tracer particle with respect to the rotating surface of Ceres, which is approximated by a two-axis ellipsoid. Initial results show a number of interesting features in the simulated deposition geometries of specific crater ejecta. These features are roughly in agreement with features that can be observed in Dawn imaging data of the Cerean surface. For example: ray systems of fresh impact craters, non-radial crater chains and global scale border lines of higher and lower color ratio areas. Acknowledgment: This work has been supported by the German Space Agency (DLR) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany, grants 50 OW 1505 (NS, AN) and 50 QM 1301 (GM), and Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (Helmholtz Association) PD-207 (KK). We thank the Dawn flight team for their excellent job of navigating and maintaining the probe. References: [1] C. T. Russell, et al., Science, 353, 1008 (2016). [2] J. E. C. Scully et al., American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #48, id.321.02 (2016). [3] B. A. Ivanov, Space Science Reviews, 96, 87 (2001). [4] H. Hiesinger et al., Science, 353, 1003 (2016). [5] K. R. Housen and K. A. Holsapple, Icarus, 211, 856 (2011).

MUSEing about the SHAPE of eta Car's outer ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehner, A.; Steffen, W.; Groh, J.; Vogt, F. P. A.; Baade, D.; Boffin, H. M. J.; de Wit, W. J.; Oudmaijer, R. D.; Rivinius, T.; Selman, F.

2017-11-01

The role of episodic mass loss in evolved massive stars is one of the outstanding questions in stellar evolution theory. Integral field spectroscopy of nebulae around massive stars provide information on their recent mass-loss history. η Car is one of the most massive evolved stars and is surrounded by a complex circumstellar environment. We have conducted a three-dimensional morpho-kinematic analysis of η Car's ejecta outside its famous Homunculus nebula. SHAPE modelling of VLT MUSE data establish unequivocally the spatial cohesion of the outer ejecta and the correlation of ejecta with the soft X-ray emission.

Ejection and Lofting of Dust from Hypervelocity Impacts on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermalyn, B.; Schultz, P. H.

2011-12-01

Hypervelocity impact events mobilize and redistribute fine-grained regolith dust across the surfaces of planetary bodies. The ejecta mass-velocity distribution controls the location and emplacement of these materials. The current flux of material falling on the moon is dominated by small bolides and should cause frequent impacts that eject dust at high speeds. For example, approximately 25 LCROSS-sized (~20-30m diameter) craters are statistically expected to be formed naturally on the moon during any given earth year. When scaled to lunar conditions, the high-speed component of ejecta from hypervelocity impacts can be lofted for significant periods of time (as evidenced by the LCROSS mission results, c.f., Schultz, et al., 2010, Colaprete, et al., 2010). Even at laboratory scales, ejecta can approach orbital velocities; the higher impact speeds and larger projectiles bombarding the lunar surface may permit a significant portion of material to be launched closer to escape velocity. When these ejecta return to the surface (or encounter local topography), they impact at hundreds of meters per second or faster, thereby "scouring" the surface with low mass oblique impacts. While these high-speed ejecta represent only a small fraction of the total ejected mass, the lofting and subsequent ballistic return of this dust has the highest mobilization potential and will be directly applicable to the upcoming LADEE mission. A suite of hypervelocity impact experiments into granular materials was performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). This study incorporates both canonical sand targets and air-fall pumice dust to simulate the mechanical properties of lunar regolith. The implementation of a Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) technique permits non-intrusive measurement of the ejecta velocity distribution within the ejecta curtain by following the path of individual ejecta particles. The PTV system developed at the AVGR uses a series of high-speed cameras (ranging from 11,000 to 500,000 frames per second) to allow measurement of particle velocity over the large dynamic range required for early-time, high-speed components of ejecta. Preliminary results for impacts into sand (Hermalyn and Schultz, 2010, 2011) reveal that early in the cratering process, ejection velocities are higher than assumed by dimensional scaling laws (Housen, et al., 1983). Moreover, the ejection angles of this early-time component are initially low (~30°) and gradually increase to reach nominal ejection angles (~45° for impacts into sand). In this study, we assess the expected ejecta velocities on the moon from the current impact flux and the possible effects of the secondary impacts of ejecta dust particles. By convolving these ejecta measurements with the lunar impact flux rate, an estimate can be derived for the amount and ballistic flight time of dust lofted above the surface of the moon over a given year.

The Late Pliocene Eltanin Impact - Documentation From Sediment Core Analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gersonde, R.; Kuhn, G.; Kyte, F. T.; Flores, J.; Becquey, S.

2002-12-01

The expeditions ANT-XII/4 (1995) and ANT-XVIII/5a (2001) of the RV POLARSTERN collected extensive bathymetric and seismic data sets as well as sediment cores from an area in the Bellingshausen Sea (eastern Pacific Southern Ocean) that allow the first comprehensive geoscientific documentation of an asteroid impact into a deep ocean (~ 5 km) basin, named the Eltanin impact. Impact deposits have now been recovered from a total of more than 20 sediment cores collected in an area covering about 80,000 km2. Combined biomagnetostratigraphic dating places the impact event into the earliest Matuyama Chron, a period of enhanced climate variability. Sediment texture analyses and studies of sediment composition including grain size and microfossil distribution reveal the pattern of impact-related sediment disturbance and the sedimentary processes immediately following the impact event. The pattern is complicated by the San Martin Seamounts (~57.5 S, 91 W), a large topographic elevation that rises up to 3000 m above the surrounding abyssal plain in the area affected by the Eltanin impact. The impact ripped up sediments as old as Eocene and probably Paleocene that have been redeposited in a chaotic assemblage. This is followed by a sequence sedimented from a turbulent flow at the sea floor, overprinted by fall-out of airborne meteoritic ejecta that settled trough the water column. Grain size distribution reveals the timing and interaction of the different sedimentary processes. The gathered estimate of ejecta mass deposited over the studied area, composed of shock-melted asteroidal matrial and unmelted meteorites including fragments up to 2.5 cm in diameter, point to an Eltanin asteroid larger than the 1 km in diameter size originally suggested as a minimum based on the ANT-XII/4 results. This places the energy released by the impact at the threshold of those considered to cause environmental disturbance at a global scale and it makes the impact a likely transport mechanism explaining the presence of extinct Cenozoic microfossils in the transantarctic Sirius Unit. Although a crater structure representing Eltanin ground zero has not been discovered, the distribution pattern of sediment disturbance and ejecta deposits now allows to better determine the central target area north of the San Martin Seamounts.

The Late Pliocene Eltanin Impact: Documentation From Sediment Core Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gersonde, R.; Kyte, F.; Flores, J. A.; Becquey, S.

2002-01-01

The expeditions ANT-XII/4 (1995) and ANT-XVIII/5a (2001) of the RV POLARSTERN collected extensive bathymetric and seismic data sets as well as sediment cores from an area in the Bellingshausen Sea (eastern Pacific Southern Ocean) that allow the first comprehensive geoscientific documentation of an asteroid impact into a deep ocean (approx. 5 km) basin, named the Eltanin impact. Impact deposits have now been recovered from a total of more than 20 sediment cores collected in an area covering about 80,000 km2. Combined biomagnetostratigraphic dating places the impact event into the earliest Matuyama Chron, a period of enhanced climate variability. Sediment texture analyses and studies of sediment composition including grain size and microfossil distribution reveal the pattern of impact- related sediment disturbance and the sedimentary processes immediately following the impact event. The pattern is complicated by the San Martin Seamounts (approx. 57.5 S, 91 W), a large topographic elevation that rises up to 3000 m above the surrounding abyssal plain in the area affected by the Eltanin impact. The impact ripped up sediments as old as Eocene and probably Paleocene that have been redeposited in a chaotic assemblage. This is followed by a sequence sedimented from a turbulent flow at the sea floor, overprinted by fall-out of airborne meteoritic ejecta that settled trough the water column. Grain size distribution reveals the timing and interaction of the different sedimentary processes. The gathered estimate of ejecta mass deposited over the studied area, composed of shock-melted asteroidal material and unmelted meteorites including fragments up to 2.5 cm in diameter, point to an Eltanin asteroid larger than the 1 km in diameter size originally suggested as a minimum based on the ANT-XII/4 results. This places the energy released by the impact at the threshold of those considered to cause environmental disturbance at a global scale and it makes the impact a likely transport mechanism explaining the presence of extinct Cenozoic microfossils in the transantarctic Sirius Unit. Although a crater structure representing Eltanin ground zero has not been discovered, the distribution pattern of sediment disturbance and ejecta deposits now allows to better determine the central target area north of the San Martin Seamounts.

Topographic Analysis of the Asymmetric Ejecta of Zunil Crater, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mouginis-Mark, P. J.; Sharpton, V. L.

2016-12-01

The 10.1 km diameter crater Zunil (7.7oN, 166.2oE) has many of the attributes of a fresh impact crater on Mars, including pitted material on the crater floor, an extensive field of secondary craters, as well as thermally-distinct crater rays. But unlike most craters of this size and location, Zunil crater displays a striking azimuthal variation in ejecta deposits with both fluidized and ballistic ejecta. Here we investigate the geometric attributes of the crater cavity and rim to try to identify the cause of this ejecta asymmetry, as well as the possible explanation for the formation of the ballistic ejecta. To accomplish this, we have created a digital elevation model (DEM) from stereo Context Camera (CTX) images, using the Ames Stereo Pipeline software. We used CTX frames F06_038250_1877 and G05_020211_1877 to produce a DEM with a nominal spatial resolution of 24 m/pixel, and use this DEM to conduct a detailed morphometric analysis of the crater in order to ascertain the nature of this "lobate-ballistic ejecta dichotomy", as well as derive new information on local target properties and the nature of the impact process itself. Measuring the rim height and radius at one-degree increments of azimuth, we find there are numerous places on the rim crest that are both higher and wider, or lower and narrower, than is typical for Zunil crater. There are places where rim height and radius are both close to average, while in other places both the rim height and radius are larger or smaller than the average. There is also a lack of consistency between the geometry of the crater and the type of ejecta; namely no direct correlation between rim height, crater radius, and ejecta type, but a slight negative correlation between radius and rim height for parts of the crater which possess ballistic ejecta. We find good circumstantial evidence that some of the target rock within which Zunil crater formed may have been dry at the time of impact compared to other craters of this size, latitude and elevation. We speculate that this lack of volatiles most likely arose from the drainage of water to depths greater than the excavation depth of Zunil crater. The asymmetric nature of the ejecta blanket argues strongly against the notion that the Martian atmosphere was partially responsible for ejecta fluidization.

Hydrodynamic Simulations of Ejecta Production From Shocked Metallic Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karkhanis, Varad Abhimanyu

The phenomenon of mass ejection into vacuum from a shocked metallic free surfaces can have a deleterious effect on the implosion phase of the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) process. Often, the ejecta take the form of a cloud of particles that are the result of microjetting sourced from imperfections on the metallic free surface. Significant progress has been achieved in the understanding of ejecta dynamics by treating the process as a limiting case of the baroclinically-driven Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability (RMI). This conceptual picture is complicated by several practical considerations including breakup of spikes due to surface tension and yield strength of the metal. Thus, the problem involves a wide range of physical phenomena, occurring often under extreme conditions of material behavior. We describe an approach in which continuum simulations using ideal gases can be used to capture key aspects of ejecta growth associated with the RMI. The approach exploits the analogy between the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions for ideal gases and the linear relationship between the shock velocity and particle velocity governing shocked metals. Such simulations with Upsilon-law fluids have been successful in accurately predicting the velocity and mass of ejecta for different shapes, and in excellent agreement with experiments. We use the astrophysical FLASH code, developed at the University of Chicago to model this problem. Based on insights from our simulations, we suggest a modified expression for ejecta velocities that is valid for large initial perturbation amplitudes. The expression for velocities is extended to ejecta originating from cavities with any arbitrary shape. The simulations are also used to validate a recently proposed source model for ejecta that predicts the ejected mass per unit area for sinusoidal and non-standard shapes. Such simulations and theoretical models play an important role in the design of target experiment campaigns.

Mass Ejection from the Remnant of a Binary Neutron Star Merger: Viscous-radiation Hydrodynamics Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujibayashi, Sho; Kiuchi, Kenta; Nishimura, Nobuya; Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Shibata, Masaru

2018-06-01

We perform long-term general relativistic neutrino radiation hydrodynamics simulations (in axisymmetry) for a massive neutron star (MNS) surrounded by a torus, which is a canonical remnant formed after the binary neutron star merger. We take into account the effects of viscosity, which is likely to arise in the merger remnant due to magnetohydrodynamical turbulence. The viscous effect plays key roles for the mass ejection from the remnant in two phases of the evolution. In the first t ≲ 10 ms, a differential rotation state of the MNS is changed to a rigidly rotating state. A shock wave caused by the variation of its quasi-equilibrium state induces significant mass ejection of mass ∼(0.5–2.0) × {10}-2 {M}ȯ for the α-viscosity parameter of 0.01–0.04. For the longer-term evolution with ∼0.1–10 s, a significant fraction of the torus material is ejected. We find that the total mass of the viscosity-driven ejecta (≳ {10}-2 {M}ȯ ) could dominate over that of the dynamical ejecta (≲ {10}-2 {M}ȯ ). The electron fraction, Y e , of the ejecta is always high enough (Y e ≳ 0.25) that this post-merger ejecta is lanthanide-poor; hence, the opacity of the ejecta is likely to be ∼10–100 times lower than that of the dynamical ejecta. This indicates that the electromagnetic signal from the ejecta would be rapidly evolving, bright, and blue if it is observed from a small viewing angle (≲45°) for which the effect of the dynamical ejecta is minor.

Ejecta from large craters on the moon - Comments on the geometric model of McGetchin et al

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pike, R. J.

1974-01-01

Amendments to a quantitative scheme developed by T. R. McGetchin et al. (1973) for predicting the distribution of ejecta from lunar basins yield substantially thicker estimates of ejecta, deposited at the basin rim-crest and at varying ranges beyond, than does the original model. Estimates of the total volume of material ejected from a basin, illustrated by Imbrium, also are much greater. Because many uncertainties affect any geometric model developed primarily from terrestrial analogs of lunar craters, predictions of ejecta thickness and volume on the moon may range within at least an order of magnitude. These problems are exemplified by the variability of T, thickness of ejecta at the rim-crest of terrestrial experimental craters. The proportion of T to crater rim-height depends critically upon scaled depth-of-burst and whether the explosive is nuclear or chemical.

Properties of Ejecta Generated at High-Velocity Perforation of Thin Bumpers made from Different Constructional Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myagkov, N. N.; Shumikhin, T. A.; Bezrukov, L. N.

2013-08-01

The series of impact experiments were performed to study the properties of ejecta generated at high-velocity perforation of thin bumpers. The bumpers were aluminum plates, fiber-glass plastic plates, and meshes weaved of steel wire. The projectiles were 6.35 mm diameter aluminum spheres. The impact velocities ranged from 1.95 to 3.52 km/s. In the experiments the ejecta particles were captured with low-density foam collectors or registered with the use of aluminum foils. The processing of the experimental results allowed us to estimate the total masses, spatial and size distributions, and perforating abilities of the ejecta produced from these different bumpers. As applied to the problem of reducing the near-Earth space pollution caused by the ejecta, the results obtained argue against the use of aluminum plates as first (outer) bumper in spacecraft shield protection.

The Chicxulub impact at the K-Pg boundary - search for traces of the projectile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deutsch, A.

2012-04-01

One of the most interesting problems in the context of the end-Cretaceous Chicxulub impact is the question after the whererabouts of the main mass of the projectile. The nature of this >10 km-sized Chicxulub projectile was constrained by an anomaly in the chromium isotope 54 in the K-Pg deposit at Stevens Klint, Denmark, to a carbonaceous chondrite of type CM2 [1]. About 1.5 % of the estimated mass of the projectile has been detected world-wide in the K-Pg boundary layer; mainly in the form of platinum group elements (PGE) as well as other siderophile elements (Ni, Co ... ). A contamination by or even a major contribution of other "projectile" elements to the K-Pg event bed was rarely proposed. The few examples in the literature (cf. compilation in [2, 3]) used rare earth elements (REE) distribution patterns that are slightly inconsistent with REE patterns typical for the upper continental crust (UCC). Ejecta consisting of UCC target rocks is expected to form the overwhelming mass of the ejecta. In most K-Pg layers, however, the ejecta is diluted or even totally masked by a component of more local origin and with features of high-energy deposition mechanisms. Numerical models [4] indicate a deposition of >500km3 projectile material, corresponding to >2 x 10exp9 tons of mainly silica, iron, and magnesium in the K-Pg event bed. Detecting the "meteoritic" origin of these major elements, however, in a matrix of siliceous detritus, is practically impossible. Recent LA-ICP-MS analyses show that siliceous impact spherules - hydrated glass or altered to chlorite - in the Chicxulub event bed at various locations (e.g., Shell Creek, La Lajilla, La Popa) have REE patterns that are flat and un-fractionated, corresponding quite well to a typical CI-pattern. The REE abundances are chondritic to sub-chondritic. Mixing calculations indicate that the maximum REE contribution of UCC material to the REE budget of these spherules is on the order of 2 %, but usually much less. These flat REE patterns cannot originate from any known alteration process; they truly reflect a "meteoritic" component in the spherules. Accepting this fact, a certain amount of the siliceous host material (i.e., the spherules) must consist also of projectile material. Depending on the sampling site, the spherules with the flat REE distribution patterns amount to between 10 and ~70 vol% of the Chicxulub event bed. The widespread occurrence of this projectile matter in the K-Pg event bed reconciles observations with impact models [4]. Ref. [1] Trinquier A. et al. (2006) EPSL 241, 780-788. [2] Smit J. (1999) Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 27, 75-113. [3] Schulte P. et al. (2010) Science 327, 1214-1218. [4] Artemieva N. and Morgan J. (2009) Icarus 201, 768-780.

Flung Far from Home

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1Figure 2 [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 3

The rock dubbed 'Bounce' at Meridiani Planum, Mars, may have been thrown onto the plains during an impact that formed a 25-kilometer-diameter (15.5-mile) crater (arrow) located 50 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site (to the right of ellipse center). This infrared Mars Odyssey image taken by the thermal emission imaging system shows the pattern of ejecta, or material, thrown from the large crater. Rays of this rocky material can be seen radiating outward from the crater. The Opportunity landing site is close to one of these rays, as well as other rays of small impact craters seen in high-resolution Mars Odyssey camera images within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of the landing site. Bounce rock may be a smaller piece of material ejected onto the plains by this impact event.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 above, infrared images increasing in zoom, taken by the thermal emission imaging system on the Mars Odyssey orbiter at night, show the pattern of ejecta, or material, thrown from the large crater. Large rocks on the surface stay warm at night and produce a bright signature. Rays of this rocky material can be seen radiating outward from the crater.

Mass loading of the Earth's magnetosphere by micron size lunar ejecta. 1: Ejecta production and orbital dynamics in cislunar space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, W. M.; Tanner, W. G.; Anz, P. D.; Chen, A. L.

1986-01-01

Particulate matter possessing lunar escape velocity sufficient to enhance the cislunar meteroid flux was investigated. While the interplanetary flux was extensively studied, lunar ejecta created by the impact of this material on the lunar surface is only now being studied. Two recently reported flux models are employed to calculate the total mass impacting the lunar surface due to sporadic meteor flux. There is ample evidence to support the contention that the sporadic interplanetary meteoroid flux enhances the meteroid flux of cislunar space through the creation of micron and submicron lunar ejecta with lunar escape velocity.

Mass loading of the Earth's magnetosphere by micron size lunar ejecta. 2: Ejecta dynamics and enhanced lifetimes in the Earth's magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, W. M.; Tanner, W. G.; Anz, P. D.; Chen, A. L.

1986-01-01

Extensive studies were conducted concerning the indivdual mass, temporal and positional distribution of micron and submicron lunar ejecta existing in the Earth-Moon gravitational sphere of influence. Initial results show a direct correlation between the position of the Moon, relative to the Earth, and the percentage of lunar ejecta leaving the Moon and intercepting the magnetosphere of the Earth at the magnetopause surface. It is seen that the Lorentz Force dominates all other forces, thus suggesting that submicron dust particles might possibly be magnetically trapped in the well known radiation zones.

Global and local re-impact and velocity regime of ballistic ejecta of boulder craters on Ceres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulzeck, F.; Schröder, S. E.; Schmedemann, N.; Stephan, K.; Jaumann, R.; Raymond, C. A.; Russell, C. T.

2018-04-01

Imaging by the Dawn-spacecraft reveals that fresh craters on Ceres below 40 km often exhibit numerous boulders. We investigate how the fast rotating, low-gravity regime on Ceres influences their deposition. We analyze size-frequency distributions of ejecta blocks of twelve boulder craters. Global and local landing sites of boulder crater ejecta and boulder velocities are determined by the analytical calculation of elliptic particle trajectories on a rotating body. The cumulative distributions of boulder diameters follow steep-sloped power-laws. We do not find a correlation between boulder size and the distance of a boulder to its primary crater. Due to Ceres' low gravitational acceleration and fast rotation, ejecta of analyzed boulder craters (8-31 km) can be deposited across the entire surface of the dwarf planet. The particle trajectories are strongly influenced by the Coriolis effect as well as the impact geometry. Fast ejecta of high-latitude craters accumulate close to the pole of the opposite hemisphere. Fast ejecta of low-latitude craters wraps around the equator. Rotational effects are also relevant for the low-velocity regime. Boulders are ejected at velocities up to 71 m/s.

A Missing-link in the Supernova-GRB Connection: The Case of SN 2012ap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborti, Sayan; Soderberg, Alicia; Chomiuk, Laura; Kamble, Atish; Yadav, Naveen; Ray, Alak; Hurley, Kevin; Margutti, Raffaella; Milisavljevic, Dan; Bietenholz, Michael; Brunthaler, Andreas; Pignata, Giuliano; Pian, Elena; Mazzali, Paolo; Fransson, Claes; Bartel, Norbert; Hamuy, Mario; Levesque, Emily; MacFadyen, Andrew; Dittmann, Jason; Krauss, Miriam; Briggs, M. S.; Connaughton, V.; Yamaoka, K.; Takahashi, T.; Ohno, M.; Fukazawa, Y.; Tashiro, M.; Terada, Y.; Murakami, T.; Goldsten, J.; Barthelmy, S.; Gehrels, N.; Cummings, J.; Krimm, H.; Palmer, D.; Golenetskii, S.; Aptekar, R.; Frederiks, D.; Svinkin, D.; Cline, T.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Golovin, D.; Litvak, M. L.; Sanin, A. B.; Boynton, W.; Fellows, C.; Harshman, K.; Enos, H.; von Kienlin, A.; Rau, A.; Zhang, X.; Savchenko, V.

2015-06-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are characterized by ultra-relativistic outflows, while supernovae are generally characterized by non-relativistic ejecta. GRB afterglows decelerate rapidly, usually within days, because their low-mass ejecta rapidly sweep up a comparatively larger mass of circumstellar material. However, supernovae with heavy ejecta can be in nearly free expansion for centuries. Supernovae were thought to have non-relativistic outflows except for a few relativistic ones accompanied by GRBs. This clear division was blurred by SN 2009bb, the first supernova with a relativistic outflow without an observed GRB. However, the ejecta from SN 2009bb was baryon loaded and in nearly free expansion for a year, unlike GRBs. We report the first supernova discovered without a GRB but with rapidly decelerating mildly relativistic ejecta, SN 2012ap. We discovered a bright and rapidly evolving radio counterpart driven by the circumstellar interaction of the relativistic ejecta. However, we did not find any coincident GRB with an isotropic fluence of more than one-sixth of the fluence from GRB 980425. This shows for the first time that central engines in SNe Ic, even without an observed GRB, can produce both relativistic and rapidly decelerating outflows like GRBs.

Summary of the results from the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment (LADEE) Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horanyi, Mihaly

2016-07-01

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission (9/2013 - 4/2014) discovered a permanently present dust cloud engulfing the Moon. The size, velocity, and density distributions of the dust particles are consistent with ejecta clouds generated from the continual bombardment of the lunar surface by sporadic interplanetary dust particles. Intermittent density enhancements were observed during several of the annual meteoroid streams, especially during the Geminids. LDEX found no evidence of the expected density enhancements over the terminators where electrostatic processes were predicted to efficiently loft small grains. LDEX is an impact ionization dust detector, it captures coincident signals and full waveforms to reliably identify dust impacts. LDEX recorded average impact rates of approximately 1 and 0.1 hits/minute of particles with impact charges of q > 0.5 and q > 5 fC, corresponding to particles with radii of a > 0.3 and a> 0.7~μm, respectively. Several of the yearly meteor showers generated sustained elevated levels of impact rates, especially if their radiant direction intersected the lunar surface near the equatorial plane, greatly enhancing the probability of crossing their ejecta plumes. The characteristic velocities of dust particles in the cloud are on the order of ~100 m/s which we neglect compared to the typical spacecraft speeds of 1.6 km/s. Hence, with the knowledge of the spacecraft orbit and attitude, impact rates can be directly turned into particle densities as functions of time and position. LDEX observations are the first to identify the ejecta clouds around the Moon sustained by the continual bombardment of interplanetary dust particles. Most of the dust particles generated in impacts have insufficient energy to escape and follow ballistic orbits, returning to the surface, 'gardening' the regolith. Similar ejecta clouds are expected to engulf all airless planetary objects, including the Moon, Mercury, and the moons of Mars: Phobos and Deimos.

Late Eocene impacts: Geologic record, correlation, and paleoenvironmental consequences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poag, C. Wylie; Mankinen, Edward A.; Norris, Richard D.

2003-01-01

We present new magnetostratigraphic and stable isotopic (18C, 13Ccarb) data to help improve correlations among three late Eocene impact craters and their inferred breccia and ejecta deposits. Our analyses also shed light on potential global environmental consequences attributable to the impacts. The new data come from a continuously cored interval of the subsurface Chickahominy Formation, which lies conformably above the Chesapeake Bay impact crater in southeastern Virginia. The new magnetostratigraphic data indicate that the Chesapeake Bay impact took place in Chron C16n. 2n, the same magnetochron that encompasses the late Eocene ejecta layer at Massignano, Italy. This correlation places both the Chesapeake Bay impact and the Massignano ejecta at ~35.6 Ma, and resolves a previous miscorrelation between these two sites based on planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils. The new magnetostratigraphic correlations also suggest that the published magnetostratigraphic framework for ejecta-bearing late Eocene strata ar ODP Site 689B (Maud Rise) is incorrect, due to an incomplete section.New 18C data (single species of benthic foraminifera) from the same Chickahominy section ar Chesapeake Bay indicate that successional intervals of warm oceanic bottom-water may be characteristic of the late Eocene. We infer that the warm intervals correlate with successive episodes of greenhouse warming, triggered in part by a comer shower, which produced the Chesapeake Bay, Toms Canyon, Popigai, and presumably additional (as yet undiscovered) late Eocene impact craters. We also demonstrate that a marked negative execution of 13Ccarb persists through the upper half of the Chickahominy Formation. This excursion, also recorded at Massigno, at Bath Cliff, Barbados, and at other widespread localities in the world ocean, may be additional evidence of global-scale, long-term environmental disturbances related to the bolide impacts. As such, this  13C signal may be useful for global subdivision of the late Eocene stratigraphic record.

2014 Mount Ontake eruption: characteristics of the phreatic eruption as inferred from aerial observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, Takayuki; Maeno, Fukashi; Nakada, Setsuya

2016-05-01

The sudden eruption of Mount Ontake on September 27, 2014, led to a tragedy that caused more than 60 fatalities including missing persons. In order to mitigate the potential risks posed by similar volcano-related disasters, it is vital to have a clear understanding of the activity status and progression of eruptions. Because the erupted material was largely disturbed while access was strictly prohibited for a month, we analyzed the aerial photographs taken on September 28. The results showed that there were three large vents in the bottom of the Jigokudani valley on September 28. The vent in the center was considered to have been the main vent involved in the eruption, and the vents on either side were considered to have been formed by non-explosive processes. The pyroclastic flows extended approximately 2.5 km along the valley at an average speed of 32 km/h. The absence of burned or fallen trees in this area indicated that the temperatures and destructive forces associated with the pyroclastic flow were both low. The distribution of ballistics was categorized into four zones based on the number of impact craters per unit area, and the furthest impact crater was located 950 m from the vents. Based on ballistic models, the maximum initial velocity of the ejecta was estimated to be 111 m/s. Just after the beginning of the eruption, very few ballistic ejecta had arrived at the summit, even though the eruption plume had risen above the summit, which suggested that a large amount of ballistic ejecta was expelled from the volcano several tens-of-seconds after the beginning of the eruption. This initial period was characterized by the escape of a vapor phase from the vents, which then caused the explosive eruption phase that generated large amounts of ballistic ejecta via sudden decompression of a hydrothermal reservoir.

The Three-Dimensional Expansion of the Ejecta from Tycho's Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Brian J.; Coyle, Nina M.; Yamaguchi, Hiroya; Depasquale, Joseph; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Hewitt, John W.; Blondin, John M.; Borkowski, Kazimierz J.; Ghavamian, Parviz; Petre, Robert;

Experimental Investigation of the Distribution of Shock Effects in Regolith Impact Ejecta Using an Ejecta Recovery Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christoffersen, R.; Montes, R.; Cardenas, F.; Cintala, M. J.

2016-01-01

Because the mass-flux of solar system meteoroids is concentrated in the approx. 200 microns size range, small-scale impacts play a key role in driving the space weathering of regoliths on airless bodies. Quantifying this role requires improved data linking the mass, density and velocity of the incoming impactors to the nature of the shock effects produced, with particular emphasis on effects, such as production of impact melt and vapor, that drive the optical changes seen in space weathered regoliths. Of particular importance with regard to space weathering is understanding not only the composition of the shock melt created in small-scale impacts, but also how it is partitioned volumetrically between the local impact site and more widely distributed ejecta. To improve the ability of hypervelocity impact experiments to obtain this type of information, we have developed an enclosed sample target chamber with multiple-geometry interior capture cells for in-situ retention of ejecta from granular targets. A key design objective was to select and test capture cell materials that could meet three requirements: 1) Capture ejecta fragments traveling at various trajectories and velocities away from the impact point, while inducing minimal additional damage relative to the primary shock effects; 2) facilitate follow-up characterization of the ejecta either on or in the cell material by analytical SEM, or ex-situ by microprobe, TEM and other methods; and 3) enable the trajectories of the captured and characterized ejecta to be reconstructed relative to the target.

Timing and Distribution of Single-Layered Ejecta Craters Imply Sporadic Preservation of Tropical Subsurface Ice on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchoff, Michelle R.; Grimm, Robert E.

2018-01-01

Determining the evolution of tropical subsurface ice is a key component to understanding Mars's climate and geologic history. Study of an intriguing crater type on Mars—layered ejecta craters, which likely form by tapping subsurface ice—may provide constraints on this evolution. Layered ejecta craters have a continuous ejecta deposit with a fluidized-flow appearance. Single-layered ejecta (SLE) craters are the most common and dominate at tropical latitudes and therefore offer the best opportunity to derive new constraints on the temporal evolution of low-latitude subsurface ice. We estimate model formation ages of 54 SLE craters with diameter (D) ≥ 5 km using the density of small, superposed craters with D < 1 km on their continuous ejecta deposits. These model ages indicate that SLE craters have formed throughout the Amazonian and at a similar rate expected for all Martian craters. This suggests that tropical ice has remained at relatively shallow depths at least where these craters formed. In particular, the presence of equatorial SLE craters with D 1 km indicates that ice could be preserved as shallow as 100 m or less at those locations. Finally, there is a striking spatial mixing in an area of highlands near the equator of layered and radial (lunar-like ballistic) ejecta craters; the latter form where there are insufficient concentrations of subsurface ice. This implies strong spatial heterogeneity in the concentration of tropical subsurface ice.

Noachian Impact Ejecta on Murray Ridge and Pre-impact Rocks on Wdowiak Ridge, Endeavour Crater, Mars: Opportunity Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Gellert, R.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.; Schroeder, C.; Yen, A. S.; Farrand, W. H.; Arvidson, R. E.; Franklin, B. J.; Grant, J. A.;

Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission - Full-Scale Modeling and Simulation of Ejecta Evolution and Fates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahnestock, Eugene G.; Yu, Yang; Hamilton, Douglas P.; Schwartz, Stephen; Stickle, Angela; Miller, Paul L.; Cheng, Andy F.; Michel, Patrick; AIDA Impact Simulation Working Group

2016-10-01

The proposed Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission includes NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), whose impact with the secondary of near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos is expected to liberate large amounts of ejecta. We present efforts within the AIDA Impact Simulation Working Group to comprehensively simulate the behavior of this impact ejecta as it moves through and exits the system. Group members at JPL, OCA, and UMD have been working largely independently, developing their own strategies and methodologies. Ejecta initial conditions may be imported from output of hydrocode impact simulations or generated from crater scaling laws derived from point-source explosion models. We started with the latter approach, using reasonable assumptions for the secondary's density, porosity, surface cohesive strength, and vanishingly small net gravitational/rotational surface acceleration. We adopted DART's planned size, mass, closing velocity, and impact geometry for the cratering event. Using independent N-Body codes, we performed Monte Carlo integration of ejecta particles sampled over reasonable particle size ranges, and over launch locations within the crater footprint. In some cases we scaled the number of integrated particles in various size bins to the estimated number of particles consistent with a realistic size-frequency distribution. Dynamical models used for the particle integration varied, but all included full gravity potential of both primary and secondary, the solar tide, and solar radiation pressure (accounting for shadowing). We present results for the proportions of ejecta reaching ultimate fates of escape, return impact on the secondary, and transfer impact onto the primary. We also present the time history of reaching those outcomes, i.e., ejecta clearing timescales, and the size-frequency distribution of remaining ejecta at given post-impact durations. We find large numbers of particles remain in the system for several weeks after impact. Clearing timescales are nonlinearly dependent on particle size as expected, such that only the largest ejecta persist longest. We find results are strongly dependent on the local surface geometry at the modeled impact locations.

Impact Cratering Processes as Understood Through Martian and Terrestrial Analog Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caudill, C. M.; Osinski, G. R.; Tornabene, L. L.

2016-12-01

Impact ejecta deposits allow an understanding of subsurface lithologies, volatile content, and other compositional and physical properties of a planetary crust, yet development and emplacement of these deposits on terrestrial bodies throughout the solar system is still widely debated. Relating relatively well-preserved Martian ejecta to terrestrial impact deposits is an area of active research. In this study, we report on the mapping and geologic interpretation of 150-km diameter Bakhuysen Crater, Mars, which is likely large enough to have produced a significant volume of melt, and has uniquely preserved ejecta deposits. Our mapping supports the current formation hypothesis for Martian crater-related pitted material, where pits are likened to collapsed degassing features identified at the Ries and Haughton terrestrial impact structures. As hot impact melt-bearing ejecta deposits are emplaced over volatile-saturated material during crater formation, a rapid degassing of the underlying layer results in lapilli-like fluid and gas flow pipes which may eventually lead to collapse features on the surface. At the Haughton impact structure, degassing pipes are related to crater fracture and fault systems; this is analogous to structure and collapse pits mapped in Bakhuysen Crater. Based on stratigraphic superposition, surface and flow texture, and morphological and thermophysical mapping of Bakhuysen, we interpret the top-most ejecta unit to be likely melt-bearing and analogous to terrestrial impact deposits (e.g., Ries suevites). Furthermore, we suggest that Chicxulub is an apt terrestrial comparison based on its final diameter and the evidence of a ballistically-emplaced and volatile-entrained initial ejecta. This is significant as Bakhuysen ejecta deposits may provide insight into larger impact structures where limited exposures make studies difficult. This supports previous work which suggests that given similarities in volatile content and subsurface stratigraphy, mechanisms of multi-unit ejecta emplacement extend to impact cratering processes on comparable rocky bodies. The widespread pitted material, ejecta rampart and lobe formations, and distal debris flows associated with Bakhuysen impactite emplacement further indicates a volatile-rich Martian crust during its formation.

A crater and its ejecta: An interpretation of Deep Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holsapple, Keith A.; Housen, Kevin R.

2007-03-01

We apply recently updated scaling laws for impact cratering and ejecta to interpret observations of the Deep Impact event. An important question is whether the cratering event was gravity or strength-dominated; the answer gives important clues about the properties of the surface material of Tempel 1. Gravity scaling was assumed in pre-event calculations and has been asserted in initial studies of the mission results. Because the gravity field of Tempel 1 is extremely weak, a gravity-dominated event necessarily implies a surface with essentially zero strength. The conclusion of gravity scaling was based mainly on the interpretation that the impact ejecta plume remained attached to the comet during its evolution. We address that feature here, and conclude that even strength-dominated craters would result in a plume that appeared to remain attached to the surface. We then calculate the plume characteristics from scaling laws for a variety of material types, and for gravity and strength-dominated cases. We find that no model of cratering alone can match the reported observation of plume mass and brightness history. Instead, comet-like acceleration mechanisms such as expanding vapor clouds are required to move the ejected mass to the far field in a few-hour time frame. With such mechanisms, and to within the large uncertainties, either gravity or strength craters can provide the levels of estimated observed mass. Thus, the observations are unlikely to answer the questions about the mechanical nature of the Tempel 1 surface.

A crater and its ejecta: An interpretation of Deep Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holsapple, Keith A.; Housen, Kevin R.

We apply recently updated scaling laws for impact cratering and ejecta to interpret observations of the Deep Impact event. An important question is whether the cratering event was gravity or strength-dominated; the answer gives important clues about the properties of the surface material of Tempel 1. Gravity scaling was assumed in pre-event calculations and has been asserted in initial studies of the mission results. Because the gravity field of Tempel 1 is extremely weak, a gravity-dominated event necessarily implies a surface with essentially zero strength. The conclusion of gravity scaling was based mainly on the interpretation that the impact ejecta plume remained attached to the comet during its evolution. We address that feature here, and conclude that even strength-dominated craters would result in a plume that appeared to remain attached to the surface. We then calculate the plume characteristics from scaling laws for a variety of material types, and for gravity and strength-dominated cases. We find that no model of cratering alone can match the reported observation of plume mass and brightness history. Instead, comet-like acceleration mechanisms such as expanding vapor clouds are required to move the ejected mass to the far field in a few-hour time frame. With such mechanisms, and to within the large uncertainties, either gravity or strength craters can provide the levels of estimated observed mass. Thus, the observations are unlikely to answer the questions about the mechanical nature of the Tempel 1 surface.

New Observational Evidence of Active Asteroid P/2010 A2: Slow Rotation of the Largest Fragment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yoonyoung; Ishiguro, Masateru; Lee, Myung Gyoon

2017-06-01

We report new observations of the active asteroid P/2010 A2 taken when it made its closest approach to Earth (1.06 au in 2017 January) after its first discovery in 2010. Despite a crucial role of the rotational period in clarifying its ejection mechanism, the rotational property of P/2010 A2 has not yet been studied due to the extreme faintness of this tiny object (∼120 m in diameter). Taking advantage of the best observing geometry since the discovery, we succeed in obtaining the rotational light curve of the largest fragment with Gemini/GMOS-N. We find that (1) the largest fragment has a double-peaked period of 11.36 ± 0.02 hr spinning much slower than its critical spin period; (2) the largest fragment is a highly elongated object (a/b ≥ 1.94) with an effective radius of {61.9}-9.2+16.8 m; (3) the size distribution of the ejecta follows a broken power law (the power indices of the cumulative size distributions of the dust and fragments are 2.5 ± 0.1 and 5.2 ± 0.1, respectively); (4) the mass ratio of the largest fragment to the total ejecta is around 0.8; and (5) the dust cloud morphology is in agreement with the anisotropic ejection model in Kim et al. These new characteristics of the ejecta obtained in this work are favorable to the impact shattering hypothesis.

A class of ejecta transport test problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oro, David M.; Hammerberg, J. E.; Buttler, William T.; Mariam, Fesseha G.; Morris, Christopher L.; Rousculp, Chris; Stone, Joseph B.

2012-03-01

Hydro code implementations of ejecta dynamics at shocked interfaces presume a source distribution function of particulate masses and velocities, f0(m,u;t). Some properties of this source distribution function have been determined from Taylor- and supported-shockwave experiments. Such experiments measure the mass moment of f0 under vacuum conditions assuming weak particle-particle interactions and, usually, fully inelastic scattering (capture) of ejecta particles from piezoelectric diagnostic probes. Recently, planar ejection of W particles into vacuum, Ar, and Xe gas atmospheres have been carried out to provide benchmark transport data for transport model development and validation. We present those experimental results and compare them with modeled transport of the W-ejecta particles in Ar and Xe.

Comparing Run-Out Efficiency of Fluidized Ejecta on Mars with Terrestrial and Martian Mass Movements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnouin-Jha, O. S.; Baloga, S.

2003-01-01

We broadly characterize the rheology of fluidized ejecta on Mars as it flows during its final stages of emplacement by using the concept of run-out efficiency. Run-out efficiency for ejecta can be obtained through an energy balance between the kinetic energy of the excavated ejecta, and the total work lost during its deposition. Such an efficiency is directly comparable to run-out efficiency (i.e., L/H analyzes where L is the run-out distance and H is onset height) of terrestrial and extraterrestrial mass movements. Determination of the L/H ratio is commonly used in terrestrial geology to broadly determine the type and rheology of mass movements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fujibayashi, Sho; Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Kiuchi, Kenta

We performed general relativistic, long-term, axisymmetric neutrino radiation hydrodynamics simulations for the remnant formed after a binary neutron star merger, which consists of a massive neutron star and a torus surrounding it. As an initial condition, we employ the result derived in a three-dimensional, numerical relativity simulation for the binary neutron star merger. We investigate the properties of neutrino-driven ejecta. Due to the pair-annihilation heating, the dynamics of the neutrino-driven ejecta are significantly modified. The kinetic energy of the ejecta is about two times larger than that in the absence of pair-annihilation heating. This suggests that the pair-annihilation heating playsmore » an important role in the evolution of merger remnants. The relativistic outflow, which is required for driving gamma-ray bursts, is not observed because the specific heating rate around the rotational axis is not sufficiently high, due to the baryon loading caused by the neutrino-driven ejecta from the massive neutron star. We discuss the condition for launching the relativistic outflow and the nucleosynthesis in the ejecta.« less

The γ-rays that accompanied GW170817 and the observational signature of a magnetic jet breaking out of NS merger ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromberg, O.; Tchekhovskoy, A.; Gottlieb, O.; Nakar, E.; Piran, T.

2018-04-01

We present the first relativistic magnetohydrodynamics numerical simulation of a magnetic jet that propagates through and emerges from the dynamical ejecta of a binary neutron star merger. Generated by the magnetized rotation of the merger remnant, the jet propagates through the ejecta and produces an energetic cocoon that expands at mildly relativistic velocities and breaks out of the ejecta. We show that if the ejecta has a low-mass (˜10-7 M⊙) high-velocity (v ˜ 0.85c) tail, the cocoon shock breakout will generate γ-ray emission that is comparable to the observed short GRB170817A that accompanied the recent gravitational wave event GW170817. Thus, we propose that this gamma-ray burst (GRB), which is quite different from all other short GRBs observed before, was produced by a different mechanism. We expect, however, that such events are numerous and many will be detected in coming LIGO-Virgo runs.

DYNAMICAL FRAGMENTATION OF THE T PYXIDIS NOVA SHELL DURING RECURRENT ERUPTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toraskar, Jayashree; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Shara, Michael M.

2013-05-01

Hubble Space Telescope images of the ejecta surrounding the nova T Pyxidis resolve the emission into more than 2000 bright knots. We simulate the dynamical evolution of the ejecta from T Pyxidis during its multiple eruptions over the last 150 years using the adaptive mesh refinement code Ramses. We demonstrate that the observed knots are the result of Richtmyer-Meshkov gas dynamical instabilities (the equivalent of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in an accelerated medium). These instabilities are caused by the overrunning of the ejecta from the classical nova of 1866 by fast-moving ejecta from the six subsequent recurrent nova outbursts. Magnetic fields maymore » play a role in determining knot scale and preventing their conductive evaporation. The model correctly predicts the observed expansion and dimming of the T Pyx ejecta as well as the knotty morphology. The model also predicts that deeper, high-resolution imagery will show filamentary structure connecting the knots. We show reprocessed Hubble Space Telescope imagery that shows the first hints of such a structure.« less

Small Impact Craters with Dark Ejecta Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

When a meteor impacts a planetary surface, it creates a blast very much like a bomb explosion. Shown here are two excellent examples of small impact craters on the martian surface. Each has a dark-toned deposit of material that was blown out of the crater (that is, ejected) during the impact. Materials comprising these deposits are called ejecta. The ejecta here is darker than the surrounding substrate because each crater-forming blast broke through the upper, brighter surface material and penetrated to a layer of darker material beneath. This darker material was then blown out onto the surface in the radial pattern seen here.

The fact that impact craters can penetrate and expose material from beneath the upper surface of a planet is very useful for geologists trying to determine the nature and composition of the martian subsurface. The scene shown here is illuminated from the upper left and covers an area 1.1 km (0.7 mi) wide by 1.4 km (0.9 mi). The larger crater has a diameter of about 89 meters (97 yards), the smaller crater is about 36 meters (39 yards) across. The picture is located in Terra Meridiani and was taken by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

The Host Galaxies of Fast-Ejecta Core-Collapse Supernovae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, Patrick L.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Modjaz, Maryam; Kocevski, Daniel

2014-01-01

Spectra of broad-lined Type Ic supernovae (SN Ic-BL), the only kind of SN observed at the locations of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs), exhibit wide features indicative of high ejecta velocities ((is) approximately 0.1c). We study the host galaxies of a sample of 245 low-redshift (z (is) less than 0.2) core-collapse SN, including 17 SN Ic-BL, discovered by galaxy-untargeted searches, and 15 optically luminous and dust-obscured z (is) less than 1.2 LGRBs. We show that, in comparison with SDSS galaxies having similar stellar masses, the hosts of low-redshift SN Ic- BL and z (is) is less than 1.2 LGRBs have high stellar-mass and star-formation-rate densities. Core-collapse SN having typical ejecta velocities, in contrast, show no preference for such galaxies. Moreover, we find that the hosts of SN Ic-BL, unlike those of SN Ib/Ic and SN II, exhibit high gas velocity dispersions for their stellar masses. The patterns likely reflect variations among star-forming environments, and suggest that LGRBs can be used as probes of conditions in high-redshift galaxies. They may be caused by efficient formation of massive binary progenitors systems in densely star-forming regions, or, less probably, a higher fraction of stars created with the initial masses required for a SN Ic-BL or LGRB. Finally, we show that the preference of SN Ic-BL and LGRBs for galaxies with high stellar-mass and star-formation-rate densities cannot be attributed to a preference for low metal abundances but must reflect the influence of a separate environmental factor.

Ejecta Experiments at the Pegasus Pulsed Power Facility

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-06-01

Laboratory (LANL ). The facility provides both radial and axial access for making measurements. There exist optical, laser , and X-Ray paths for performing...and axial access for making measurements. There exist optical, laser , and X-Ray paths for performing measurements on the target assembly located near...surface variations, microjets can be formed thus contributing to the amount of ejecta. In addition to material properties which contribute to ejecta

A MISSING-LINK IN THE SUPERNOVA–GRB CONNECTION: THE CASE OF SN 2012ap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chakraborti, Sayan; Soderberg, Alicia; Kamble, Atish

2015-06-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are characterized by ultra-relativistic outflows, while supernovae are generally characterized by non-relativistic ejecta. GRB afterglows decelerate rapidly, usually within days, because their low-mass ejecta rapidly sweep up a comparatively larger mass of circumstellar material. However, supernovae with heavy ejecta can be in nearly free expansion for centuries. Supernovae were thought to have non-relativistic outflows except for a few relativistic ones accompanied by GRBs. This clear division was blurred by SN 2009bb, the first supernova with a relativistic outflow without an observed GRB. However, the ejecta from SN 2009bb was baryon loaded and in nearly free expansion formore » a year, unlike GRBs. We report the first supernova discovered without a GRB but with rapidly decelerating mildly relativistic ejecta, SN 2012ap. We discovered a bright and rapidly evolving radio counterpart driven by the circumstellar interaction of the relativistic ejecta. However, we did not find any coincident GRB with an isotropic fluence of more than one-sixth of the fluence from GRB 980425. This shows for the first time that central engines in SNe Ic, even without an observed GRB, can produce both relativistic and rapidly decelerating outflows like GRBs.« less

(U) An Analytic Examination of Piezoelectric Ejecta Mass Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tregillis, Ian Lee

2017-02-02

Ongoing efforts to validate a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) based ejecta source model [1, 2, 3] in LANL ASC codes use ejecta areal masses derived from piezoelectric sensor data [4, 5, 6]. However, the standard technique for inferring masses from sensor voltages implicitly assumes instantaneous ejecta creation [7], which is not a feature of the RMI source model. To investigate the impact of this discrepancy, we define separate “areal mass functions” (AMFs) at the source and sensor in terms of typically unknown distribution functions for the ejecta particles, and derive an analytic relationship between them. Then, for the case of single-shockmore » ejection into vacuum, we use the AMFs to compare the analytic (or “true”) accumulated mass at the sensor with the value that would be inferred from piezoelectric voltage measurements. We confirm the inferred mass is correct when creation is instantaneous, and furthermore prove that when creation is not instantaneous, the inferred values will always overestimate the true mass. Finally, we derive an upper bound for the error imposed on a perfect system by the assumption of instantaneous ejecta creation. When applied to shots in the published literature, this bound is frequently less than several percent. Errors exceeding 15% may require velocities or timescales at odds with experimental observations.« less

Impact and explosion crater ejecta, fragment size, and velocity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okeefe, J. D.; Ahrens, T. J.

1983-01-01

A model was developed for the mass distribution of fragments that are ejected at a given velocity for impact and explosion craters. The model is semi-empirical in nature and is derived from (1) numerical calculations of cratering and the resultant mass versus ejection velocity, (2) observed ejecta blanket particle size distributions, (3) an empirical relationship between maximum ejecta fragment size and crater diameter and an assumption on the functional form for the distribution of fragements ejected at a given velocity. This model implies that for planetary impacts into competent rock, the distribution of fragments ejected at a given velocity are nearly monodisperse, e.g., 20% of the mass of the ejecta at a given velocity contain fragments having a mass less than 0.1 times a mass of the largest fragment moving at that velocity. Using this model, the largest fragment that can be ejected from asteroids, the moon, Mars, and Earth is calculated as a function of crater diameter. In addition, the internal energy of ejecta versus ejecta velocity is found. The internal energy of fragments having velocities exceeding the escape velocity of the moon will exceed the energy required for incipient melting for solid silicates and thus, constrains the maximum ejected solid fragment size.

A Chandra X-Ray Survey of Ejecta in the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Una; Laming, J. Martin

2011-01-01

We present a survey of the X-ray emitting ejecta in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant based on an extensive analysis of over 6000 spectral regions extracted on 2.5-10" angular scales using the Chandra 1 Ms observation. We interpret these results in the context of hydrodynamical models for the evolution of the remnant. The distributions of fitted temperature and ionization age are highly peaked and suggest that the ejecta were subjected to multiple secondary shocks. Based on the fitted emission measure and element abundances, and an estimate of the emitting volume, we derive masses for the X-ray emitting ejecta as well as showing the distribution of the mass of various elements over the remnant. The total shocked Fe mass appears to be roughly 0.14 Solar Mass, which accounts for nearly all of the mass expected in Fe ejecta. We find two populations of Fe ejecta, that associated with normal Si-burning and that associated with alpha-rich freeze-out, with a mass ratio of approximately 2:1. Surprisingly, essentially all of this Fe (both components) is well outside the central regions of the SNR, presumably having been ejected by hydrodynamic instabilities during the explosion. We discuss this, and its implications for the neutron star kick.

The Three-dimensional Expansion of the Ejecta from Tycho's Supernova Remnant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, Brian J.; Depasquale, Joseph; Coyle, Nina M.

2017-06-10

We present the first 3D measurements of the velocity of various ejecta knots in Tycho’s supernova remnant, known to result from a Type Ia explosion. Chandra X-ray observations over a 12 yr baseline from 2003 to 2015 allow us to measure the proper motion of nearly 60 “tufts” of Si-rich ejecta, giving us the velocity in the plane of the sky. For the line-of-sight velocity, we use two different methods: a nonequilibrium ionization model fit to the strong Si and S lines in the 1.2–2.8 keV regime, and a fit consisting of a series of Gaussian lines. These methods givemore » consistent results, allowing us to determine the redshift or blueshift of each of the knots. Assuming a distance of 3.5 kpc, we find total velocities that range from 2400 to 6600 km s{sup −1}, with a mean of 4430 km s{sup −1}. We find several regions where the ejecta knots have overtaken the forward shock. These regions have proper motions in excess of 6000 km s{sup −1}. Some SN Ia explosion models predict a velocity asymmetry in the ejecta. We find no such velocity asymmetries in Tycho, and we discuss our findings in light of various explosion models, favoring those delayed-detonation models with relatively vigorous and symmetrical deflagrations. Finally, we compare measurements with models of the remnant’s evolution that include both smooth and clumpy ejecta profiles, finding that both ejecta profiles can be accommodated by the observations.« less

Radiative-transfer models for explosions from rotating and non-rotating single WC stars. Implications for SN 1998bw and LGRB/SNe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessart, Luc; John Hillier, D.; Yoon, Sung-Chul; Waldman, Roni; Livne, Eli

2017-07-01

Using 1D, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium and time-dependent radiative transfer simulations, we study the ejecta properties required to match the early- and late-time photometric and spectroscopic properties of supernovae (SNe) associated with long-duration γ-ray bursts (LGRBs). Matching the short rise time, narrow light curve peak and extremely broad spectral lines of SN 1998bw requires a model with ≲3 M⊙ ejecta but a high explosion energy of a few 1052 erg and 0.5 M⊙ of 56Ni. The relatively high luminosity, presence of narrow spectral lines of intermediate mass elements, and low ionisation at the nebular stage, however, are matched with a more standard C-rich Wolf-Rayet (WR) star explosion, an ejecta of ≳10 M⊙, an explosion energy ≳1051 erg, and only 0.1 M⊙ of 56Ni. As the two models are mutually exclusive, the breaking of spherical symmetry is essential to match the early- and late-time photometric and spectroscopic properties of SN 1998bw. This conclusion confirms the notion that the ejecta of SN 1998bw is highly aspherical on large scales. More generally, with asphericity, the energetics and 56Ni masses of LGRB/SNe are reduced and their ejecta masses are increased, favouring a massive fast-rotating Wolf-Rayet star progenitor. Contrary to persisting claims in favour of the proto-magnetar model for LGRB/SNe, such progenitor/ejecta properties are compatible with collapsar formation. Ejecta properties of LGRB/SNe inferred from 1D radiative-transfer modelling are fundamentally flawed.

Poynting Crater Ejecta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] (Released 30 July 2002) Located roughly equidistant between two massive volcanoes, the approximately 60 km Poynting Crater and its ejecta have experienced an onslaught of volcanic activity. Pavonis Mons to the south and Ascraeus Mons to the north are two of the biggest volcanoes on Mars. They have supplied copious amounts of lava and presumably, ash and tephra to the region. This THEMIS image captures evidence for these volcanic materials. The rugged mound of material that dominates the center of the image likely is ejecta from Poynting Crater just 40 km to the west (see MOLA context image). The textural features of this mound are surprisingly muted, giving the appearance that the image is out of focus or has atmospheric obscuration. But the surrounding terrain shows clear textural details and the mound itself displays tiny craters and protruding peaks that demonstrate the true clarity of the image. One conclusion is that the ejecta mound is covered by a mantle of material that could be related to its proximity to the big volcanoes. The tephra and ash deposits produced by these volcanoes could easily accumulate to a thickness that would bury any textural details that originally existed on the ejecta mound. In contrast, the lava flows that lap up to the base of the mound show clear textural details, indicating that they came after the eruptive activity that mantled the ejecta mound. Given the fact that any ejecta material is preserved at all suggests that the impact that produced Poynting Crater postdated the major construction phase of the volcanoes.

A Model of the Chicxulub Impact Basin Based on Evaluation of Geophysical Data, Well Logs, and Drill Core Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharpton, Virgil L.; Marin, Luis E.; Carney, John D.; Lee, Scott; Ryder, Graham; Schuraytz, Benjamin C.; Sikora, Paul; Spudis, Paul D.

1996-01-01

Abundant evidence now shows that the buried Chicxulub structure in northern Yucatan, Mexico, is indeed the intensely sought-after source of the ejecta found world-wide at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundary. In addition to large-scale concentric patterns in gravity and magnetic data over the structure, recent analyses of drill-core samples reveal a lithological assemblage similar to that observed at other terrestrial craters. This assemblage comprises suevite breccias, ejecta deposit breccias (Bunte Breccia equivalents), fine-grained impact melt rocks, and melt-matrix breccias. All these impact-produced lithologies contain diagnostic evidence of shock metamorphism, including planar deformation features in quartz, feldspar, and zircons; diaplectic glasses of quartz and feldspar; and fused mineral melts and whole-rock melts. In addition, elevated concentrations of Ir, Re, and Os, in meteoritic relative proportions, have been detected in some melt-rock samples from the center of the structure. Isotopic analyses, magnetization of melt-rock samples, and local stratigraphic constraints identify this crater as the source of K/T boundary deposits.

New Fission Fragment Distributions and r-Process Origin of the Rare-Earth Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goriely, S.; Sida, J.-L.; Lemaître, J.-F.; Panebianco, S.; Dubray, N.; Hilaire, S.; Bauswein, A.; Janka, H.-T.

2013-12-01

Neutron star (NS) merger ejecta offer a viable site for the production of heavy r-process elements with nuclear mass numbers A≳140. The crucial role of fission recycling is responsible for the robustness of this site against many astrophysical uncertainties, but calculations sensitively depend on nuclear physics. In particular, the fission fragment yields determine the creation of 110≲A≲170 nuclei. Here, we apply a new scission-point model, called SPY, to derive the fission fragment distribution (FFD) of all relevant neutron-rich, fissioning nuclei. The model predicts a doubly asymmetric FFD in the abundant A≃278 mass region that is responsible for the final recycling of the fissioning material. Using ejecta conditions based on relativistic NS merger calculations, we show that this specific FFD leads to a production of the A≃165 rare-earth peak that is nicely compatible with the abundance patterns in the Sun and metal-poor stars. This new finding further strengthens the case of NS mergers as possible dominant origin of r nuclei with A≳140.

The Popigai impact ejecta layer in the Monte Vaccaro section, Piobbico, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschi, S.; Schmitz, B.; Terfelt, F.

2017-12-01

Previously the ejecta from the impact creating the ca. 100 km large Popigai crater in Siberia has been found in Late Eocene sediments in the Massignano section, near Ancona in Italy. Here the ejecta layer is associated with an iridium anomaly, shocked quartz, and abundant clinopyroxene-bearing spherules weathered to so called pancake spherules. Recently we showed that the ejecta is also associated with an enrichment of H-chondritic chromite grains (>63 μm), possibly representing unmelted fragments of the impactor (Boschi et al., 2017). Here we report the first discovery of the Popigai ejecta at another locality in Italy. We found the ejecta in the Monte Vaccaro section, 90 km northwest of Ancona, at the same biostratigraphic level as in the Massignano section. The ejecta layer contains shocked quartz, abundant pancake spherules and an iridium anomaly, just like at Massignano. We measure peak Ir concentrations of 686 ppt, a factor of three higher than the Ir anomaly in the Massignano section. The limestone across the ejecta in the Monte Vaccaro section contains fewer terrestrial spinel grains than at Massignano, making searches for extraterrestrial chromite grains also in size fractions <63 μm feasible. Grains in the size fractions 32-63 μm generally tend to be a factor 10-30 more common than >63 μm grains. The smaller the size fraction of a sedimentary extraterrestrial chromite residue that can be studied, the more statistically robust inferences can be made. The preliminary results for grains in the 32-63 μm fraction from the Monte Vaccaro section indicate a more complex scenario than that based on the >63 μm fraction of chromites recovered from the Massignano section. ReferencesBoschi, S., Schmitz, B., Heck, P.R., Cronholm, A., Defouilloy, C., Kita, N. T.,Monechi, S., Montanari, A., Rout, S. S., Terfelt, F., 2017. Late Eocene 3He and Ir anomalies associated with ordinary chondritic spinels. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 204, 205-218.

Standardizing the nomenclature of Martian impact crater ejecta morphologies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barlow, Nadine G.; Boyce, Joseph M.; Costard, Francois M.; Craddock, Robert A.; Garvin, James B.; Sakimoto, Susan E.H.; Kuzmin, Ruslan O.; Roddy, David J.; Soderblom, Laurence A.

2000-01-01

The Mars Crater Morphology Consortium recommends the use of a standardized nomenclature system when discussing Martian impact crater ejecta morphologies. The system utilizes nongenetic descriptors to identify the various ejecta morphologies seen on Mars. This system is designed to facilitate communication and collaboration between researchers. Crater morphology databases will be archived through the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, where a comprehensive catalog of Martian crater morphologic information will be maintained.

Cassiopeia A: Supernova explosion and expansion simulations under strong asymmetry conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yakhin, R. A., E-mail: yakhin.rafael@gmail.com; Rozanov, V. B.; Zmitrenko, N. V.

We propose a model for the explosion of a supernova and the expansion of its ejecta in the presence of a strong initial asymmetry (at the explosion time) in the central part of the star (core) and a possible smallscale asymmetry in the peripheral regions. The Chandra and NuSTAR observations of ejecta in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant are analyzed. Based on our 1D and 2D numerical simulations performed using the DIANA and NUTCY codes, we propose a model for the explosion and expansion of ejecta that explains the observed experimental data where the materials initially located in the centralmore » region of the star end up on the periphery of the cloud of ejecta.« less

Self-Shielding of Thermal Radiation by Chicxulub Ejecta: Firestorm or Fizzle?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldin, T. J.; Melosh, H. J.

2008-12-01

The discovery of soot within the Chicxulub ejecta sequence and the observed survival patterns of terrestrial organisms across the K/Pg boundary led to the hypothesis that thermal radiation from the atmospheric reentry of hypervelocity impact ejecta was sufficient to ignite global wildfires and cause biological catastrophe. Using a two-dimensional, two-phase fluid flow code, KFIX-LPL, we model the atmospheric reentry of distal Chicxulub ejecta and calculate the fluxes of thermal radiation throughout the atmosphere. The model treatment includes optical opacity, allowing us to examine the effects that greenhouse gases and the spherules themselves have on the transfer of thermal radiation to the ground. We model a simple Chicxulub scenario where 250-µm spherules reenter the atmosphere for an hour with maximum inflow after 10 minutes. Our models predict a pulse of thermal radiation at the ground peaking at ~6 kW/m2, analogous to an oven set on 'broil'. Previous calculations, which did not consider spherule opacity, yielded >10 kW/ m2 sustained over an hour or more and such an extended pulse of high fluxes is thought to be required for wildfire ignition. However, our model suggests a half-hour in which fluxes exceed the solar norm and only a few minutes >5 kW/m2. Large fluxes are not sustained in our models due to the increasingly opaque cloud of settling spherules, which increasingly blocks the transmission of thermal radiation from the decelerating spherules above. Hence, the spherules themselves limit the magnitude and duration of thermal radiation at the ground. Such self-shielding may have prevented the ignition of global wildfires following Chicxulub and limited other environmental effects. Keeping the impact wildfire hypothesis will require a mechanism to override this effect. A nonuniform distribution of spherule reentry may produce gaps in the opaque spherule layer through which the downward thermal radiation may be concentrated. Additionally, an opaque cloud of dust, injected into the upper atmosphere from the impact plume, would act to reflect some of the space-bound thermal radiation downwards.

Geologic Mapping of Isabella Quadrangle (V-50) and Helen Planitia, Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bleamaster, Leslie F., III

2008-01-01

(25-50 S, 180-210 E) is host to numerous coronae and small volcanic centers (paterae and shield fields), focused (Aditi and Sirona Dorsa) and distributed (penetrative north-south trending wrinkle ridges) contractional deformation, and radial and linear extensional structures, all of which contribute materials to and/or deform the expansive surrounding plains (Nsomeka and Wawalag Planitiae). Regional plains, which are a northern extension of regional plains mapped in the Barrymore Quadrangle V-59 [1], dominate the V-50 quadrangle. Previous mapping divided the regional plains into two members: regional plains, members a and b [2]. A re-evaluation of these members has determined that a continuous and consistent unit contact does not exist; however, the majority of this radar unit or surficial unit will still be displayed on the final map as a stipple pattern as it is a prevalent feature of the quadrangle. With minimal tessera or highland material, much of the quadrangle s oldest materials are plains units (the regional plains). Much of these plains are covered with small shield edifices that exhibit a variety of material contributions (or flows). In the northwest, several flows emerge and flow to the southeast from Diana-Dali Chasmata. Local corona- and mons-fed flows superpose the regional plains; however, earlier stages of volcano-tectonic centers marked by arcuate and radial structural elements, including terrain so heavily deformed that it takes on a new appearance, may have developed prior to or concurrently with the region plains. Northtrending deformation belts disrupt the central portion of the map area and wrinkle ridges parallel these larger belts. Isabella crater, in the northeastern quadrant, is highly asymmetric and displays two prominent ejecta blanket morphologies, which generally correlate with distance from the impact structure suggesting that ejecta block size or ejecta blanket thickness may be the cause. The crater floor is very dark and shows no direct connection with the large outflow to the south, which emphasizes the asymmetry observed. Isabella crater ejecta and outflow materials clearly postdate several small craters in the vicinity.

Erosion and Ejecta Reaccretion on 243 Ida and Its Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geissler, Paul; Petit, Jean-Marc; Durda, Daniel D.; Greenberg, Richard; Bottke, William; Nolan, Michael; Moore, Jeffrey

1996-03-01

Galileo images of Asteroid 243 Ida and its satellite Dactyl show surfaces which are dominantly shaped by impact cratering. A number of observations suggest that ejecta from hypervelocity impacts on Ida can be distributed far and wide across the Ida system, following trajectories substantially affected by the low gravity, nonspherical shape, and rapid rotation of the asteroid. We explore the processes of reaccretion and escape of ejecta on Ida and Dactyl using three-dimensional numerical simulations which allow us to compare the theoretical effects of orbital dynamics with observations of surface morphology. The effects of rotation, launch location, and initial launch speed are first examined for the case of an ideal triaxial ellipsoid with Ida's approximate shape and density. Ejecta launched at low speeds (V≪Vesc) reimpact near the source craters, forming well-defined ejecta blankets which are asymmetric in morphology between leading and trailing rotational surfaces. The net effect of cratering at low ejecta launch velocities is to produce a thick regolith which is evenly distributed across the surface of the asteroid. In contrast, no clearly defined ejecta blankets are formed when ejecta is launched at higher initial velocities (V∼Vesc). Most of the ejecta escapes, while that which is retained is preferentially derived from the rotational trailing surfaces. These particles spend a significant time in temporary orbit around the asteroid, in comparison to the asteroid's rotation period, and tend to be swept up onto rotational leading surfaces upon reimpact. The net effect of impact cratering with high ejecta launch velocities is to produce a thinner and less uniform soil cover, with concentrations on the asteroids' rotational leading surfaces. Using a realistic model for the shape of Ida (P. Thomas, J. Veverka, B. Carcich, M. J. S. Belton, R. Sullivan, and M. Davies 1996,Icarus120, 000-000), we find that an extensive color/albedo unit which dominates the northern and western hemispheres of the asteroid can be explained as the result of reaccretion of impact ejecta from the large and evidently recent crater “Azzurra.” Initial ejection speeds required to match the color observations are on the order of a few meters per second, consistent with models (e.g., M. C. Nolan, E. Asphaug, H. J. Melosh, and R. Greenberg 1996,Icarus, submitted; E. Asphaug, J. Moore, D. Morrison, W. Benz, and R. Sullivan 1996,Icarus120, 158-184) that multikilometer craters on Ida form in the gravity-dominated regime and are net producers of locally retained regolith. Azzurra ejecta launched in the direction of rotation at speeds near 10 m/sec are lofted over the asteroid and swept up onto the rotational leading surface on the opposite side. The landing locations of these particles closely match the distribution of large ejecta blocks observed in high resolution images of Ida (P. Lee, J. Veverka, P. Thomas, P. Helfstein, M. J. S. Belton, C. Chapman, R. Greeley, R. Pappalardo, R. Sullivan, and J. W. Head 1996,Icarus120, 87-105). Ida's shape and rotation allow escape of ejecta launched at speeds far below the escape velocity of a nonrotating sphere of Ida's volume and presumed density. While little ejecta from Ida is captured by Dactyl, about half of the mass ejected from Dactyl at speeds of up to 20 m/sec eventually falls on Ida. Particles launched at speeds just barely exceeding Dactyl's escape velocity can enter relatively long-term orbit around Ida, but few are ultimately reaccreted by the satellite. Because of its low gravity, erosion of Dactyl would take place on exceedingly short time scales if unconsolidated materials compose the satellite and crater formation is in the gravity regime. If Dactyl is a solid rock, then its shape has evolved from a presumably irregular initial fragment to its present remarkably rounded figure by collision with a population of impactors too small to be detected by counting visible craters. As the smallest solar system object yet imaged by a spacecraft, the morphology of Dactyl is an important clue to the asteroid population at the smallest sizes.

Ejecta emplacement: from distal to proximal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artemieva, N.

2008-09-01

Introduction Most part of impact ejecta is deposited ballistically at some distance from a crater, defined by ejection velocity V and ejection angle α: d=v2sinα/g. In case of giant impacts, planetary curvature should be taken into account [1]. Combined with ejecta scaling [2], these relations allow to define ejecta thickness as a function of distance. Ejecta from large craters are deposited at velocity high enough to mobilize substrate material and to thicken ejecta deposits [3]. Ballistic approximation is valid for airless bodies (if impact vaporization is not vast) or for proximal ejecta of large impact craters, where ejecta mass per unit area is substantially greater than the mass of involved vapor/atmosphere (M-ratio). Deposition of distal ejecta, in which ejecta mass is negligible compared to the atmosphere, may be also treated in a simplified manner, i.e. as 1) passive motion of ejected particles within an impact plume and 2) later, as sedimentation of particles in undisturbed atmosphere (equilibrium between gravity and drag). In all intermediate M-ratio values, impact ejecta move like a surge, i.e. dilute suspension current in which particles are carried in turbulent flows under the influence of gravity. Surges are well-known for near-surface explosive tests, described in detail for volcanic explosions (Plinian column collapse, phreato-magmatic eruption, lateral blast), and found in ejecta from the Chicxulub [4] and the Ries [5]. Important aspects of surge transport include its ability to deposit ejecta over a larger area than that typical of continuous ballistic ejecta and to create multiple ejecta layers. Numerical model Two-phase hydrodynamics. Surges should be modeled in the frame of two-phase hydrodynamics, i.e. interaction between solid/molten particles and atmospheric gas/impact vapor should be taken into account. There are two techniques of solving equations for dust particle motion in a gas flow. The first one describes solid/molten particles as a liquid with specific properties, i.e. finite-difference equations are the same as in standard hydrodynamics [6-8]. Another approach is based on solving equations of motion for representative particles [9]. Each of these markers describes the motion of a large number of real particles with similar sizes, velocities, and trajectories. Equation of motion (gravity, viscosity, and drag) is solved for every marker and then exchange of momentum, heat and energy with surrounding vaporair mixture is taken into account. This approach is used in the SOVA code [10] and allows to vary particle sizes within a broad range (from a few m to a few microns). Implicit procedure of velocity update allows a larger time step. The substantial advantage of the model is its three-dimensional geometry, allowing modeling of asymmetric deposits of oblique impact ejecta. Turbulent diffusion is taken into account in a simplified manner [6]. Fragments size-frequency distribution (SFD) may be of crucial importance: while large fragments move ballistically, the smallest ones are passively involved in gas motion. Ejected material is usually transformed into particles under tension. The initial particle velocity is given by the hydrodynamic velocity, but the object's initial position within the cell is randomly defined. The SFD of solid fragments in high velocity impacts has been studied experimentally [2,11], numerically [12,13], and has been derived from the lunar and terrestrial crater observations [14,15]. Various approaches may be used to implement fragment size in a dynamic model: in Grady-Kipp model the average fragment size is defined by strain rate [12]; alternatively, average ejection velocity [16] or maximum shock compression [17] may be used. All methods may be verified through comparison with known data. Volcanic direct blast. Numerical modeling of pyroclastic flows, checked against recent observations and young deposits, may be then a useful instrument for reconstruction of terrestrial craters' ejecta, which are mostly eroded or buried; and for impact ejecta study on other planets (first of all - on Mars), where remote sensing data are still the only source of our knowledge. In volcanology typical velocities are usually below 300 m/s, temperatures may be as low as 300 K (wet surge) and not higher than 1000 K (dry surge), solid/gas mass ratio ranges between 5-50, particle size rarely exceeds several cm, while the mass fraction of fine micronsized particles is usually poorly defined. Modeling results (thickness and spatial distribution of pyroclastics) are in reasonable agreement with observations of direct blast at Bezymianny volcano (Kamchatka, Russia) in 1956. Crater ejecta - the Ries crater in Germany. Impact ejecta parameters vary in a substantially wider range: distal ejecta velocities reach several km/s, km-sized fragments are typical for large craters, gas content may be high enough for cratering in volatile rich (or water-covered) target or in the presence of a dense atmosphere. Moldavites.. The Ries impact site is characterized by a thick sedimentary layer, from which a large amount of vapor (e.g., CO2) is shock-released. This vapor contributes to the ejected particles acceleration, or at least, to the sustainment of their motion. The initial ejection velocities of material are rather high, up to 10 km/s, which are close to the velocity of the expanding gas. As a result, the particles are not subject to high dynamic pressures that otherwise would disrupt them into fine mist immediately after ejection. The temperature of the entraining gas is rather high, so the particles do not cool quickly during the flight, allowing enough time to have them aerodynamically shaped (typical for tektites), and to lose volatiles [18,19]. Tektites are distributed up to 400-500 km away from the impact, in a fan of ˜75° symmetrically distributed with respect to the downrange direction. Bunte Breccia and fallout Suevite in Otting (Ries crater). The total amount of ejected material is about 160 km3 (with an average sediment/basement proportion of 3:1). The maximum ejection velocity for crystalline rocks does not exceed 1 km/s. There are no basement ejecta in the uprange direction. Ejecta deposited within a ring of 16-18 km radius (similar to the position of the Otting site) have a deposition velocity of ~350 m/s. This velocity allows substantial reworking of ejecta and mixing with target rocks. Otting ejecta consist of a sediment /basement rock mixture. The average shock compression of basement rocks is at least 4 times higher than in sediments for any azimuthal angle (16 GPa versus 4 GPa). Ejecta thickness (tens of m) is in a reasonable agreement with observations. However, our modeling results relevant to ballistic deposition do not allow to reproduce the observed ejecta in the suevite layer of Otting: 1) there is just very little melt in the modeled ejecta and 2) separation of sedimentary rocks from basement rocks (i.e. Bunte Breccia and fallout suevite) does not occur. Separation and gradation of ejected particles by atmosphere (fallout) seems improbable as the total ejecta mass per unit area at these distances is substantially higher than the mass of the involved atmosphere. Deposition of a suevitic layer as a viscous flow [20] seems also improbable, as viscosity of the flow with solid fragments (i.e. with temperature below the solidus) increases dramatically and prevents spreading to a few km from the transient cavity. We need another mechanism of the ejecta flow "fluidization". One possibility is a gas release (mainly water vapor from sediments) which allows dispersal of the smallest particles and suevite deposition above the ballistically deposited Bunte Breccia (similar to pyroclastic surges). Applications for planets Mars. Several attempts have been made to quantitatively describe the process of ejecta emplacement in formation of ramparts [21-25]. They dealt mainly with propagation of fluidized ejecta initially deposited ballistically and included rheologic models for Newtonian or Bingham materials based on observations (runout distance, height of the distal ridge). Our model establishes better initial conditions for ejecta flow formation and provide estimates for the properties of fluidized ejecta directly on the basis of the particles/gas ratio, particle size, and temperaturedensity conditions in the ejecta. Venus. Ejecta deposition on Venus is substantially non-ballistic due to thick Venusian atmosphere. Some of impact craters are surrounded by "dark halos" [26- 28], others have unique dark parabolas, representing surficial deposits of loose material lifted during crater formation [29-30]. Methods of two-phase hydrodynamics may be useful to describe mechanism of their formation. References [1] Dobrovolskis A. (1981) Icarus 47, 203-219. [2] Cintala M.J., et al. (1999) M&PS. 34, 605-623. [3] Oberbeck V.R. (1975) Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 13, 337-362. [4] Dressler et al. (2004) M&PS 39, 857- 878. [5] Hörz F. et al. (1983) Rev Geophys.Space Phys. 21, 1667-1725. [6] Valentine G.A. and Wohletz K.H. (1989) JGR 94, 1867-1887. [7] Dobran F. and Neri A. (1993) JGR 98, 4231-4259. [8] Neri A. et al. (2003) JGR 108, doi:10.1029/ 2001JB000508. [9] Boothroyd R.G. (1971) Flowing gas-solids suspension, Chapman and Hall Ltd, London. [10] Shuvalov V.V. (1999) Shock waves 9, 381-390. [11] Nakamura A. and Fujiwara A. (1991) Icarus 92, 132- 146. [12] Grady D.E. and Kipp M.E. (1980) Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. Geomech. Abstr. 17, 147-157. [13] Melosh H.J. et al. (1992) JGR 97, 14735-14759. [14] Gault, D.E. et al. (1963) NASA TND-1767. [15] Vickery A.M. (1986) Icarus 67, 224-236. [16] Melosh H.J. (1984) Icarus 59, 234-260. [17] Shuvalov V.V. (2002) LPSC-33, abstr.#1259. [18] Stöffler et al. (2002) M&PS 37, 1893-1908. [19] Melosh H.J. and Artemieva N.A. (2004) LPSC-35, abstr. #1723. [20] Osinski et al. (2004) Meteoritics Planet. Sci. 39, 1655-1683. [21] Ivanov B.A. et al. (1997) LPSC 28, 637-638. [22] Garvin J.B., Baloga S.M. (1999) LPSC 30, Abst. #1735. [23] Fagents S.A. et al. (2005) LPSC 36, Abst. #2127. [24] Baratoux D. et al. (2002) GRL 29(8), 1210, 10.1029/ 2001GL012779. [25] Barnouin-Jha O.S. and Schultz P.H. (1998) JGR 103(E11), 25,739-25,756. [26] Phillips R,J, et al. (1991) Science 252, 288-297. [27] Ivanov B. et al. (1992) JGR 97, 16,167-181. [28] Takata T. et al. (1995) JGR 100, 23,329-348. [29] Campbell D. et al. (1992) JGR 97, 16,249-277. [30] Bondarenko N.V. and Head J.W. (2004) JGR 109, doi 10.1029/2004JE002256.

Dance into the fire: dust survival inside supernova remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micelotta, Elisabetta R.; Dwek, Eli; Slavin, Jonathan D.

2016-06-01

Core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are important sources of interstellar dust, potentially capable of producing 1 M_{⊙}) of dust in their explosively expelled ejecta. However, unlike other dust sources, the dust has to survive the passage of the reverse shock, generated by the interaction of the supernova blast wave with its surrounding medium. Knowledge of the net amount of dust produced by CCSNe is crucial for understanding the origin and evolution of dust in the local and high-redshift universe. Our goal is to identify the dust destruction mechanisms in the ejecta, and derive the net amount of dust that survives the passage of the reverse shock. To do so, we have developed analytical models for the evolution of a supernova blast wave and of the reverse shock, and the simultaneous processing of the dust inside the cavity of the supernova remnant. We have applied our models to the special case of the clumpy ejecta of the remnant of Cassiopeia A (Cas A), assuming that the dust (silicates and carbon grains) resides in cool oxygen-rich ejecta clumps which are uniformly distributed within the remnant and surrounded by a hot X-ray emitting plasma (smooth ejecta). The passage of the reverse shock through the clumps gives rise to a relative gas-grain motion and also destroys the clumps. While residing in the ejecta clouds, dust is processed via kinetic sputtering, which is terminated either when the grains escape the clumps, or when the clumps are destroyed by the reverse shock. In either case, grain destruction proceeds thereafter by thermal sputtering in the hot shocked smooth ejecta. We find that 12 and 16 percent of silicate and carbon dust, respectively, survive the passage of the reverse shock by the time the shock has reached the center of the remnant. These fractions depend on the morphology of the ejecta and the medium into which the remnant is expanding, as well as the composition and size distribution of the grains that formed in the ejecta. Results will therefore differ for different types of supernovae. I will discuss our models and results and briefly illustrate the impact of the capabilities of the Athena+ X-ray mission on the variety of astrophysical problems involving the processing of dust particles in extreme environments characterized by the presence of shocked X-ray emitting gas.

Imaging Shock Fronts in the Outer Ejecta of Eta Carinae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Nathan

2017-08-01

Although Eta Car has been imaged many times with HST to monitor the central star and the bright Homunculus Nebula, we propose the first WFC3 imaging of Eta Car to study the more extended Outer Ejecta from previous eruptions. WFC3 has two key filters that have not been used before to image Eta Car, which will provide critical physical information about its eruptive history: (1) F280N with WFC3/UVIS will produce the first Mg II 2800 image of Eta Car, the sharpest image of its complex Outer Ejecta, and will unambiguously trace shock fronts, and (2) F126N with WFC3/IR will sample [Fe II] 12567 arising in the densest post-shock gas. Eta Car is surrounded by a bright, soft X-ray shell seen in Chandra images, which arises from the fastest 1840s ejecta overtaking slower older material. Our recent proper motion measurements show that the outer knots were ejected in two outbursts several hundred years before the 1840s eruption, and spectroscopy of light echoes has recently revealed extremely fast ejecta during the 1840s that indicate an explosive event. Were those previous eruptions explosive as well? If so, were they as energetic, did they also have such fast ejecta, and did they have the same geometry? The structure and excitation of the Outer Ejecta hold unique clues for reconstructing Eta Car's violent mass loss history. The locations of shock fronts in circumstellar material provide critical information, because they identify past discontinuities in the mass loss. This is one of the only ways to investigate the long term (i.e. centuries) evolution and duty cycle of eruptive mass loss in the most massive stars.

(U) Physics Validation of the RMI-Based Ejecta Source Model Implementation in FLAG: L2 Milestone #6035 Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tregillis, I. L.

The Los Alamos Physics and Engineering Models (PEM) program has developed a model for Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) based ejecta production from shock-melted surfaces, along with a prescription for a self-similar velocity distribution (SSVD) of the resulting ejecta particles. We have undertaken an effort to validate this source model using data from explosively driven tin coupon experiments. The model’s current formulation lacks a crucial piece of physics: a method for determining the duration of the ejecta production interval. Without a mechanism for terminating ejecta production, the model is not predictive. Furthermore, when the production interval is hand-tuned to match time-integrated massmore » data, the predicted time-dependent mass accumulation on a downstream sensor rises too sharply at early times and too slowly at late times because the SSVD overestimates the amount of mass stored in the fastest particles and underestimates the mass stored in the slowest particles. The functional form of the resulting m(t) is inconsistent with the available time-dependent data; numerical simulations and analytic studies agree on this point. Simulated mass tallies are highly sensitive to radial expansion of the ejecta cloud. It is not clear if the same effect is present in the experimental data but if so, depending on the degree, this may challenge the model’s compatibility with tin coupon data. The current implementation of the model in FLAG is sensitive to the detailed interaction between kinematics (hydrodynamic methods) and thermodynamics (material models); this sensitivity prohibits certain physics modeling choices. The appendices contain an extensive analytic study of piezoelectric ejecta mass measurements, along with test problems, excerpted from a longer work (LA-UR-17-21218).« less

A Magnetar Origin for the Kilonova Ejecta in GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, Brian D.; Thompson, Todd A.; Quataert, Eliot

2018-04-01

The neutron star (NS) merger GW170817 was followed over several days by optical-wavelength (“blue”) kilonova (KN) emission likely powered by the radioactive decay of light r-process nuclei synthesized by ejecta with a low neutron abundance (electron fraction Y e ≈ 0.25–0.35). While the composition and high velocities of the blue KN ejecta are consistent with shock-heated dynamical material, the large quantity is in tension with the results of numerical simulations. We propose an alternative ejecta source: the neutrino-heated, magnetically accelerated wind from the strongly magnetized hypermassive NS (HMNS) remnant. A rapidly spinning HMNS with an ordered surface magnetic field of strength B ≈ (1–3) × 1014 G and lifetime t rem ∼ 0.1–1 s can simultaneously explain the velocity, total mass, and electron fraction of the blue KN ejecta. The inferred HMNS lifetime is close to its Alfvén crossing time, suggesting that global magnetic torques could be responsible for bringing the HMNS into solid-body rotation and instigating its gravitational collapse. Different origins for the KN ejecta may be distinguished by their predictions for the emission in the first hours after the merger, when the luminosity is enhanced by heating from internal shocks; the latter are likely generic to any temporally extended ejecta source (e.g., magnetar or accretion disk wind) and are not unique to the emergence of a relativistic jet. The same shocks could mix and homogenize the composition to a low but nonzero lanthanide mass fraction, {X}La}≈ {10}-3, as advocated by some authors, but only if the mixing occurs after neutrons are consumed in the r-process on a timescale ≳1 s.

Dynamical mass ejection from the merger of asymmetric binary neutron stars: Radiation-hydrodynamics study in general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Kiuchi, Kenta; Kyutoku, Koutarou; Shibata, Masaru; Taniguchi, Keisuke

2016-06-01

We perform neutrino radiation-hydrodynamics simulations for the merger of asymmetric binary neutron stars in numerical relativity. Neutron stars are modeled by soft and moderately stiff finite-temperature equations of state (EOS). We find that the properties of the dynamical ejecta such as the total mass, neutron richness profile, and specific entropy profile depend on the mass ratio of the binary systems for a given EOS in a unique manner. For a soft EOS (SFHo), the total ejecta mass depends weakly on the mass ratio, but the average of electron number per baryon (Ye ) and specific entropy (s ) of the ejecta decreases significantly with the increase of the degree of mass asymmetry. For a stiff EOS (DD2), with the increase of the mass asymmetry degree, the total ejecta mass significantly increases while the average of Ye and s moderately decreases. We find again that only for the SFHo, the total ejecta mass exceeds 0.01 M⊙ irrespective of the mass ratio chosen in this paper. The ejecta have a variety of electron number per baryon with an average approximately between Ye˜0.2 and ˜0.3 irrespective of the EOS employed, which is well suited for the production of the rapid neutron capture process heavy elements (second and third peaks), although its averaged value decreases with the increase of the degree of mass asymmetry.

An Impact Ejecta Behavior Model for Small, Irregular Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, J. E.; Melosh, H. J.; Greenberg, R.

2003-01-01

In recent years, spacecraft observations of asteroids 951 Gaspra, 243 Ida, 253 Mathilde, and 433 Eros have shown the overriding dominance of impact processes with regard to the structure and surface morphology of these small, irregular bodies. In particular, impact ejecta play an important role in regolith formation, ranging from small particles to large blocks, as well as surface feature modification and obscuration. To investigate these processes, a numerical model has been developed based upon the impact ejecta scaling laws provided by Housen, Schmidt, and Holsapple, and modified to more properly simulate the late-stage ejection velocities and ejecta plume shape changes (ejection angle variations) shown in impact cratering experiments. A target strength parameter has also been added to allow the simulation of strength-dominated cratering events in addition to the more familiar gravity-dominated cratering events. The result is a dynamical simulation which models -- via tracer particles -- the ejecta plume behavior, ejecta blanket placement, and impact crater area resulting from a specified impact on an irregularly shaped target body, which is modeled in 3-dimensional polygon fashion. This target body can be placed in a simple rotation state about one of its principal axes, with the impact site and projectile/target parameters selected by the user. The gravitational force from the irregular target body (on each tracer particle) is determined using the polygonized surface (polyhedron) gravity technique developed by Werner.

Infrared Emission from Kilonovae: The Case of the Nearby Short Hard Burst GRB 160821B

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Lau, Ryan M.; Korobkin, Oleg

We present constraints on Ks-band emission from one of the nearest short hard gamma-ray bursts, GRB 160821B, at z = 0.16, at three epochs. We detect a red relativistic afterglow from the jetted emission in the first epoch but do not detect any excess kilonova emission in the second two epochs. We compare upper limits obtained with Keck I/MOSFIRE to multi-dimensional radiative transfer models of kilonovae, that employ composition-dependent nuclear heating and LTE opacities of heavy elements. We discuss eight models that combine toroidal dynamical ejecta and two types of wind and one model with dynamical ejecta only. We alsomore » discuss simple, empirical scaling laws of predicted emission as a function of ejecta mass and ejecta velocity. Our limits for GRB 160821B constrain the ejecta mass to be lower than 0.03 M {sub ⊙} for velocities greater than 0.1 c. At the distance sensitivity range of advanced LIGO, similar ground-based observations would be sufficiently sensitive to the full range of predicted model emission including models with only dynamical ejecta. The color evolution of these models shows that I – K color spans 7–16 mag, which suggests that even relatively shallow infrared searches for kilonovae could be as constraining as optical searches.« less

Poynting Crater Ejecta

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-08-05

Located roughly equidistant between two massive volcanoes, the approximately 60 km Poynting Crater and its ejecta, shown in this image from NASA Mars Odyssey spacecraft, have experienced an onslaught of volcanic activity.

Aspherical Supernovae: Effects on Early Light Curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afsariardchi, Niloufar; Matzner, Christopher D.

2018-04-01

Early light from core-collapse supernovae, now detectable in high-cadence surveys, holds clues to a star and its environment just before it explodes. However, effects that alter the early light have not been fully explored. We highlight the possibility of nonradial flows at the time of shock breakout. These develop in sufficiently nonspherical explosions if the progenitor is not too diffuse. When they do develop, nonradial flows limit ejecta speeds and cause ejecta–ejecta collisions. We explore these phenomena and their observational implications using global, axisymmetric, nonrelativistic FLASH simulations of simplified polytropic progenitors, which we scale to representative stars. We develop a method to track photon production within the ejecta, enabling us to estimate band-dependent light curves from adiabatic simulations. Immediate breakout emission becomes hidden as an oblique flow develops. Nonspherical effects lead the shock-heated ejecta to release a more constant luminosity at a higher, evolving color temperature at early times, effectively mixing breakout light with the early light curve. Collisions between nonradial ejecta thermalize a small fraction of the explosion energy; we will address emission from these collisions in a subsequent paper.

Detailed Analysis of the Intra-Ejecta Dark Plains of Caloris Basin, Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buczkowski, Debra L.; Seelos, K. S.

2010-01-01

The Caloris basin on Mercury is floored by light-toned plains and surrounded by an annulus of dark-toned material interpreted to be ejecta blocks and smooth, dark, ridged plains. Strangely, preliminary crater counts indicate that these intra-ejecta dark plains are younger than the light-toned plains within the Caloris basin. This would imply a second, younger plains emplacement event, possibly involving lower albedo material volcanics, which resurfaced the original ejecta deposit. On the other hand, the dark plains may be pre-Caloris light plains covered by a thin layer of dark ejecta. Another alternative to the hypothesis of young, dark volcanism is the possibility that previous crater counts have not thoroughly distinguished between superposed craters (fresh) and partly-buried craters (old) and therefore have not accurately determined the ages of the Caloris units. This abstract outlines the tasks associated with a new mapping project of the Caloris basin, intended to improve our knowledge of the geology and geologic history of the basin, and thus facilitate an understanding of the thermal evolution of this region of Mercury.

Luminous Type IIP SN 2013ej with high-velocity 56Ni ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utrobin, V. P.; Chugai, N. N.

2017-12-01

We explore the well-observed Type IIP supernova 2013ej with peculiar luminosity evolution. It is found that the hydrodynamic model cannot reproduce in detail the bolometric luminosity at both the plateau and the radioactive tail. Yet the ejecta mass of 23-26 M⊙ and the kinetic energy of (1.2-1.4) × 1051 erg are determined rather confidently. We suggest that the controversy revealed in hydrodynamic simulations stems from the strong asphericity of the 56Ni ejecta. An analysis of the asymmetric nebular H α line and of the peculiar radioactive tail made it possible to recover parameters of the asymmetric bipolar 56Ni ejecta with the heavier jet residing in the rear hemisphere. The inferred 56Ni mass is 0.039 M⊙, twice as large compared to a straightforward estimate from the bolometric luminosity at the early radioactive tail. The bulk of ejected 56Ni has velocities in the range of 4000-6500 km s-1. The linear polarization predicted by the model with the asymmetric ionization produced by bipolar 56Ni ejecta is consistent with the observational value.

On the Determination of Ejecta Structure and Explosion Asymmetry from the X-ray Knots of Cassiopeia A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laming, J. Martin; Hwang, Una

2003-01-01

We present a detailed analysis of Chandra X-ray spectra from individual ejecta knots in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. The spectra are fitted to give the electron temperature T(sub e), and (single) ionization age n(sub e)t. These quantities are compared with the predictions of self similar hydrodynamic models incorporating time dependent ionization and radiation losses, and Coulomb electron-ion equilibration behind the reverse shock, for a variety of different ejecta density profiles described by a uniform density core and a power law envelope. We find that the ejecta close to the 'jet' region in the NE, but not actually in the jet itself, have a systematically shallower outer envelope than ejecta elsewhere in the remnant, and we interpret this as being due to more energy of the initial explosion being directed in this polar direction as opposed to equatorially. The degree of asymmetry we infer is at the low end of that generally modelled in asymmetric core-collapse simulations, and may be used to rule out highly asymmetric explosion models.

The 2011 outburst of recurrent nova T PYX: Radio observations reveal the ejecta mass and hint at complex mass loss

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Thomas; Chomiuk, Laura; Roy, Nirupam

2014-04-10

Despite being the prototype of its class, T Pyx is arguably the most unusual and poorly understood recurrent nova. Here, we use radio observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to trace the evolution of the ejecta over the course of the 2011 outburst of T Pyx. The radio emission is broadly consistent with thermal emission from the nova ejecta. However, the radio flux began rising surprisingly late in the outburst, indicating that the bulk of the radio-emitting material was either very cold, or expanding very slowly, for the first ∼50 days of the outburst. Considering a plausiblemore » range of volume filling factors and geometries for the ejecta, we find that the high peak flux densities of the radio emission require a massive ejection of (1-30) × 10{sup –5} M {sub ☉}. This ejecta mass is much higher than the values normally associated with recurrent novae, and is more consistent with a nova on a white dwarf well below the Chandrasekhar limit.« less

Discovery of X-Ray-Emitting O-Ne-Mg-Rich Ejecta in the Galactic Supernova Remnant Puppis A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsuda, Satoru; Hwang, Una; Petre, Robert; Park, Sangwook; Mori, Koji; Tsunemi, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

We report on the discovery of X-ray-emitting O-Ne-Mg-rich ejecta in the middle-aged Galactic O-rich supernova remnant Puppis A with Chandra and XMM-Newton. We use line ratios to identify a low-ionization filament running parallel to the northeastern edge of the remnant that requires super-solar abundances, particularly for O, Ne, and Mg, which we interpret to be from O-Ne-Mg-rich ejecta. Abundance ratios of Ne/O, Mg/O, and Fe/O are measured to be [approx]2, [approx]2, and <0.3 times the solar values. Our spatially resolved spectral analysis from the northeastern rim to the western rim otherwise reveals sub-solar abundances consistent with those in the interstellar medium. The filament is coincident with several optically emitting O-rich knots with high velocities. If these are physically related, the filament would be a peculiar fragment of ejecta. On the other hand, the morphology of the filament suggests that it may trace ejecta heated by a shock reflected strongly off the dense ambient clouds near the northeastern rim.

Characteristics of shocks in the solar corona, as inferred from radio, optical, and theoretical investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, A.; Dryer, M.

1982-01-01

Solar radio bursts of spectral type II provide one of the chief diagnostics for the propagation of shocks through the solar corona. Radio data on the shocks are compared with computer models for propagation of fast-mode MHD shocks through the solar corona. Data on coronal shocks and high-velocity ejecta from solar flares are then discussed in terms of a general model consisting of three main velocity regimes.

Investigation of Ejecta Production in Tin Using Plate Impact Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigg, P. A.; Anderson, W. W.; Olson, R. T.; Buttler, W. T.; Hixson, R. S.

2006-07-01

Experiments to investigate ejecta production in shocked tin have been performed using plate impact facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Three primary diagnostics — piezoelectric pins, Asay foils, and low energy X-ray radiography — were fielded simultaneously in an attempt to quantify the amount of ejecta produced in tin as the shock wave breaks out of the free surface. Results will be presented comparing and contrasting all three diagnostics methods. Advantages and disadvantages of each method will be discussed.

An investigation of volcanic depressions. Part 1: Airfall and intrusive pyroclastic deposits. Part 2: Subaerial pyroclastic flows and their deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, H.; Mcbirney, A. R.

1969-01-01

Pyroclastic ejecta and the deposits they form were classified in many ways, and many interpretations were given to individual terms. Some classifications are based on the modes of orgin and deposition of the ejecta; others emphasized the chemical and physical composition of the ejecta. Particle-size was used as the prime basis of subdivision, and the same size-limits were used as those employed in the classification of sediments and sedimentary rocks.

Yuty Crater Ejecta

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-26

Off the image to the right is Yuty Crater, located between Simud and Tiu Valles. The crater ejcta forms the large lobes along the right side of this VIS image. This type of ejecta was created by surface flow rather than air fall. It is thought that the near surface materials contained volatiles (like water) which mixed with the ejecta at the time of the impact. Orbit Number: 68736 Latitude: 22.247 Longitude: 325.213 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-06-12 17:57 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22303

Early Observations of the Type Ia Supernova iPTF 16abc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Adam; iPTF Collaboration

2018-01-01

Early observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe) provide a unique probe of their progenitor systems and explosion physics. Here, we report the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) discovery of an extraordinarily young SN Ia, iPTF 16abc. By fitting a power law to our early light curve, we infer that first light for the SN only occurred 0.15 +0.15-0.07 d before our first detection. In the ~24 hr after discovery, iPTF 16abc rose by ~2 mag, following a near-linear rise in flux for ~3 d. Strong C II absorption is detected in the early spectra of iPTF 16abc, before disappearing after ~7 d. Unlike the extensively-observed Type Ia SN 2011fe, the (B-V)_0 colors of iPTF 16abc are blue and nearly constant in the days after explosion. We show that our early observations of iPTF 16abc cannot be explained by either SN shock breakout and the associated, subsequent cooling, or the SN ejecta colliding with a stellar companion. Instead, we argue that the early characteristics of iPTF 16abc, including: (i) the rapid, near-linear rise, (ii) the non-evolving blue colors, and (iii) the strong absorption from ionized carbon, are the result of either vigorous mixing of radioactive-Ni in the SN ejecta, or ejecta interaction with diffuse material, or a combination of the two. In the next few years, dozens of very young normal SNe Ia will be discovered, and observations similar to those presented here will constrain the white dwarf explosion mechanism.

LCROSS Impact Conditions and Ejecta Evolution: Insight from Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermalyn, B.; Schultz, P. H.; Colaprete, A.

2009-12-01

The ejecta distribution resulting from an impact event reflects the impact conditions and target material properties. The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission will provide a rare look at subsurface materials. The LCROSS impact will excavate regolith from a permanently shadowed crater on the south pole of the moon. The impactor, named the Earth-Departure-Upper-Stage (EDUS), will impact the surface at ~2.5km/s at an angle of greater than 80° from horizontal. The trailing Shepherding Spacecraft (SSc) will record the impact and take measurements of the ejecta in coordination with a comprehensive earth-based observational campaign. Prior studies have explored the predicted ejecta mass/velocity distribution and general ejecta dynamics through computational modeling (Korycansky, et al 2009) and scaling laws(Schultz, 2006, Heldmann et al 2007). At very early times, however, these models and scaling laws break down. It is this high-speed component of the ejected material that will reach the sunlight horizon first and will be recorded by the SSc. Thus to interpret the initial conditions of the impact from the LCROSS ejecta plume, the early-time ejecta distribution must be understood. A suite of impact experiments (performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range, or AVGR) were designed to interpret LCROSS conditions. These experiments reveal that early in the cratering process, when the projectile is still coupling its energy and momentum to the target surface, ejection velocity is higher than predicted by dimensional scaling laws (Housen, et al 1983). Moreover, the ejection angles of this early-time component are initially lower than predicted, and sweep upward tens of degrees to reach nominal ejection angles (~45° for impacts into sand). Low-density projectiles (such as the EDUS) yield even lower ejection angles throughout much of crater growth, thereby indicating a shallower depth of coupling. An estimate of mass above a given height calculated from these experiments is a factor of ~10 less than predicted by methods above (Korycansky, et al 2009). Analysis of the LCROSS ejecta emergence and evolution, when compared with scaled experimental results, will provide an understanding of the impact conditions as well as constraints on the properties of the regolith.

In plain sight: the Chesapeake Bay crater ejecta blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griscom, D. L.

2012-02-01

The discovery nearly two decades ago of a 90 km-diameter impact crater below the lower Chesapeake Bay has gone unnoted by the general public because to date all published literature on the subject has described it as "buried". To the contrary, evidence is presented here that the so-called "upland deposits" that blanket ∼5000 km2 of the U.S. Middle-Atlantic Coastal Plain (M-ACP) display morphologic, lithologic, and stratigraphic features consistent with their being ejecta from the 35.4 Ma Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure (CBIS) and absolutely inconsistent with the prevailing belief that they are of fluvial origin. Specifically supporting impact origin are the facts that (i) a 95 %-pure iron ore endemic to the upland deposits of southern Maryland, eastern Virginia, and the District of Columbia has previously been proven to be impactoclastic in origin, (ii) this iron ore welds together a small percentage of well-rounded quartzite pebbles and cobbles of the upland deposits into brittle sheets interpretable as "spall plates" created in the interference-zone of the CBIS impact, (iii) the predominantly non-welded upland gravels have long ago been shown to be size sorted with an extreme crater-centric gradient far too large to have been the work of rivers, but well explained as atmospheric size-sorted interference-zone ejecta, (iv) new evidence is provided here that ~60 % of the non-welded quartzite pebbles and cobbles of the (lower lying) gravel member of the upland deposits display planar fractures attributable to interference-zone tensile waves, (v) the (overlying) loam member of the upland deposits is attributable to base-surge-type deposition, (vi) several exotic clasts found in a debris flow topographically below the upland deposits can only be explained as jetting-phase crater ejecta, and (vii) an allogenic granite boulder found among the upland deposits is deduced to have been launched into space and sculpted by hypervelocity air friction during reentry. An idealized calculation of the CBIS ejecta-blanket elevation profile minutes after the impact was carried out founded on well established rules for explosion and impact-generated craters. This profile is shown here to match the volume of the upland deposits ≥170 km from the crater center. Closer to the crater, much of the "postdicted" ejecta blanket has clearly been removed by erosion. Nevertheless the Shirley and fossil-free Bacons Castle Formations, located between the upland deposits and the CBIS interior and veneering the present day surface with units ∼10-20 m deep, are respectively identified as curtain- and excavation-phase ejecta. The neritic-fossil-bearing Calvert Formation external to the crater is deduced to be of Eocene age (as opposed to early Miocene as currently believed), preserved by the armoring effects of the overlying CBIS ejecta composed of the (distal) upland deposits and the (proximal) Bacons Castle Formation. The lithofacies of the in-crater Calvert Formation can only have resulted from inward mass wasting of the postdicted ejecta blanket, vestiges of which (i.e. the Bacons Castle and Shirley Formations) still overlap the crater rim and sag into its interior, consistent with this expectation. Because there appear to be a total of ∼10 000 km2 of CBIS ejecta lying on the present-day surface, future research should center the stratigraphic, lithologic, and petrologic properties of these ejecta versus both radial distance from the crater center (to identify ejecta from different ejection stages) and circumferentially at fixed radial distances (to detect possible anisotropies relating the impact angle and direction of approach of the impactor). The geological units described here may comprise the best preserved, and certainly the most accessible, ejecta blanket of a major crater on the Earth's surface and therefore promise to be a boon to the field of impact geology. As a corollary, a major revision of the current stratigraphic column of the M-ACP will be necessary.

Detailed Analysis of the Intra-Ejecta Dark Plains of Caloris Basin, Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buczkowski, D.; Seelos, K. D.

2010-12-01

The Caloris basin on Mercury is floored by light-toned plains and surrounded by an annulus of dark-toned material interpreted to be ejecta blocks and smooth, dark, ridged plains. Strangely, preliminary crater-counts indicate that these intra-ejecta dark plains are younger than the light-toned plains within the Caloris basin. This would imply a second, younger plains emplacement event, possibly involving lower albedo material volcanics, which resurfaced the original ejecta deposit. On the other hand, the dark plains may be pre-Caloris light plains covered by a thin layer of dark ejecta. Another alternative to the hypothesis of young, dark volcanism is the possibility that previous crater-counts have not thoroughly distinguished between superposed craters (fresh) and partly-buried craters (old) and therefore have not accurately determined the ages of the Caloris units. We here outline the tasks associated with a new mapping project of the Caloris basin, intended to improve our knowledge of the geology and geologic history of the basin, and thus facilitate an understanding of the thermal evolution of this region of Mercury. We will 1) classify craters based on geomorphology and infilling, 2) create a high-resolution map of the intra-ejecta dark plains, 3) perform crater counts of the intra-ejecta dark plains, the ejecta, and the Caloris floor light plains and 4) refine the stratigraphy of Caloris basin units. We will use new high resolution (200-300 m/p) imaging data from the MDIS instrument to create a new geomorphic map of the dark annulus around the Caloris basin. Known Caloris group formations will be mapped where identified and any new units will be defined and mapped as necessary. Specifically, we will delineate hummocks and smooth plains within the Odin formation and map them separately. We will look for unequivocal evidence of volcanic activity within the dark annulus and the Odin Formation, such as vents and flow lobes. The location of any filled craters will be especially noted, to be incorporated into a new crater classification scheme that includes both degradation state and level and type of infilling. We will also distinguish between craters infilled with 1) lava, 2) impact melt and 3) ejecta, based on our interpretation of the MDIS images. We will then determine the crater size-frequency distribution of each geomorphic unit. We will analyze the crater density of the Caloris floor plains unit, the Odin Formation ejecta and the Odin Formation intra-ejecta dark plains. We will do a second count of Caloris floor craters that includes filled craters, to attempt to get a minimum age for the underlying dark basement. Crater counting on any additional geologic units will depend upon results of the geomorphic mapping. Finally, we will refine the stratigraphy of the Caloris basin units. We start in the region where MESSENGER data over-laps Mariner 10 images. By comparing the Caloris group formations mapped in the Tolstoj and Shakespeare quadrangles to the overlapping MDIS images, we determine the distinctive geomorphology of each of these units in the high resolution MESSENGER data. We will then use this as diagnostic criteria as we map the rest of the basin.

Constraining the Turbulence Scale and Mixing of a Crushed Pulsar Wind Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, Chi Yung; Ma, Y. K.; Bucciantini, Niccolo; Slane, Patrick O.; Gaensler, Bryan M.; Temim, Tea

2016-04-01

Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are synchrotron-emitting nebulae resulting from the interaction between pulsars' relativistic particle outflows and the ambient medium. The Snail PWN in supernova remnant G327.1-1.1 is a rare system that has recently been crushed by supernova reverse shock. We carried out radio polarization observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array and found highly ordered magnetic field structure in the nebula. This result is surprising, given the turbulent environment expected from hydrodynamical simulations. We developed a toymodel and compared simple simulations with observations to constrain the characteristic turbulence scale in the PWN and the mixing with supernova ejecta. We estimate that the turbulence scale is about one-eighth to one-sixth of the nebula radius and a pulsar wind filling factor of 50-75%. The latter implies substantial mixing of the pulsar wind with the surrounding supernova ejecta.This work is supported by an ECS grant of the Hong Kong Government under HKU 709713P. The Australia Telescope is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operation as a National Facility managed by CSIRO.

Analysis of LEAM experiment response to charged particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, D.

1976-01-01

The objectives of the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (LEAM) were to measure the long-term variations in cosmic dust influx rates and the extent and nature of the lunar ejecta. While analyzing these characteristics in the data, it was discovered that a majority of the events could not be associated with hypervelocity particle impacts of the type usually identified with cosmic dust, but could only be correlated with the lunar surface and local sun angle. The possibility that charged particles could be incident on the sensors led to an analysis of the electronics to determine if such signals could cause the large pulse height analysis (PHA) signals. A qualitative analysis of the PHA circuit showed that an alternative mode of operation existed if the input signal were composed of pulses with pulse durations very long compared to the durations for which it was designed. This alternative mode would give large PHA outputs even though the actual input amplitudes were small. This revelation led to the examination of the sensor and its response to charged particles to determine the type of signals that could be expected.

The Distribution of Subsurface Water at Hadriaca and Tyrrhena Paterae and Surrounding Areas on Mars from Impact Crater Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lancaster, M. G.; Guest, J. E.

1996-03-01

It is well established that the surface of Mars exhibits abundant evidence for the presence of either liquid or frozen water during the course of Martian history. The origin, location, extent and transport of this water is of critical importance in the understanding of Martian geology and climate. In particular, the fluid appearance of rampart crater ejecta has been cited as evidence for subsurface ice at the time of impact. Ejecta morphology has proven to be a useful tool for studying the distribution of subsurface ice on Mars. It is possible that in some regions the concentration and distribution of subsurface ice has been affected by volcanic processes, either in the melting and/or mobilisation of existing subsurface water, and/or in the injection of juvenile water into the martian crust. The presence of water may also have affected the style of volcanic eruptions on Mars, increasing the volatile content of rising magmas and generating explosive activity. We are currently investigating the abundance and role of water in the evolution of the volcanoes Hadriaca and Tyrrhena Patera and surrounding highlands northeast of the Hellas Basin. The morphology of these volcanoes has been attributed to explosive volcanism, and to the presence of substantial amounts of water in the regolith at the time of their eruption. The location of Hadriaca Patera in a region containing channelled plains, debris flows, and pitted plains, together with the style of erosion of the volcano flanks suggests presence of volatile-rich surface materials or fluvial or periglacial activity. This work is a continuation of research undertaken by Cave in the Elysium Mons Region, where ice was found to be enriched at depth in the Elysium Lavas. We are performing a similar analysis for the volcanics of Hadriaca and Tyrrhena Paterae. A database containing information on the location, size, morphology, ejecta characteristics and degradation state of several hundred impact craters displaying ejecta in the region of Mars between the equator and 40 degrees S, and from 225 degrees to 275 degrees W is therefore being compiled.

Thermally distinct ejecta blankets from Martian craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betts, B. H.; Murray, B. C.

1993-06-01

A study of Martian ejecta blankets is carried out using the high-resolution thermal IR/visible data from the Termoskan instrument aboard Phobos '88 mission. It is found that approximately 100 craters within the Termoskan data have an ejecta blanket distinct in the thermal infrared (EDITH). These features are examined by (1) a systematic examination of all Termoskan data using high-resolution image processing; (2) a study of the systematics of the data by compiling and analyzing a data base consisting of geographic, geologic, and mormphologic parameters for a significant fraction of the EDITH and nearby non-EDITH; and (3) qualitative and quantitative analyses of localized regions of interest. It is noted that thermally distinct ejecta blankets are excellent locations for future landers and remote sensing because of relatively dust-free surface exposures of material excavated from depth.

Investigation of the enhanced spatial density of submicron lunar ejecta between L values 1.2 and 3.0 in the earth's magnetosphere: Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, W. M.; Tanner, W. G.; Goad, H. S.

1987-01-01

Initial results from the measurement conducted by the dust particle experiment on the lunar orbiting satellite Lunar Explorer 35 (LE 35) were reported with the data interpreted as indicating that the moon is a significant source of micrometeroids. Primary sporadic and stream meteoroids impacting the surface of the moon at hypervelocity was proposed as the source of micron and submicron particles that leave the lunar craters with velocities sufficient to escape the moon's gravitational sphere of influence. No enhanced flux of lunar ejecta with masses greater than a nanogram was detected by LE 35 or the Lunar Orbiters. Hypervelocity meteoroid simulation experiments concentrating on ejecta production combined with extensive analyses of the orbital dynamics of micron and submicron lunar ejecta in selenocentric, cislunar, and geocentric space have shown that a pulse of these lunar ejecta, with a time correlation relative to the position of the moon relative to the earth, intercepts the earth's magnetopause surface (EMPs). As shown, a strong reason exists for expecting a significant enhancement of submicron dust particles in the region of the magnetosphere between L values of 1.2 and 3.0. This is the basis for the proposal of a series of experiments to investigate the enhancement or even trapping of submicron lunar ejecta in this region. The subsequent interaction of this mass with the upper-lower atmosphere of the earth and possible geophysical effects can then be studied.

Comparing Neutron Star Kicks to Supernova Remnant Asymmetries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holland-Ashford, Tyler; Lopez, Laura A.; Auchettl, Katie

2017-07-20

Supernova explosions are inherently asymmetric and can accelerate new-born neutron stars (NSs) to hundreds of km s{sup −1}. Two prevailing theories to explain NS kicks are ejecta asymmetries (e.g., conservation of momentum between NS and ejecta) and anisotropic neutrino emission. Observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) can give us insights into the mechanism that generates these NS kicks. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between NS kick velocities and the X-ray morphologies of 18 SNRs observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Röntgen Satellite ( ROSAT ). We measure SNR asymmetries using the power-ratio method (a multipole expansion technique),more » focusing on the dipole, quadrupole, and octupole power ratios. Our results show no correlation between the magnitude of the power ratios and NS kick velocities, but we find that for Cas A and G292.0+1.8, whose emission traces the ejecta distribution, their NSs are preferentially moving opposite to the bulk of the X-ray emission. In addition, we find a similar result for PKS 1209–51, CTB 109, and Puppis A; however, their emission is dominated by circumstellar/interstellar material, so their asymmetries may not reflect their ejecta distributions. Our results are consistent with the theory that NS kicks are a consequence of ejecta asymmetries as opposed to anisotropic neutrino emission. In the future, additional observations to measure NS proper motions within ejecta-dominated SNRs are necessary to robustly constrain the NS kick mechanism.« less

They Came from the Deep in the Supernova: The Origin of TiC and Metal Subgrains in Presolar Graphite Grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodders, Katharina

2006-08-01

A new formation scenario for TiC and Fe-Ni metal inclusions in presolar graphite grains of supernova origin is described. The mineralogy and chemistry require condensation of Fe-Ni titanides from Fe-, Ni-, and Ti-rich gaseous ejecta, subsequent carburization to make TiC and metal, and encapsulation into graphite. Titanides only condense if Si is depleted relative to heavier elements, which requires α-rich freeze-out and a deep mass cut for the supernova ejecta. This Si-poor core material must remain unmixed with other supernova zones until the titanides condense. This can be accomplished by transport of core ejecta in bipolar jets through the major expanding supernova zone ejecta. If the jets stall in regions dominated by C-rich ejecta such as the C-He zone, where graphite condenses, thermochemically favored in situ carburization of the titanides-either before or during encapsulation into condensing graphite-leads to a TiC-and-metal composite. This scenario agrees with theoretical models and observations of asymmetric core collapse in supernovae that are associated with bipolar jets loaded with iron-peak elements.

Study of the links between surface perturbation parameters and shock-induced mass ejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monfared, Shabnam; Buttler, William; Brandon, Lalone; Oro, David; Pack, Cora; Schauer, Martin; Stevens, Gerald; Stone, Joseph; Special Technologies Laboratory Collaboration; Los Alamos National Laboratory Team

2014-03-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory is actively engaged in the study of material failure physics to support development of the hydrodynamic models. Our supporting experiments focus on the failure mechanisms of explosively shocked metals that causes mass ejection from the backside of a shocked surface with perturbations. Ejecta models are in development for this situation. Our past work has clearly shown that the total ejected mass and mass-velocity distribution sensitively links to the wavelength and amplitude of these perturbations. In our most recent efforts, we studied the link between amount of tin ejecta and surface perturbation parameters. Our ejecta measurements utilized soft x-radiography and piezoelectric pins to quantitatively determine the amount of ejected mass. Results from these analysis techniques were in remarkably good agreement. In addition, optical shadowgraphy and laser Doppler velocimetry were used to identify any symmetry imperfections as well as fast ejecta and free surface velocities. We also compared our recent results with some earlier measurements. Within each set, amount of ejecta is predictable based on surface parameters. We relate minor differences between the results of our previous and current experiments partially to different surface cuts used.

Simulations and experiments of ejecta generation in twice-shocked metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karkhanis, Varad; Ramaprabhu, Praveen; Buttler, William; Hammerberg, James; Cherne, Frank; Andrews, Malcolm

2016-11-01

Using continuum hydrodynamics embedded in the FLASH code, we model ejecta generation in recent target experiments, where a metallic surface was loaded by two successive shock waves. The experimental data were obtained from a two-shockwave, high-explosive tool at Los Alamos National Laboratory, capable of generating ejecta from a shocked tin surface in to a vacuum. In both simulations and experiment, linear growth is observed following the first shock event, while the second shock strikes a finite-amplitude interface leading to nonlinear growth. The timing of the second incident shock was varied systematically in our simulations to realize a finite-amplitude re-initialization of the RM instability driving the ejecta. We find the shape of the interface at the event of second shock is critical in determining the amount of ejecta, and thus must be used as an initial condition to evaluate subsequent ejected mass using a source model. In particular, the agreement between simulations, experiments and the mass model is improved when shape effects associated with the interface at second shock are incorporated. This work was supported in part by the (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA2-5396.

Small-body deflection techniques using spacecraft: Techniques in simulating the fate of ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Stephen R.; Yu, Yang; Michel, Patrick; Jutzi, Martin

2016-04-01

We define a set of procedures to numerically study the fate of ejecta produced by the impact of an artificial projectile with the aim of deflecting an asteroid. Here we develop a simplified, idealized model of impact conditions that can be adapted to fit the details of specific deflection-test scenarios, such as what is being proposed for the AIDA project. Ongoing studies based upon the methodology described here can be used to inform observational strategies and safety conditions for an observing spacecraft. To account for ejecta evolution, the numerical strategies we are employing are varied and include a large N-Body component, a smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) component, and an application of impactor scaling laws. Simulations that use SPH-derived initial conditions show high-speed ejecta escaping at low angles of inclination, and very slowly moving ejecta lofting off the surface at higher inclination angles, some of which reimpacts the small-body surface. We are currently investigating the realism of this and other models' behaviors. Next steps will include the addition of solar perturbations to the model and applying the protocol developed here directly to specific potential mission concepts such as the proposed AIDA scenario.

Kilonova from post-merger ejecta as an optical and near-Infrared counterpart of GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Masaomi; Utsumi, Yousuke; Mazzali, Paolo A.; Tominaga, Nozomu; Yoshida, Michitoshi; Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Morokuma, Tomoki; Motohara, Kentaro; Ohta, Kouji; Kawabata, Koji S.; Abe, Fumio; Aoki, Kentaro; Asakura, Yuichiro; Baar, Stefan; Barway, Sudhanshu; Bond, Ian A.; Doi, Mamoru; Fujiyoshi, Takuya; Furusawa, Hisanori; Honda, Satoshi; Itoh, Yoichi; Kawabata, Miho; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Kim, Ji Hoon; Lee, Chien-Hsiu; Miyazaki, Shota; Morihana, Kumiko; Nagashima, Hiroki; Nagayama, Takahiro; Nakaoka, Tatsuya; Nakata, Fumiaki; Ohsawa, Ryou; Ohshima, Tomohito; Okita, Hirofumi; Saito, Tomoki; Sumi, Takahiro; Tajitsu, Akito; Takahashi, Jun; Takayama, Masaki; Tamura, Yoichi; Tanaka, Ichi; Terai, Tsuyoshi; Tristram, Paul J.; Yasuda, Naoki; Zenko, Tetsuya

2017-12-01

Recent detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star (NS) merger event GW170817 and identification of an electromagnetic counterpart provide a unique opportunity to study the physical processes in NS mergers. To derive properties of ejected material from the NS merger, we perform radiative transfer simulations of kilonova, optical and near-infrared emissions powered by radioactive decays of r-process nuclei synthesized in the merger. We find that the observed near-infrared emission lasting for >10 d is explained by 0.03 M⊙ of ejecta containing lanthanide elements. However, the blue optical component observed at the initial phases requires an ejecta component with a relatively high electron fraction (Ye). We show that both optical and near-infrared emissions are simultaneously reproduced by the ejecta with a medium Ye of ˜0.25. We suggest that a dominant component powering the emission is post-merger ejecta, which exhibits that the mass ejection after the first dynamical ejection is quite efficient. Our results indicate that NS mergers synthesize a wide range of r-process elements and strengthen the hypothesis that NS mergers are the origin of r-process elements in the Universe.

PAH emission from Nova Cen 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyland, A. R. Harry; Mcgregor, P. J.

1989-01-01

The discovery of broad emission features between 3.2 and 3.6 microns were reported in the spectrum of Nova Cen 1986 (V842 Cen) some 300 days following outburst and remaining prominent for several months. The general characteristics of these features are similar to those attributed to polycyclic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules in other dusty sources, although the relative strengths are different, and these observations provide the first clear evidence for molecular constituents other than graphite particles in the ejecta of novae.

Post-Deposition (and Ongoing?) Modification of Caloris Ejecta Blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J.; Conway, S. J.; Balme, M. R.; Rothery, D. A.

2018-05-01

Caloris ejecta blocks have been modified by mass-wasting that has persisted long after their formation. Volatiles may be involved in this process. Block geomorphology therefore has implications for Mercury's interior volatile content.

A Million-Second Chandra View of Cassiopeia A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Una; Laming, J. Martin; Badenes, Carles; Berendse, Fred; Blondin, John; Cioffi, Denis; DeLaney, Tracey; Dewey, Daniel; Fesen, Robert; Flanagan, Kathryn A.

2004-01-01

We introduce a million-second observation of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bipolar structure of the Si-rich ejecta (NE jet and SW counterpart) is clearly evident in the new images, and their chemical similarity is confirmed by their spectra. These are most likely due to jets of ejecta as opposed to cavities in the circumstellar medium, since we can reject simple models for the latter. The properties of these jets and the Fe-rich ejecta will provide clues to the explosion of Cas A.

Landslide

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-26

This image from NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a landslide deposit within a complex crater note the ejecta to the top and bottom of the image. There is a smaller complex crater on the ejecta to the north of the larger crater.

Yuty Crater Ejecta - False Color

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-04-26

The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the ejecta from Yuty Crater.

Influence of shockwave profile on ejecta: An experimental and computational study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, Michael; Germann, Timothy; Hammerberg, James; Rigg, Paulo; Stevens, Gerald; Turley, William; Buttler, William

2009-06-01

This effort investigates the relation between shock-pulse shape and the amount of micron-scale fragments ejected (ejecta) upon shock release at the metal/vacuum interface of shocked Sn targets. Two shock-pulse shapes are considered: a supported shock created by impacting a Sn target with a sabot that was accelerated using a powder gun; and an unsupported or Taylor shockwave, created by detonation of high explosive that was press-fit to the front-side of the Sn target. Ejecta production at the back-side or free-side of the Sn coupons were characterized through use of piezoelectric pins, Asay foils, optical shadowgraph, and x-ray attenuation. In addition to the experimental results, SPaSM, a short-ranged parallel molecular dynamics code developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was used to investigate the relation between shock-pulse shape and production of ejecta from a first principles point-of-view.

Europa Kinetic Ice Penetrator System for Hyper Velocity Instrument Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Tessa

Landing of a payload on any celestial body has only used a soft landing system. These systems use retro rockets and atmospheric components to match velocity and then overcome local gravity in order to land on the surface. This is a proposed system for depositing instrumentation on an icy surface at hypervelocity using the properties of different projectiles and ejecta properties that would negate the need for a soft landing system. This system uses two projectiles, a cylinder with inner aerodynamic surfaces and a payload section with a conical nose and aerodynamic surfaces. The cylinder lands first, creates a region of fractured ice, and directs that fractured material into a collimated ejecta stream. The payload travels through the ejecta and lands in the fractured region. The combination of the ejecta stream and the softened target material reduces the impact acceleration to within survivable levels.

Origin of lunar light plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, E. C. T.; Hodges, C. A.; Boyce, J. M.; Soderblom, L. A.

1975-01-01

In order to determine the origin of Cayley-type lunar light plains, their physical properties, distribution, and relative ages are examined from Apollo orbital and Lunar Orbiter photographs. The distribution and apparent age of the plains deposits and data on highly feldspathic breccias indicate that these superficial materials are neither locally derived nor part of the Imbrium ejecta. The existence of a planar facies of continuous ejecta at Orientale and in the ejecta blankets of small craters is demonstrated. The data and interpretation presented support the hypothesis that the surface and near-surface materials of some light plains, including those at the Apollo 16 site, are at least partly composed of ejecta from the Orientale basin and that the materials of many rugged areas, such as the Descartes highlands, are overlain by similar material. The possibility that some Cayley-type plains may have a different origin is not excluded.

Mineral-produced high-pressure striae and clay polish: Key evidence for nonballistic transport of ejecta from Ries crater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chao, E.C.T.

1976-01-01

Recently discovered mineral-produced, deeply incised striae and mirror-like polish on broken surfaces of limestone fragments from the sedimentary ejecta of the Ries impact crater of southern Germany are described. The striae and polish were produced under high confining pressures during high-velocity nonballistic transport of the ejecta mass within the time span of the cratering event (measured in terms of seconds). The striae on these fragments were produced by scouring by small mineral grains embedded in the surrounding clay matrix, and the polish was formed under the same condition, by movements of relatively fragment-free clay against the fragment surfaces. The occurrence of these striae and polish is key evidence for estimating the distribution and determining the relative importance of nonballistic and ballistic transport of ejecta from the shallow Ries stony meteorite impact crater.

Swapping Rocks: Ejection and Exchange of Surface Material Among the Terrestrial Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melosh, H. J.; Tonks, W. B.

1993-07-01

The discovery of meteorites originating from both the Moon and Mars has led to the realization that major impacts can eject material from planetary-sized objects. Although there is not yet any direct proof, there appears to be no reason why such impacts cannot eject material from the surfaces of Earth and Venus as well. Because of this possibility, and in view of the implications of such exchange for biological evolution, we examined the orbital evolution and ultimate fate of ejecta from each of the terrestrial planets. This work employed an Opik-type orbital evolution model in which both planets and ejected particles follow elliptical orbits about the Sun, with uniformly precessing arguments of perihelion and ascending nodes. An encounter takes place when the particle passes within the sphere of influence of the planet. When this occurs, the encounter is treated as a two-body scattering event, with a randomly chosen impact parameter within the sphere of influence. If the impact parameter is less than the planet's radius, an impact is scored. Otherwise, the scattered particle either takes up a new Keplerian orbit or is ejected from the solar system. We incorporated several different space erosion models and examined the full matrix of possible outcomes of ejection from each planet in random directions with velocities at great distance from the planet of 0.5, 2.5, and 5.0 km/s. Each run analyzed the evolution of 5000 particles to achieve sufficient statistical resolution. Both the ultimate fate and median transit times of particles was recorded. The results show very little dependence on velocity of ejection. Mercury ejecta is nearly all reaccreted by Mercury or eroded in space--very little ever evolves to cross the orbits of the other planets (a few percent impact Venus). The median time between ejection and reimpact is about 30 m.y. for all erosion models. Venus ejecta is mostly reaccreted by Venus, but a significant fraction (about 30%) falls on the Earth with a median transit time of 12 m.y. Of the remainder, a few percent strike Mars and a larger fraction (about 20%) are ejected from the solar system by Jupiter. Earth ejecta is also mainly reaccreted by the Earth, but about 30% strike Venus within 15 m.y. and 5% strike Mars within 150 m.y. Again, about 20% of Earth ejecta is thrown out of the solar system by Jupiter. Mars ejecta is more equitably distributed: Nearly equal fractions fall on Earth and Venus, slightly more are accreted to Mars, and a few percent strike Mercury. About 20% of Mars ejecta is thrown out of the solar system by Jupiter. The larger terrestrial planets, Venus and Earth, thus readily exchange ejecta. Mars ejecta largely falls on Venus and Earth, but Mars only receives a small fraction of their ejecta. A substantial fraction of ejecta from all the terrestrial planets (except Mercury) is thrown out of the solar system by Jupiter, a fact that may have some implications for the panspermia mechanism of spreading life through the galaxy. From the standpoint of collecting meteorites on Earth, in addition to martian and lunar meteorites, we should expect someday to find meteorites from Earth itself (Earth rocks that have spent a median time of 5 m.y. in space before falling again on the Earth) and from Venus.

Properties of Kilonovae from Dynamical and Post-merger Ejecta of Neutron Star Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Masaomi; Kato, Daiji; Gaigalas, Gediminas; Rynkun, Pavel; Radžiūtė, Laima; Wanajo, Shinya; Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Nakamura, Nobuyuki; Tanuma, Hajime; Murakami, Izumi; Sakaue, Hiroyuki A.

2018-01-01

Ejected material from neutron star mergers gives rise to electromagnetic emission powered by radioactive decays of r-process nuclei, the so-called kilonova or macronova. While properties of the emission are largely affected by opacities in the ejected material, available atomic data for r-process elements are still limited. We perform atomic structure calculations for r-process elements: Se (Z = 34), Ru (Z = 44), Te (Z = 52), Ba (Z = 56), Nd (Z = 60), and Er (Z = 68). We confirm that the opacities from bound–bound transitions of open f-shell, lanthanide elements (Nd and Er) are higher than those of the other elements over a wide wavelength range. The opacities of open s-shell (Ba), p-shell (Se and Te), and d-shell (Ru) elements are lower than those of open f-shell elements, and their transitions are concentrated in the ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. We show that the optical brightness can be different by > 2 mag depending on the element abundances in the ejecta such that post-merger, lanthanide-free ejecta produce brighter and bluer optical emission. Such blue emission from post-merger ejecta can be observed from the polar directions if the mass of the preceding dynamical ejecta in these regions is small. For the ejecta mass of 0.01 {M}ȯ , observed magnitudes of the blue emission will reach 21.0 mag (100 Mpc) and 22.5 mag (200 Mpc) in the g and r bands within a few days after the merger, which are detectable with 1 m or 2 m class telescopes.

Calculating Coronal Mass Ejection Magnetic Field at 1 AU Using Solar Observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; Kunkel, V.

2013-12-01

It is well-established that most major nonrecurrent geomagnetic storms are caused by solar wind structures with long durations of strong southward (Bz < 0) interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Such geoeffective IMF structures are associated with CME events at the Sun. Unfortunately, neither the duration nor the internal magnetic field vector of the ejecta--the key determinants of geoeffectiveness--is measurable until the observer (e.g., Earth) passes through the ejecta. In this paper, we discuss the quantitative relationships between the ejecta magnetic field at 1 AU and remotely observable solar quantities associated with the eruption of a given CME. In particular, we show that observed CME trajectories (position-time data) within, say, 1/3 AU of the Sun, contain sufficient information to allow the calculation of the ejecta magnetic field (magnitude and components) at 1 AU using the Erupting Flux Rope (EFR) model of CMEs. Furthermore, in order to accurately determine the size and arrival time of the ejecta as seen by a fixed observer at 1 AU (e.g., ACE), it is essential to accurately calculate the three-dimensional geometry of the underlying magnetic structure. Accordingly, we have extended the physics-based EFR model to include a self-consistent calculation of the transverse expansion taking into account the non-symmetric drag coupling between an expanding CME flux rope and the ambient solar wind. The dependence of the minor radius of the flux rope at 1 AU that determines the perceived size of the ejecta on solar quantities is discussed. Work supported by the NRL Base Program.

Geology of Southern Quintana Roo (Mexico) and the Chicxulub Ejecta Blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönian, F.; Tagle, R.; Stöffler, D.; Kenkmann, T.

2005-03-01

In southern Quintana Roo (Mexico) the Chicxulub ejecta blanket is discontinuously filling a karstified pre-KT land surface. This suggests a completely new scenario for the geological evolution of the southern Yucatán Peninsula.

Groundwater geochemistry of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: Constraints on stratigraphy and hydrogeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, Eugene; Paytan, Adina; Pedersen, Bianca; Velazquez-Oliman, Guadalupe

2009-03-01

SummaryWe report 87Sr/ 86Sr and ion concentrations of sulfate, chloride, and strontium in the groundwater of the northern and central Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Correlation between these data indicates that ejecta from the 65.95 m.y. old Chicxulub impact crater have an important effect on hydrogeology, geomorphology, and soil development of the region. Ejecta are present at relatively shallow subsurface depths in north-central Yucatan and at the surface along the Rio Hondo escarpment in southeast Quintana Roo, where they are referred to as the Albion Formation. Anhydrite/gypsum (and by inference celestite) are common in impact ejecta clasts and in beds and cements of overlying Paleocene and Lower Eocene rocks cored around the margin of the crater. The sulfate-rich minerals that are found in rocks immediately overlying the impact ejecta blanket, may either be partially mobilized from the ejecta layer itself or may have been deposited after the K/T impact event in an extensive pre-Oligocene shallow sea. These deposits form a distinctive sedimentary package that can be easily traced by the Eocene-Cretaceous 87Sr/ 86Sr signal. A distinct Sr isotopic signature and high SO 4/Cl ratios are observed in groundwater of northwestern and north-central Yucatan that interacts with these rocks. Moreover, the distribution of the gypsum-rich stratigraphic unit provides a solution-enhanced subsurface drainage pathway for a broad region characterized by dissolution features (poljes) extending from Chetumal, Quintana Roo to Campeche, Campeche. The presence of gypsum quarries in the area is also consistent with a sulfate-rich stratigraphic "package" that includes ejecta. The distinctive chemistry of groundwater that has been in contact with evaporite/ejecta can be used to trace flow directions and confirms a groundwater divide in the northern Peninsula. Information about groundwater flow directions and about deep subsurface zones of high permeability is useful for groundwater and liquid waste management in the area. Where it discharges at the coast, the unique chemistry of the groundwater that has interacted with the evaporite/ejecta strata may also have significant geomorphologic implications. While groundwater-seawater mixing at the coast has been shown to dissolve and erode limestone, PHREEQC modeling shows that mixing of water nearly saturated in CaSO 4 with seawater has a less vigorous dissolution effect due to its high Ca content.

A 3D View of a Supernova Remnant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-06-01

The outlined regions mark the 57 knots in Tycho selected by the authors for velocity measurements. Magenta regions have redshifted line-of-sight velocities (moving away from us); cyan regions have blueshifted light-of-sight velocities (moving toward us). [Williams et al. 2017]The Tycho supernova remnant was first observed in the year 1572. Nearly 450 years later, astronomers have now used X-ray observations of Tycho to build the first-ever 3D map of a Type Ia supernova remnant.Signs of ExplosionsSupernova remnants are spectacular structures formed by the ejecta of stellar explosions as they expand outwards into the surrounding interstellar medium.One peculiarity of these remnants is that they often exhibit asymmetries in their appearance and motion. Is this because the ejecta are expanding into a nonuniform interstellar medium? Or was the explosion itself asymmetric? The best way we can explore this question is with detailed observations of the remnants.Histograms of the velocity in distribution of the knots in the X (green), Y (blue) and Z (red) directions (+Z is away from the observer). They show no evidence for asymmetric expansion of the knots. [Williams et al. 2017]Enter TychoTo this end, a team of scientists led by Brian Williams (Space Telescope Science Institute and NASA Goddard SFC) has worked to map out the 3D velocities of the ejecta in the Tycho supernova remnant. Tycho is a Type Ia supernova thought to be caused by the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf in a binary system that was destabilized by mass transfer from its companion.After 450 years of expansion, the remnant now has the morphological appearance of a roughly circular cloud of clumpy ejecta. The forward shock wave from the supernova, however, is known to have twice the velocity on one side of the shell as on the other.To better understand this asymmetry, Williams and collaborators selected a total of 57 knots in Tychos ejecta, spread out around the remnant. They then used 12 years of Chandra X-ray observations to measure both the knots proper motion in the plane of the sky and their line-of-sight velocity. These two measurements were then combined to build a full 3D map of the motion of the ejecta.3D hydrodynamical simulations of Tycho, stopped at the current epoch. These show that both initially smooth (top) and initially clumpy (bottom) ejecta models are consistent with the current observations of the morphology and dynamics of Tychos ejecta. [Adapted from Williams et al. 2017]Symmetry and ClumpsWilliams and collaborators found that the knots have total velocities that range from 2400 to 6600 km/s. Unlike the forward shock of the supernova, Tychos ejecta display no asymmetries in their motion which suggests that the explosion itself was symmetric. The more likely explanation is a density gradient in the interstellar medium, which could slow the shock wave on one side of the remnant without yet affecting the motion of the clumps of ejecta.As a final exploration, the authors attempt to address the origin of Tychos clumpiness. The fact that some of Tychos ejecta knots precede its outer edge has raised the question of whether the ejecta started out clumpy, or if they began smooth and only clumped during expansion. Williams and collaborators matched the morphological and dynamical data to simulations, demonstrating that neither scenario can be ruled out at this time.This first 3D map of a Type Ia supernova represents an important step in our ability to understand these stellar explosions. The authors suggest that well be able to expand on this map in the future with additional observations from Chandra, as well as with new data from future X-ray observatories that will be able to detect fainter emission.CitationBrian J. Williams et al 2017 ApJ 842 28. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa7384

Statistical study of interplanetary condition effect on geomagnetic storms: 2. Variations of parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yermolaev, Yu. I.; Lodkina, I. G.; Nikolaeva, N. S.; Yermolaev, M. Yu.

2011-02-01

We investigate the behavior of mean values of the solar wind’s and interplanetary magnetic field’s (IMF) parameters and their absolute and relative variations during the magnetic storms generated by various types of the solar wind. In this paper, which is a continuation of paper [1], we, on the basis of the OMNI data archive for the period of 1976-2000, have analyzed 798 geomagnetic storms with D st ≤ -50 nT and their interplanetary sources: corotating interaction regions CIR, compression regions Sheath before the interplanetary CMEs; magnetic clouds MC; “Pistons” Ejecta, and an uncertain type of a source. For the analysis the double superposed epoch analysis method was used, in which the instants of the magnetic storm onset and the minimum of the D st index were taken as reference times. It is shown that the set of interplanetary sources of magnetic storms can be sub-divided into two basic groups according to their slowly and fast varying characteristics: (1) ICME (MC and Ejecta) and (2) CIR and Sheath. The mean values, the absolute and relative variations in MC and Ejecta for all parameters appeared to be either mean or lower than the mean value (the mean values of the electric field E y and of the B z component of IMF are higher in absolute value), while in CIR and Sheath they are higher than the mean value. High values of the relative density variation sN/< N> are observed in MC. At the same time, the high values for relative variations of the velocity, B z component, and IMF magnitude are observed in Sheath and CIR. No noticeable distinctions in the relationships between considered parameters for moderate and strong magnetic storms were observed.

Mapping Calcium Rich Ejecta in Two Type Ia Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fesen, Robert

2016-10-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs (WDs) in close binary systems with either a non-degenerate or WD companion. SN Ia explosion computations are quite challenging, involving a complex interplay of turbulent hydrodynamics, nuclear burning, conduction, radiative transfer in iron-group rich material and possibly magnetic fields leading to significant uncertainties. Several key questions about expansion asymmetries and the overall characteristics of SNe Ia could be resolved if one could obtain direct observations of the internal kinematics and elemental distributions of young SN Ia remnants.We propose to use WFC3/UVIS to obtain images of the normal Type Ia supernova remnant 0519-69.0 and the overluminous Type Ia supernova remnant 0509-67.5 in the LMC. The Ca II on-band F390M filter and off-band F336W and FQ422M filters will be used to determine the spatial extent and density distributions of the Ca-rich ejecta via resonance line absorption. Differences in the observed on and off band Ca II fluxes for LMC stars located behind these young 400 - 600 yr old remnants will yield calcium column density estimates for multiple lines-of-sight within these remnants. These results will be compared to the calcium distribution seen in SN 1885, a subluminous SN Ia in M31, already imaged by HST.The resulting calcium density distribution maps for both a normal and overluminous SN Ia events will provide powerful insights regarding the structure and kinematics of calcium-rich ejecta in three different type Ia subclass events, and unique empirical data with which to test current SN Ia explosion models.

The Lunar Dust Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szalay, Jamey Robert

Planetary bodies throughout the solar system are continually bombarded by dust particles, largely originating from cometary activities and asteroidal collisions. Surfaces of bodies with thick atmospheres, such as Venus, Earth, Mars and Titan are mostly protected from incoming dust impacts as these particles ablate in their atmospheres as 'shooting stars'. However, the majority of bodies in the solar system have no appreciable atmosphere and their surfaces are directly exposed to the flux of high speed dust grains. Impacts onto solid surfaces in space generate charged and neutral gas clouds, as well as solid secondary ejecta dust particles. Gravitationally bound ejecta clouds forming dust exospheres were recognized by in situ dust instruments around the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and had not yet been observed near bodies with refractory regolith surfaces before NASA's Lunar Dust and Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission. In this thesis, we first present the measurements taken by the Lunar Dust Explorer (LDEX), aboard LADEE, which discovered a permanently present, asymmetric dust cloud surrounding the Moon. The global characteristics of the lunar dust cloud are discussed as a function of a variety of variables such as altitude, solar longitude, local time, and lunar phase. These results are compared with models for lunar dust cloud generation. Second, we present an analysis of the groupings of impacts measured by LDEX, which represent detections of dense ejecta plumes above the lunar surface. These measurements are put in the context of understanding the response of the lunar surface to meteoroid bombardment and how to use other airless bodies in the solar system as detectors for their local meteoroid environment. Third, we present the first in-situ dust measurements taken over the lunar sunrise terminator. Having found no excess of small grains in this region, we discuss its implications for the putative population of electrostatically lofted dust.

The study of high-speed surface dynamics using a pulsed proton beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, William T.; Oro, David M.; Preston, Dean; Mikaelian, Karnig O.; Cherne, Frank J.; Hixson, Robert S.; Mariam, Fesseha G.; Morris, Christopher L.; Stone, Joseph B.; Terrones, Guillermo; Tupa, Dale

2012-03-01

We present experimental results supporting physics based ejecta model development, where we assume ejecta form as a special limiting case of a Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability with Atwood number A = -1. We present and use data to test established RM spike and bubble growth rate theory through application of modern laser Doppler velocimetry techniques applied in a novel manner to coincidentally measure bubble and spike velocities from shocked metals. We also explore the link of ejecta formation from a solid material to its plastic flow stress at high-strain rates (107/s) and high strains (700%).

Ejecta evolutions and fates from the AIDA impact on the secondary of the binary asteroid Didymos: a NEOShield-2 project contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, P.; Yu, Y.

2017-09-01

We simulated the evolutions and fates of ejecta produced by the impact of a projectile of the secondary of the binary asteroid Didymos, in the framework of the AIDA space mission project. Our results show how these evolutions and fates depend on the impact location on the secondary and ejection speeds of the ejecta. This information can be used to defined safe positions for an observing spacecraft and to better understand the outcome of an impact in the environment of a binary asteroid.

Martian rampart crater ejecta - Experiments and analysis of melt-water interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wohletz, K. H.; Sheridan, M. F.

1983-01-01

The possible effects of explosive water vaporization on ejecta emplacement after impact into a wet target are described. A general model is formulated from analysis of Viking imagery of Mars and experimental vapor explosions as well as consideration of fluidized particulate transport and lobate volcanic deposits. The discussed model contends that as target water content increases, the effects of vapor expansion due to impact increasingly modify the ballistic flow field during crater excavation. This modification results in transport by gravity-driven surface flowage, and is similar to that of atmospheric drag effects on ejecta modelled by Schultz and Gault (1979).

Molecular dynamics simulations of ejecta production from sinusoidal tin surfaces under supported and unsupported shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bao; Wu, FengChao; Zhu, YinBo; Wang, Pei; He, AnMin; Wu, HengAn

2018-04-01

Micro-ejecta, an instability growth process, occurs at metal/vacuum or metal/gas interface when compressed shock wave releases from the free surface that contains surface defects. We present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the ejecta production from tin surface shocked by supported and unsupported waves with pressures ranging from 8.5 to 60.8 GPa. It is found that the loading waveforms have little effect on spike velocity while remarkably affect the bubble velocity. The bubble velocity of unsupported shock loading remains nonzero constant value at late time as observed in experiments. Besides, the time evolution of ejected mass in the simulations is compared with the recently developed ejecta source model, indicating the suppressed ejection of unmelted or partial melted materials. Moreover, different reference positions are chosen to characterize the amount of ejecta under different loading waveforms. Compared with supported shock case, the ejected mass of unsupported shock case saturates at lower pressure. Through the analysis on unloading path, we find that the temperature of tin sample increases quickly from tensile stress state to zero pressure state, resulting in the melting of bulk tin under decaying shock. Thus, the unsupported wave loading exhibits a lower threshold pressure causing the solid-liquid phase transition on shock release than the supported shock loading.

Dynamics of ejecta from the binary asteroid Didymos, the target of the AIDA mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, Patrick; Yu, Yang; Schwartz, Stephen; Naidu, Shantanu; Benner, Lance

2016-04-01

The AIDA space mission, a collaborative effort between ESA and NASA, aims to characterize the near-Earth asteroid binary (65803) Didymos and to perform a kinetic impactor demonstration on the small moon of the binary system. Our study presents a multi-scale dynamical model of the ejecta cloud produced by a hypervelocity impact, which enables us to compute the ejecta properties at different spatial and time scales. This model is applied to the impact into the small moon of Didymos on October 2022 as considered by the AIDA mission. We model the process by including as much practical information as possible, e.g., the gravitational environment influenced by the non-spherical shapes of the bodies (based on the observed shape of the primary), the solar tides, and the solar radiation pressure. Our simulations show where and for how long the ejecta cloud evolves with time for the considered ejecta initial conditions. This information is used to assess the potential hazard to the ESA Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) observing spacecraft and to determine the safest positions. This study is performed with support of the European Space Agency and in the framework of the NEOShield-2 project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 640351.

Integral Field Spectroscopy of Supernova Remnant 1E0102–7219 Reveals Fast-moving Hydrogen and Sulfur-rich Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Vogt, Frédéric P. A.; Terry, Jason P.; Ghavamian, Parviz; Dopita, Michael A.; Ruiter, Ashley J.; Sukhbold, Tuguldur

2018-02-01

We study the optical emission from heavy element ejecta in the oxygen-rich young supernova remnant 1E 0102.2–7219 (1E 0102) in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We have used the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer optical integral field spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal and the wide field spectrograph (WiFeS) at the ANU 2.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory to obtain deep observations of 1E 0102. Our observations cover the entire extent of the remnant from below 3500 Å to 9350 Å. Our observations unambiguously reveal the presence of fast-moving ejecta emitting in [S II], [S III], [Ar III], and [Cl II]. The sulfur-rich ejecta appear more asymmetrically distributed compared to oxygen or neon, a product of carbon burning. In addition to the forbidden line emission from products of oxygen burning (S, Ar, Cl), we have also discovered Hα and Hβ emission from several knots of low surface brightness, fast-moving ejecta. The presence of fast-moving hydrogen points toward a progenitor that had not entirely shed its hydrogen envelope prior to the supernova. The explosion that gave rise to 1E 0102 is therefore commensurate with a Type IIb supernova.

Lunar highlands volcanism implications from Luna 20 and Apollo 16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilshire, H.G.; Wilhelms, D.E.; Howard, K.A.

1974-01-01

Highlands materials sampled at the Apollo 16 and Luna 20 sites represent units of distinctive morphology that are widespread on the lunar nearside. Samples from the Apollo 16 site represent hilly and furrowed materials of the Descartes highlands and Cayley Formation. Materials were collected by Luna 20 from terrain resembling the Descartes terrain. Most photogeologic interpretations of these units favored volcanic origins, but the samples fail to support this interpretation. Luna 20 soil fragments are mainly glassy microbreccia with lithic inclusions of fine-grained hornfels; less than 3 percent of the fragments have textures of volcanic rocks, and most of these are likely crystalline products of impact melting. Apollo 16 soils formed on ejecta derived from a plutonic anorthosite-norite-troctolite suite. The similarity of Luna 20 soils indicates that these too formed as regolith on ejecta of anorthosite-norite-troctolitc composition. Interpretation of the samples from the two locations now suggests that hilly and furrowed terrains, previously thought to be of volcanic origin, are impact ejecta; in view of the plutonic nature of the source rocks and their extensive fusion and metamorphism, it is likely that the ejecta were derived from multiring basins. At one point, the Apollo 16 site, the Cayley Formation is composed of basin ejecta.

Sedimentology and hydrology of a well-preserved paleoriver systems with a series of dam-breach paleolakes at Moa Valles, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salese, Francesco; Di Achille, Gaetano; Neesemann, Adrian; Ori, Gian Gabriele; Hauber, Ernst

2016-04-01

Moa Valles is a well-preserved paleodrainage system that is nearly 300-km-long and carved into ancient highland terrains west of Idaeus Fossae. The paleofluvial system apparently originated from fluidized ejecta blankets, and it consists of a series of dam-breach paleolakes with associated fan-shaped sedimentary deposits. This paleofluvial system shows a rich morphological record of hydrologic activity in the highlands of Mars. Based on crater counting the latter activity seems to be Amazonian in age (2.43 - 1.41 Ga). This work is based on a digital elevation model (DEM) derived from Context camera (CTX) and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) stereo images. Our goals are to (a) study the complex channel flow paths draining into Idaeus Fossae after forming a series of dam-breach paleolakes and to (b) investigate the origin and evolution of this valley system with its implications for climate and tectonic control. The first part of the system is characterized by many paleolakes, which are interconnected and drain eastward into Liberta crater, forming a complex and multilobate deltaic deposit exhibiting a well-developed channelized distributary pattern with evidence of switching on the delta plain. A breach area, consisting of three spillover channels, is present in the eastern part of the crater rim. These channels connect the Liberta crater to the eastward portion of the valley system, continuing toward Moa Valles with a complex pattern of anabranching channels that is more than 180-km-long. Our crater counting results and hydrological calculations of infilling and spillover discharges of the Liberta crater-lake suggest that the system is the result of an Early Amazonian water-rich environment that was likely sustained by relatively short fluvial events (<102 years), thereby supporting the hypotheses that water-related erosion might have been active on Mars (at least locally) during the Amazonian. The most important water source for the system could have been shallow ice melting triggered by impact craters. Indeed, the stratigraphic relationships between channels and crater ejecta show very clearly that the channels cut through the ejecta thus postdating them. The occurrence of relatively recent (likely Amazonian) hydrological activity supports the hypothesis that hydrological activity could have been possible, at least locally, after the Noachian-Hesperian boundary.

ASASSN-15no: the Supernova that plays hide-and-seek

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benetti, S.; Zampieri, L.; Pastorello, A.; Cappellaro, E.; Pumo, M. L.; Elias-Rosa, N.; Ochner, P.; Terreran, G.; Tomasella, L.; Taubenberger, S.; Turatto, M.; Morales-Garoffolo, A.; Harutyunyan, A.; Tartaglia, L.

2018-05-01

We report the results of our follow-up campaign of the peculiar supernova ASASSN-15no, based on optical data covering ˜300 d of its evolution. Initially the spectra show a pure blackbody continuum. After few days, the HeI λλ 5876 transition appears with a P-Cygni profile and an expansion velocity of about 8700 km s-1. Fifty days after maximum, the spectrum shows signs typically seen in interacting supernovae. A broad (FWHM ˜ 8000 km s-1) Hα becomes more prominent with time until ˜150 d after maximum and quickly declines later on. At these phases Hαstarts to show an intermediate component, which together with the blue pseudo-continuum are clues that the ejecta begin to interact with the circumstellar medium (CSM). The spectra at the latest phases look very similar to the nebular spectra of stripped-envelope SNe. The early part (the first 40 d after maximum) of the bolometric curve, which peaks at a luminosity intermediate between normal and superluminous supernovae, is well reproduced by a model in which the energy budget is essentially coming from ejecta recombination and 56Ni decay. From the model, we infer a mass of the ejecta Mej = 2.6 M⊙; an initial radius of the photosphere R0 = 2.1 × 1014 cm; and an explosion energy Eexpl = 0.8 × 1051 erg. A possible scenario involves a massive and extended H-poor shell lost by the progenitor star a few years before explosion. The shell is hit, heated, and accelerated by the supernova ejecta. The accelerated shell+ejecta rapidly dilutes, unveiling the unperturbed supernova spectrum below. The outer ejecta start to interact with a H-poor external CSM lost by the progenitor system about 9-90 yr before the explosion.

Fingerprinting the K/T impact site and determining the time of impact by U-Pb dating of single shocked zircons from distal ejecta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krogh, T. E.; Kamo, S. L.; Bohor, B. F.

1993-01-01

U-Pb isotopic dating of single 1 - 3 micrograms zircons from K/T distal ejecta from a site in the Raton Basin, Colorado provides a powerful new tool with which to determine both the time of the impact event and the age of the basement at the impact site. Data for the least shocked zircons are slightly displaced from the 544 +/- 5 Ma primary age for a component of the target site, while those for highly shocked and granular grains are strongly displaced towards the time of impact at 65.5 +/- 3.0 Ma. Such shocked and granular zircons have never been reported from any source, including explosive volcanic rocks. Zircon is refractory and has one of the highest thermal blocking temperatures; hence, it can record both shock features and primary and secondary ages without modification by post-crystallization processes. Unlike shocked quartz, which can come from almost anywhere on the Earth's crust, shocked zircons can be shown to come from a specific site because basement ages vary on the scale of meters to kilometers. With U-Pb zircon dating, it is now possible to correlate ejecta layers derived from the same target site, test the single versus multiple impact hypothesis, and identify the target source of impact ejecta. The ages obtained in this study indicate that the Manson impact site, Iowa, which has basement rocks that are mid-Proterozoic in age, cannot be the source of K/T distal ejecta. The K/T distal ejecta probably originated from a single impact site because most grains have the same primary age.

Distribution of Ejecta in Analog Tephra Rings from Discrete Single and Multiple Subsurface Explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graettinger, A. H.; Valentine, G. A.; Sonder, I.; Ross, P. S.; White, J. D. L.

2015-12-01

Buried-explosion experiments were used to investigate the spatial and volumetric distribution of extra-crater ejecta resulting from a range of explosion configurations with and without a crater present. Explosion configuration is defined in terms of scaled depth, the relationship between depth of burial and the cube root of explosion energy, where an optimal scaled depth explosion produces the largest crater diameter for a given energy. The multiple explosion experiments provide an analog for the formation of maar-diatreme ejecta deposits and the deposits of discrete explosions through existing conduits and hydrothermal systems. Experiments produced meter-sized craters with ejecta distributed between three major facies based on morphology and distance from the crater center. The proximal deposits form a constructional steep-sided ring that extends no more than two-times the crater radius away from center. The medial deposits form a low-angle continuous blanket that transitions with distance into the isolated clasts of the distal ejecta. Single explosion experiments produce a trend of increasing volume proportion of proximal ejecta as scaled depth increases (from 20-90% vol.). Multiple explosion experiments are dominated by proximal deposits (>90% vol.) for all but optimal scaled depth conditions (40-70% vol.). In addition to scaled depth, the presence of a crater influences jet shape and how the jet collapses, resulting in two end-member depositional mechanisms that produce distinctive facies. The experiments use one well-constrained explosion mechanism and, consequently, the variations in depositional facies and distribution are the result of conditions independent of that mechanism. Previous interpretations have invoked variations in fragmentation as the cause of this variability, but these experiments should help with a more complete reconstruction of the configuration and number of explosions that produce a tephra ring.

Supernova Ejecta in the Youngest Galactic Supernova Remnant G1.9+0.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borkowski, Kazimierz J.; Reynolds, Stephen P.; Hwang, Una; Green, David A.; Petre, Robert; Krishnamurthy, Kalyani; Willett, Rebecca

2013-01-01

G1.9+0.3 is the youngest known Galactic supernova remnant (SNR), with an estimated supernova (SN) explosion date of approximately 1900, and most likely located near the Galactic Center. Only the outermost ejecta layers with free-expansion velocities (is) approximately greater than 18,000 km s-1 have been shocked so far in this dynamically young, likely Type Ia SNR. A long (980 ks) Chandra observation in 2011 allowed spatially-resolved spectroscopy of heavy-element ejecta. We denoised Chandra data with the spatio-spectral method of Krishnamurthy et al., and used a wavelet based technique to spatially localize thermal emission produced by intermediate-mass elements (IMEs: Si and S) and iron. The spatial distribution of both IMEs and Fe is extremely asymmetric, with the strongest ejecta emission in the northern rim. Fe K alpha emission is particularly prominent there, and fits with thermal models indicate strongly oversolar Fe abundances. In a localized, outlying region in the northern rim, IMEs are less abundant than Fe, indicating that undiluted Fe-group elements (including 56Ni) with velocities greater than 18,000 km s-1 were ejected by this SN. But in the inner west rim, we find Si- and S-rich ejecta without any traces of Fe, so high-velocity products of O-burning were also ejected. G1.9+0.3 appears similar to energetic Type Ia SNe such as SN 2010jn where iron-group elements at such high free-expansion velocities have been recently detected. The pronounced asymmetry in the ejecta distribution and abundance inhomogeneities are best explained by a strongly asymmetric SN explosion, similar to those produced in some recent 3D delayed-detonation Type Ia models.

Geographic Size Variation and Intra-Tektite Geochemical Heterogeneity of Muong Nong Tektites: Insights for Cratering Process and Fall Location.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schonwalder, D. A.; Sieh, K.; Herrin, J. S.; Wiwegwin, W.; Charusiri, P.; Singsomboun, K.; Sihavong, V.

2017-12-01

Australasian tektites cover 10% of Earth's surface and are the result of a 790 ka meteorite impact [1]. We have suggested that the search of the impact crater has long been mysterious because it lies buried beneath the volcanic field of the Bolaven Plateau (BP), southern Laos. [2]. Here we report our initial textural and geochemical work on 700 Muong Nong (MN) tektites collected in Laos and Thailand, including physical inspections and geochemical point-analyses of selected samples using a Field Emission Electron Probe Microanalyzer. We integrated our results with published data to identify any geographic patterns related to proposed crater site on the BP. Mung Nong tektite masses display a clear pattern in relation to BP. Within 50 km of the BP source, they do not exceed 10 gr. Mass then increases with radius to peak of 1 to 10 kg between 100 and 600 km, beyond which mass decreases steadily. We also see large geochemical heterogeneities within single tektites (e.g. 72.80±4.38 wt. % SiO2), and intra-sample compositions consisting with mixing of three principal source rocks on the BP, basalt-sourced laterites, basalt and sandstone. We infer that the geographical pattern in mass distribution of the MN tektites result from fragmentation of brittle, partially molten material during crater excavation and by debris interactions occurring in the ejecta blanket. The smaller and closest-to-crater tektites experienced greater interactions with crater walls and other ejecta during crater excavation, whereas the larger tektites that fell farther from the impact site, experienced lesser fragmentation because they had higher ejection trajectories that had less involvement in crater excavation. Intra-tektite compositional trends suggest the involvement of three protoliths, all of them found at the BP. 1. Schwarz et al. (2016) Geochem. Cosmo. Acta 178 2. Sieh et al. (2015) AGU Fall Mtg. T54A-04

Ejecta from Targets Strong and Weak: Experimental Measurements of Strength Controlled and Strengthless Craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermalyn, B.

2014-09-01

This study presents novel time-resolved 3D measurements of the impact ejecta through crater formation and the arresting process that ceases growth into a variety of targets exhibiting a spectrum of different strengths of interest on planetary bodies.

Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission - Properties of Impact Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, Douglas P.; Fahnestock, Eugene G.; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Murdoch, Naomi; Asphaug, Erik; Cheng, Andrew F.; Housen, Kevin R.; Michel, Patrick; Miller, Paul L.; Stickle, Angela; Tancredi, Gonzalo; Vincent, Jean-Baptiste; Wuennemann, Kai; Yu, Yang; AIDA Impact Simulation Working Group

2016-10-01

The Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment (AIDA) mission is composed of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and ESA's Asteroid Impact Monitor (AIM) rendezvous mission. The DART spacecraft is designed to impact the small satellite of near-Earth asteroid 65803 Didymos in October 2022, while the in-situ AIM spacecraft observes. AIDA's Modeling and Simulation of Impact Outcomes Working Group is tasked with investigating properties of the debris ejected from the impact. The orbital evolution of this ejecta has important implications for observations that the AIM spacecraft will take as well as for the safety of the spacecraft itself. Ejecta properties including particle sizes, bulk densities, and velocities all depend on the poorly-known physical properties of Didymos' moon. The moon's density, internal strength, and especially its porosity have a strong effect on all ejecta properties. Making a range of assumptions, we perform a suite of numerical simulations to determine the fate of the ejected material; we will use simulation predictions to optimize AIM observations and safety. Ultimately, combining AIM's observations of the ejecta with detailed numerical simulations will help constrain key satellite parameters.We use distinct types of numerical tools to explore ejecta properties based on additional target parameters (different forms of friction, cohesion), e.g., the shock physics code iSALE, smoothed particle hydrodynamics codes, and the granular code PKDGRAV. Given the large discrepancy between the 6 km/s impact speed of DART and the moon's 6 cm/s escape speed, a great challenge will be to determine properties of the low-speed ejecta. Very low-speed material relevant to the safety of the AIM spacecraft and its ability to conduct its observations may loft from the crater at late stages of the impact process, or from other locations far from the impact site due to seismic energy propagation. The manner in which seismic waves manifests in asteroid regolith is extremely speculative at present. Through experiment, simulation, and observational strategies, we are working to gain insight into this and related phenomenon and will present the ongoing progress of our working group.

Ejecta of Eta Carinae: What We Learn about N-Rich Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gull, Theodore

2006-01-01

At least one member of the binary system, Eta Carinae, is in the late stages of CNO-cycle. At least ten solar masses of ejecta make up the Homunculus, a neutral bi-polar shell ejected in the 1840s and the Little Homunculus, an internal, ionized bi-polar shell ejected in the 1890s. HST/STIS and VLTAJVES high dispersion spectroscopy revealed absorptions of multiple elements and diatomic molecules in these shells, some, such as V II and Sr II have not been seen previously in the ISM. The skirt region between the bi-lobes includes the very bright Weigelt blobs, within 0.1 to 0.3" of the central source, and the more distant, unusual Strontium Filament, a neutral emission nebula photoexcited by Balmer continuum, but shielded by Fe II from Lyman radiation. The 600+ emission lines are due to metals usually tied up in dust, but underabundances of C and O prevent precipitation as oxides onto the dust grains. Indications are that Ti/Ni is 100X solar, likely due not to nuclear processing, but the very different photo-excitation environments coupled with N-rich, C-, O-poor chemistry. In the Homunculus, level populations of the molecules indicate 60K gas; the metal absorption lines, 760K; that of the Little Homunculus 6400K during the broad spectroscopic maximum, relaxing to 5000K for the few month long minimum. Lyman radiation, including both continuum and Lyman lines, is trapped across periastron. leading to temporary relaxation of the ejecta. These ejecta are a treasure trove of information on material thrown out of massive stars in the CNO-cycle, well before the helium burning phase. Curiously, spectra of three very recent SWIFT GRBs indicate the presence of warm, photoexcited ejecta in the vicinity of the protoGRBs, but obviously of very different abundances. However, the ejecta of Eta Carinae promise to be a nearby example of massive ejecta, the study of which should lead to increased insight of earlier, very distant massive stars.

Variation in ejecta size with ejection velocity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickery, Ann M.

1987-01-01

The sizes and ranges of over 25,000 secondary craters around twelve large primaries on three different planets were measured and used to infer the size-velocity distribution of that portion of the primary crater ejecta that produced the secondaries. The ballistic equation for spherical bodies was used to convert the ranges to velocities, and the velocities and crater sizes were used in the appropriate Schmidt-Holsapple scaling relation of estimate ejecta sizes, and the velocity exponent was determined. The latter are generally between -1 and -13, with an average value of about -1.9. Problems with data collection made it impossible to determine a simple, unique relation between size and velocity.

Morphologic and morphometric studies of impact craters in the northern plains of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, N. G.

1993-01-01

Fresh impact craters in the northern plains of Mars display a variety of morphologic and morphometric properties. Ejecta morphologies range from radial to fluidized, interior features include central peaks and central pits, fluidized morphologies display a range of sinuosities, and depth-diameter ratios are being measured to determine regional variations. Studies of the martian northern plains over the past five years have concentrated in three areas: (1) determining correlations of ejecta morphologies with crater diameter, latitude, and underlying terrain; (2) determining variations in fluidized ejecta blanket sinuosity across the planet; and (3) measurement of depth-diameter ratios and determination of regional variations in this ratio.

Mt. Fuji Holocene eruption history reconstructed from proximal lake sediments and high-density radiocarbon dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obrochta, S.; Yokoyama, Y.; Yoshimoto, M.; Yamamoto, S.; Miyairi, Y.; Nagano, G.; Nakamura, A.; Tsunematsu, K.; Lamair, L.; Hubert-Ferrari, A.; Heyvaert, V.; De Batist, M. A. O.; Fujiwara, O.

2017-12-01

Understanding the eruption history of volcanos located near large population centers is of direct societal relevance. Here we present a 8,000-year lacustrine record that includes previously unreported eruptions of the active Mt. Fuji volcano, which receives approximately 47 million annual visitors with another 40 million living in the adjacent Kanto Plain. A high-fidelity age model is constructed from a number of terrestrial macrofossil and bulk organic radiocarbon measurements and is extremely consistent with the independently determined age of diagnostic tephra layers. In addition to reporting new eruptions, we also present more accurate ages for known eruptions and detect a wider distribution of ejecta for the most recent summit eruption, that latter of which will alter modeled prevailing wind vector during eruption. Furthermore, closely spaced fall-scoria layers, unlikely to be differentiated as separate events in land-based surveys, will lower the estimated mass of ejecta erupted and in turn reduce calculated magnitude. These results, the first of their kind from a highly populated region, demonstrate the utility of lacustrine sediments as powerful tools for understanding characteristics of volcanic eruptions and will improve disaster mitigation plans for the region.

Oblique Impact Ejecta Flow Fields: An Application of Maxwells Z Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. L. B.; Schultz, P. H.; Heineck, J. T.

2001-01-01

Oblique impact flow fields show an evolution from asymmetric to symmetric ejecta flow. This evolution can be put into the simple analytical description of the evolving flow field origin using the Maxwell Z Model. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Shell nebulae around luminous evolved stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufour, Reginald J.

1989-01-01

Shell nebulae around luminous Population I Wolf-Rayet, Of, and P-Cygni stars are astrophysically interesting since they are indicators of pre-supernova mass loss and how such massive stars prepare their surrounding interstellar medium prior to explosion. Some twenty-odd such nebulae are known, for which detailed study of their morphological and spectroscopic characteristics have only begun in this decade. In this paper, some of these characteristics are reviewed in general, and new observations are reported. Emphasis has been placed on several 'prototype 'objects (NGC 7635, NGC 2359, NGC 6888, and the Eta Carinae condensations) to illustrate the varied massive-star mass-loss, the physics of their winds and shell ejecta, and related nucleosynthesis effects in the compositions of the winds and shells.

Muddy Ejecta Flow

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-10

This small 2 kilometer-wide crater was sitting around, minding its own business when a meteoroid struck the ground just to the west and created a new, larger crater almost 10 kilometers in diameter (not pictured). The ejecta spraying out of the new crater landed back on the ground and then continued to flow away from the new crater, and the smaller crater was in the way of that muddy flow. You can see where much of the muddy material flowed around the crater's uplifted rim and forms a squiggly ridge, but you can also see where the mud flow slid over the rim and ponded down in the bottom of the crater. One question we don't know the answer to is: "how wet was the muddy ejecta?" Ongoing observations like this and laboratory-based experiments are trying to find the answer to that question. This image also illustrates a common theme in geology, namely, the law of superposition. Because the crater has been affected by ejecta from the larger crater to the west, the small crater had to be there first and then the second, larger crater and its ejecta had to form. This allows planetary geologists to decipher the relative ages of different landforms. Because a central goal of geology is to understand past events from present-day clues, geology is sometimes compared to forensic science. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13181

Reconstruction of the geometry of volcanic vents by trajectory tracking of fast ejecta - the case of the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption (Iceland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dürig, Tobias; Gudmundsson, Magnus T.; Dellino, Pierfrancesco

2015-05-01

Two methods are introduced to estimate the depth of origin of ejecta trajectories (depth to magma level in conduit) and the diameter of a conduit in an erupting crater, using analysis of videos from the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption to evaluate their applicability. Both methods rely on the identification of straight, initial trajectories of fast ejecta, observed near the crater rims before they are appreciably bent by air drag and gravity. In the first method, through tracking these straight trajectories and identifying a cut-off angle, the inner diameter and the depth level of the vent can be constrained. In the second method, the intersection point of straight trajectories from individual pulses is used to determine the maximum possible depth from which the tracked ejecta originated and the width of the region from which the pulses emanated. The two methods give nearly identical results on the depth to magma level in the crater of Eyjafjallajökull on 8 to 10 May of 51 ± 7 m. The inner vent diameter, at the level of origin of the pulses and ejecta, is found to have been 8 to 15 m. These methods open up the possibility to feed (near) real-time monitoring systems with otherwise inaccessible information about vent geometry during an ongoing eruption and help defining important eruption source parameters.

Impact ejecta and carbonate sequence in the eastern sector of the Chicxulub crater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urrutia-Fucugauchi, Jaime; Chavez-Aguirre, Jose Maria; Pérez-Cruz, Ligia; De la Rosa, Jose Luis

2008-12-01

The Chicxulub 200 km diameter crater located in the Yucatan platform of the Gulf of Mexico formed 65 Myr ago and has since been covered by Tertiary post-impact carbonates. The sediment cover and absence of significant volcanic and tectonic activity in the carbonate platform have protected the crater from erosion and deformation, making Chicxulub the only large multi-ring crater in which ejecta is well preserved. Ejecta deposits have been studied by drilling/coring in the southern crater sector and at outcrops in Belize, Quintana Roo and Campeche; little information is available from other sectors. Here, we report on the drilling/coring of a section of ˜34 m of carbonate breccias at 250 m depth in the Valladolid area (120 km away from crater center), which are interpreted as Chicxulub proximal ejecta deposits. The Valladolid breccias correlate with the carbonate breccias cored in the Peto and Tekax boreholes to the south and at similar radial distance. This constitutes the first report of breccias in the eastern sector close to the crater rim. Thickness of the Valladolid breccias is less than that at the other sites, which may indicate erosion of the ejecta deposits before reestablishment of carbonate deposition. The region east of the crater rim appears different from regions to the south and west, characterized by high density and scattered distribution of sinkholes.

Infrared Emission from Kilonovae: The Case of the Nearby Short Hard Burst GRB 160821B

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Korobkin, Oleg; Lau, Ryan M.

In this paper, we present constraints on Ks-band emission from one of the nearest short hard gamma-ray bursts, GRB 160821B, at z = 0.16, at three epochs. We detect a red relativistic afterglow from the jetted emission in the first epoch but do not detect any excess kilonova emission in the second two epochs. We compare upper limits obtained with Keck I/MOSFIRE to multi-dimensional radiative transfer models of kilonovae, that employ composition-dependent nuclear heating and LTE opacities of heavy elements. We discuss eight models that combine toroidal dynamical ejecta and two types of wind and one model with dynamical ejectamore » only. We also discuss simple, empirical scaling laws of predicted emission as a function of ejecta mass and ejecta velocity. Our limits for GRB 160821B constrain the ejecta mass to be lower than 0.03 M ⊙ for velocities greater than 0.1 c. At the distance sensitivity range of advanced LIGO, similar ground-based observations would be sufficiently sensitive to the full range of predicted model emission including models with only dynamical ejecta. Finally, the color evolution of these models shows that I–K color spans 7–16 mag, which suggests that even relatively shallow infrared searches for kilonovae could be as constraining as optical searches.« less

Infrared Emission from Kilonovae: The Case of the Nearby Short Hard Burst GRB 160821B

DOE PAGES

Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Korobkin, Oleg; Lau, Ryan M.; ...

2017-07-12

In this paper, we present constraints on Ks-band emission from one of the nearest short hard gamma-ray bursts, GRB 160821B, at z = 0.16, at three epochs. We detect a red relativistic afterglow from the jetted emission in the first epoch but do not detect any excess kilonova emission in the second two epochs. We compare upper limits obtained with Keck I/MOSFIRE to multi-dimensional radiative transfer models of kilonovae, that employ composition-dependent nuclear heating and LTE opacities of heavy elements. We discuss eight models that combine toroidal dynamical ejecta and two types of wind and one model with dynamical ejectamore » only. We also discuss simple, empirical scaling laws of predicted emission as a function of ejecta mass and ejecta velocity. Our limits for GRB 160821B constrain the ejecta mass to be lower than 0.03 M ⊙ for velocities greater than 0.1 c. At the distance sensitivity range of advanced LIGO, similar ground-based observations would be sufficiently sensitive to the full range of predicted model emission including models with only dynamical ejecta. Finally, the color evolution of these models shows that I–K color spans 7–16 mag, which suggests that even relatively shallow infrared searches for kilonovae could be as constraining as optical searches.« less

Two evolved supernova remnants with newly identified Fe-rich cores in the Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavanagh, P. J.; Sasaki, M.; Bozzetto, L. M.; Points, S. D.; Crawford, E. J.; Dickel, J.; Filipović, M. D.; Haberl, F.; Maggi, P.; Whelan, E. T.

2016-02-01

Aims: We present a multi-wavelength analysis of the evolved supernova remnants MCSNR J0506-7025 and MCSNR J0527-7104 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Methods: We used observational data from XMM-Newton, the Australian Telescope Compact Array, and the Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey to study their broad-band emission and used Spitzer and H I data to gain a picture of the environment into which the remnants are expanding. We performed a multi-wavelength morphological study and detailed radio and X-ray spectral analyses to determine their physical characteristics. Results: Both remnants were found to have bright X-ray cores, dominated by Fe L-shell emission, which is consistent with reverse shock-heated ejecta with determined Fe masses in agreement with Type Ia explosion yields. A soft X-ray shell, which is consistent with swept-up interstellar medium, was observed in MCSNR J0506-7025, suggestive of a remnant in the Sedov phase. Using the spectral fit results and the Sedov self-similar solution, we estimated the age of MCSNR J0506-7025 to be ~16-28 kyr, with an initial explosion energy of (0.07-0.84) × 1051 erg. A soft shell was absent in MCSNR J0527-7104, with only ejecta emission visible in an extremely elongated morphology that extends beyond the optical shell. We suggest that the blast wave has broken out into a low density cavity, allowing the shock heated ejecta to escape. We find that the radio spectral index of MCSNR J0506-7025 is consistent with the standard -0.5 for supernova remnants. Radio polarisation at 6 cm indicates a higher degree of polarisation along the western front and at the eastern knot with a mean fractional polarisation across the remnant of P ≅ (20 ± 6)%. Conclusions: The detection of Fe-rich ejecta in the remnants suggests that both resulted from Type Ia explosions. The newly identified Fe-rich cores in MCSNR J0506-7025 and MCSNR J0527-7104 make them members of the expanding class of evolved Fe-rich remnants in the Magellanic Clouds. Based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.

Origin of discrepancies between crater size-frequency distributions of coeval lunar geologic units via target property contrasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Bogert, C. H.; Hiesinger, H.; Dundas, C. M.; Krüger, T.; McEwen, A. S.; Zanetti, M.; Robinson, M. S.

2017-12-01

Recent work on dating Copernican-aged craters, using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Camera data, re-encountered a curious discrepancy in crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) measurements that was observed, but not understood, during the Apollo era. For example, at Tycho, Copernicus, and Aristarchus craters, CSFDs of impact melt deposits give significantly younger relative and absolute model ages (AMAs) than impact ejecta blankets, although these two units formed during one impact event, and would ideally yield coeval ages at the resolution of the CSFD technique. We investigated the effects of contrasting target properties on CSFDs and their resultant relative and absolute model ages for coeval lunar impact melt and ejecta units. We counted craters with diameters through the transition from strength- to gravity-scaling on two large impact melt deposits at Tycho and King craters, and we used pi-group scaling calculations to model the effects of differing target properties on final crater diameters for five different theoretical lunar targets. The new CSFD for the large King Crater melt pond bridges the gap between the discrepant CSFDs within a single geologic unit. Thus, the observed trends in the impact melt CSFDs support the occurrence of target property effects, rather than self-secondary and/or field secondary contamination. The CSFDs generated from the pi-group scaling calculations show that targets with higher density and effective strength yield smaller crater diameters than weaker targets, such that the relative ages of the former are lower relative to the latter. Consequently, coeval impact melt and ejecta units will have discrepant apparent ages. Target property differences also affect the resulting slope of the CSFD, with stronger targets exhibiting shallower slopes, so that the final crater diameters may differ more greatly at smaller diameters. Besides their application to age dating, the CSFDs may provide additional information about the characteristics of the target. For example, the transition diameter from strength- to gravity-scaling could provide a tool for investigating the relative strengths of different geologic units. The magnitude of the offset between the impact melt and ejecta isochrons may also provide information about the relative target properties and/or exposure/degradation ages of the two units. Robotic or human sampling of coeval units on the Moon could provide a direct test of the importance and magnitude of target property effects on CSFDs.

Origin of discrepancies between crater size-frequency distributions of coeval lunar geologic units via target property contrasts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van der Bogert, Carolyn H.; Hiesinger, Harald; Dundas, Colin M.; Kruger, T.; McEwen, Alfred S.; Zanetti, Michael; Robinson, Mark S.

2017-01-01

Recent work on dating Copernican-aged craters, using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Camera data, re-encountered a curious discrepancy in crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) measurements that was observed, but not understood, during the Apollo era. For example, at Tycho, Copernicus, and Aristarchus craters, CSFDs of impact melt deposits give significantly younger relative and absolute model ages (AMAs) than impact ejecta blankets, although these two units formed during one impact event, and would ideally yield coeval ages at the resolution of the CSFD technique. We investigated the effects of contrasting target properties on CSFDs and their resultant relative and absolute model ages for coeval lunar impact melt and ejecta units. We counted craters with diameters through the transition from strength- to gravity-scaling on two large impact melt deposits at Tycho and King craters, and we used pi-group scaling calculations to model the effects of differing target properties on final crater diameters for five different theoretical lunar targets. The new CSFD for the large King Crater melt pond bridges the gap between the discrepant CSFDs within a single geologic unit. Thus, the observed trends in the impact melt CSFDs support the occurrence of target property effects, rather than self-secondary and/or field secondary contamination. The CSFDs generated from the pi-group scaling calculations show that targets with higher density and effective strength yield smaller crater diameters than weaker targets, such that the relative ages of the former are lower relative to the latter. Consequently, coeval impact melt and ejecta units will have discrepant apparent ages. Target property differences also affect the resulting slope of the CSFD, with stronger targets exhibiting shallower slopes, so that the final crater diameters may differ more greatly at smaller diameters. Besides their application to age dating, the CSFDs may provide additional information about the characteristics of the target. For example, the transition diameter from strength- to gravity-scaling could provide a tool for investigating the relative strengths of different geologic units. The magnitude of the offset between the impact melt and ejecta isochrons may also provide information about the relative target properties and/or exposure/degradation ages of the two units. Robotic or human sampling of coeval units on the Moon could provide a direct test of the importance and magnitude of target property effects on CSFDs.

Primary Mineralogical and Chemical Characteristics of the Major K/T and Late Eocene Impact Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyte, Frank T.

2004-01-01

Three well-characterized, distal impact deposits at the WT boundary and in upper Eocene sediments serve as a baseline for understanding other proposed impact deposits. All contain abundant spherules, evidence of shock metamorphism, and the largest have significant extraterrestrial components (ETCs). The K/T and the Eocene cpx-spherule (cpxS) deposits are global - likely from the events that produced the 180 km Chicxulub and 100 km Popigai craters. The Eocene North American microtektite (NAM) deposit is regional and likely from the event that produced the 45 km Chesapeake Bay crater. These deposits all contain abundant spherules formed from both shock-melted target and mixtures of target and projectile in the ejecta plume. Spherules constitute most of the mass of the distal ejecta. K/T spherules in regional deposits around the Gulf of Mexico are from low-velocity, target-rich ejecta. These can be a few mm in size and form deposits 10s of cm thick. Globally deposited KIT spherules from the plume (typically a few hundred micron size) are both target- and projectile-rich. When well preserved, the global deposits are 3 mm thick. Eocene cpxS deposits are similar to distal K/T with both target- and projectile-rich varieties (Le., glassy microtektite, and cpx spherules). They are smaller on average than WT spherules, concentrated in the 125-250 micron and smaller fractions. They are invariably bioturbated, but the initial deposit was probably less than 1 mm thick. The NAM are composed entirely of target-rich glass. They are similar in size to the cpxS. Size is an important criterion for distal ejecta because droplet size in the impact plume is proportional to the energy of the impact. Both the JUT and cpxS deposits are characterized by well-defined ETCs, commonly measured by Ir. The total Ir deposited is about 55 ng per square cm in WT sediments, and about 11 ng for the cpxS layer. This 5/1 proportion in Ir is generally consistent with the approx.1.8/1 ratio in crater diameters. The NAM have no significant ETC. This may be a function of the smaller impact. It indicates there was no significant projectile-rich plume deposit.

Condensation in Supernova Ejecta at High Spatial Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedkin, A. V.; Meyer, B. S.; Grossman, L.; Desch, S. J.

2009-03-01

^44Ti-rich TiC condenses before graphite in SN ejecta only if thin sub-layers of the main burning zones mix together; such mixing is also needed to form Fe-olivine. High-T phases change from carbides to oxides along composition gradients within the He/N zone.

Artificial lunar impact craters: Four new identifications, part I

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, E. A.

1972-01-01

The Apollo 16 panoramic camera photographed the impact locations of the Ranger 7 and 9 spacecraft and the S-4B stage of the Apollo 14 Saturn launch vehicle. Identification of the Ranger craters was very simple because each photographed its target point before impact. Identification of the S-4B impact crater proved to be a simple matter because the impact location, as derived from earth-based tracking, displayed a prominent and unique system of mixed light and dark rays. By using the criterion of a dark ray pattern, a reexamination of the Apollo 14 500 mm Hasselblad sequence taken of the Apollo 13 S-4B impact area was made. This examination quickly led to the discovery of the ray system and the impact crater. The study of artificial lunar impact craters, ejecta blankets, and ray systems provides the long-needed link between the various experimental terrestrial impact and explosion craters, and the naturally occurring impact craters on the moon. This elementary study shows that lunar impact crater diameters are closely predictable from a knowledge of the energies involved, at least in the size range considered, and suggests that parameters, such as velocity, may have a profound effect on crater morphology and ejecta blanket albedo.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Rotating Wolf-Rayet stars in post RSG/LBV phase (Graefener+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graefener, G.; Vink, J. S.; Harries, T. J.; Langer, N.

2013-01-01

Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars with fast rotating cores are thought to be the direct progenitors of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs). A well accepted evolutionary channel towards LGRBs is chemically-homogeneous evolution at low metallicities, which completely avoids a red supergiant (RSG), or luminous blue variable (LBV) phase. On the other hand, strong absorption features with velocities of several hundred km/s have been found in some LGRB afterglow spectra (GRB 020813 and GRB 021004), which have been attributed to dense circumstellar (CS) material that has been ejected in a previous RSG or LBV phase, and is interacting with a fast WR-type stellar wind. Here we investigate the properties of Galactic WR stars and their environment to identify similar evolutionary channels that may lead to the formation of LGRBs. We compile available information on the spectropolarimetric properties of 29 WR stars, the presence of CS ejecta for 172 WR stars, and the CS velocities in the environment of 34 WR stars in the Galaxy. We use linear line-depolarization as an indicator of rotation, nebular morphology as an indicator of stellar ejecta, and velocity patterns in UV absorption features as an indicator of increased velocities in the CS environment. (2 data files).

Influence of Shockwave Profile on Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, Michael B.; Dimonte, Guy; Germann, Timothy C.; Hammerberg, James E.; Rigg, Paulo A.; Stevens, Gerald D.; Turley, William D.; Buttler, William T.

2009-12-01

We investigate the relation between shock-pulse shape and the amount of micron-scale fragments ejected upon shock release at the metal/vacuum interface of shocked Sn targets. These micron-scale particles are commonly referred to as ejecta. Two shock-pulse shapes are considered: a supported shock created by impacting a Sn target with a sabot that was accelerated using a powder gun; and an unsupported or Taylor Shockwave, created by detonation of high explosive that was press-fit to the front-side of the Sn target. Ejecta production at the back-side or free-surface of the Sn coupons were characterized through use of piezoelectric pins, Asay foils, optical shadowgraphy, and x-ray attenuation.

Transfer of Impact Ejecta Material from the Surface of Mars to Phobos and Deimos

PubMed Central

Melosh, Henry J.; Vaquero, Mar; Howell, Kathleen C.

2013-01-01

Abstract The Russian Phobos-Grunt spacecraft originally planned to return a 200 g sample of surface material from Phobos to Earth. Although it was anticipated that this material would mainly be from the body of Phobos, there is a possibility that such a sample may also contain material ejected from the surface of Mars by large impacts. An analysis of this possibility is completed by using current knowledge of aspects of impact cratering on the surface of Mars and the production of high-speed ejecta that might reach Phobos or Deimos. Key Words: Impact cratering—Ejecta transfer—Phobos. Astrobiology 13, 963–980. PMID:24131246

Ejecta Production and Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Robin

2017-06-01

The interaction of an internal shock with the free surface of a dense material leads to the production of jets of particulate material from the surface into its environment. Understanding the processes which control the production of these jets -- both their occurrence, and properties such as the mass, velocity, and particle size distribution of material injected -- has been a topic of active research at AWE for over 50 years. I will discuss the effect of material physics, such as strength and spall, on the production of ejecta, drawing on experimental history and recent calculations, and consider the processes which determine the distribution of particle sizes which result as ejecta jets break up. British Crown Owned Copyright 2017/AWE.

Vesta: A Geological Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ralf, Jaumann; Russell, C. T.; Raymond, C. A.; Pieters, C. M.; Yingst, R. A.; Williams, D. A.; Buczkowski, D. L.; Schenk, P.; Denevi, B.; Krohn, K.; Stephan, K.; Roatsch, T.; Preusker, F.; Otto, K.; Mest, S. C.; Ammannito, E.; Blewett, D.; Carsenty, U.; DeSanctis, C. M.; Garry, W.; Hiesinger, H.; Keller, H. U.; Kersten, E.; Marchi, S.; Matz, K. D.; McCord, T. B.; McSween, H. Y.; Mottola, S.; Nathues, A.; Neukum, G.; O'Brien, D. P.; Schmedemann, N.; Scully, J. E. C.; Sykes, M. V.; Zuber, M. T.

2012-10-01

The Dawn spacecraft has collected over 28,000 images and a wealth of spectral data providing nearly complete coverage of Vesta’s surface with multiple views. These data enable analysis of Vesta’s diverse geology including impact craters of all sizes and unusual shapes, a variety of ejecta blankets, large troughs extending around the equatorial region, impact basins, enigmatic dark material, and considerable evidence for mass wasting and surface alteration features (1). Two large impact basins, Veneneia (400km) underlying the larger Rheasilvia basin (500km) dominate the south pole (1,2). Rheasilvia exhibits a huge central peak, with total relief of -22km to 19km, and steep scarps with mass wasting features. Vesta’s global tectonic patterns (two distinct sets of large troughs almost parallel to the equator) strongly correlate with the locations of the two south polar impact basins, and were likely created by their formation (1,3). Numerous unusual asymmetric impact craters and ejecta indicate the strong role of topographic slope in cratering processes on Vesta (1). Such very steep topographic slopes are near to the angle of repose; slope failures make resurfacing due to impacts and their associated gravitational slumping and seismic effects an important geologic process on Vesta (1). Outcrops in crater walls indicate reworked crustal material and impact melt in combination with clusters of pits that show thermal surface processes (4). Relatively dark material of still unknown origin is intermixed in the regolith layers and partially excavated by younger impacts yielding dark outcrops, rays and ejecta (1,5). Finally, Vesta’s surface is younger than expected (6). (1) Jaumann, et al., 2012, Science 336, 687-690; (2) Schenk et al., 2012, Science 336, 964-967; (3) Buczkowski, et al., 2012, GRL, submitted; (4) Denevi, et al., 2012, Science, submitted; (5) McCord, et al., 2012, Nature, submitted; (6) Marchi, et al., 2012, Science 336, 690-694.

Overlapping Ballistic Ejecta Fields: Separating Distinct Blasts at Kings Bowl, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, C.; Kobs-Nawotniak, S. E.; Hughes, S. S.; Sears, D. W. G.; Heldmann, J. L.; Lim, D. S. S.; Haberle, C. W.; Sears, H.; Elphic, R. C.; Kobayashi, L.; Garry, W. B.; Neish, C.; Karunatillake, S.; Button, N.; Purcell, S.; Mallonee, H.; Ostler, B.

2015-12-01

Kings Bowl is a ~2200ka pit crater created by a phreatic blast along a volcanic fissure in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), Idaho. The main crater measures approximately 80m in length, 30m in width, and 30m in depth, with smaller pits located nearby on the Great Rift fissure, and has been targeted by the FINESSE team as a possible analogue for Cyane Fossae, Mars. The phreatic eruption is believed to have occurred due to the interaction of groundwater with lava draining back into the fissure following a lava lake high stand, erupting already solidified basalt from this and previous ERSP lava flows. The contemporaneous draw back of the lava with the explosions may conceal some smaller possible blast pits as more lava drained into the newly formed pits. Ballistic ejecta from the blasts occur on both sides of the fissure. To the east, the ballistic blocks are mantled by fine tephra mixed with eolian dust, the result of a westerly wind during the explosions. We use differential GPS to map the distribution of ballistic blocks on the west side of the fissure, recording position, percent vesiculation, and the length of 3 mutually perpendicular axes for each block >20cm along multiple transects parallel to the fissure. From the several hundred blocks recorded, we have been able to separate the ballistic field into several distinct blast deposits on the basis of size distributions and block concentration. The smaller pits identified from the ballistic fields correspond broadly to the northern and southern limits of the tephra/dust field east of the fissure. Soil formation and bioturbation of the tephra by sagebrush have obliterated any tephrostratigraphy that could have been linked to individual blasts. The ballistic block patterns at Kings Bowl may be used to identify distinct ejecta groups in high-resolution imagery of Mars or other planetary bodies.

High-resolution imaging of Saturn's main rings during the Cassini Ring-Grazing Orbits and Grand Finale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiscareno, M. S.

2017-12-01

Cassini is ending its spectacular 13-year mission at Saturn with a two-part farewell, during which it has obtained the sharpest and highest-fidelity images ever taken of Saturn's rings. From December 2016 to April 2017, the spacecraft executed 20 near-polar orbits that passed just outside the outer edge of the main rings; these "Ring-Grazing Orbits" provided the mission's best viewing of the A and F rings and the outer B ring. From April to September 2017, the spacecraft is executing 22 near-polar orbits that pass between the innermost D ring and the planet's clouds; this "Grand Finale" provides the mission's best viewing of the C and D rings and the inner B ring. 1) Clumpy BeltsClumpy structure called "straw" was previously observed in parts of the main rings [Porco et al. 2005, Science]. New images show this structure with greater clarity. More surprisingly, new images reveal strong radial variations in the degree and character of clumpiness, which are probably an index for particle properties and interactions. Belts with different clumpiness characteristics are often adjacent to each other and not easily correlated with other ring characteristics. 2) PropellersA "propeller" is a local disturbance in the ring created by an embedded moon [Tiscareno et al. 2006, Nature; 2010, ApJL]. Cassini has observed two classes of propellers: small propellers that swarm in the "Propeller Belts" of the mid-A ring, and "Giant Propellers" whose individual orbits can be tracked in the outer A ring. Both are shown in unprecedented detail in new images. Targeted flybys of Giant Propellers were executed on both the lit and unlit sides of the ring (see figure), yielding enhanced ability to convert brightness to optical depth and surface density. 3) Impact Ejecta CloudsBeing a large and delicate system, Saturn's rings function as a detector of their planetary environment. Cassini images of impact ejecta clouds in the rings previously constrained the population of decimeter-to-meter-sized meteoroids in Saturn's vicinity [Tiscareno et al. 2013, Science]. Many more IECs are detected in new images, with color data that may constrain the particle-size distribution of the ejecta, and thus the fracture properties of ring material.

Momentum Enhancement from Hypervelocity Crater Ejecta: Implications for the AIDA Target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flynn, G. J.; Durda, D. D.; Patmore, E. B.; Jack, S. J.; Molesky, M. J.; Strait, M. M.; Macke, R. M.

2017-09-01

We performed hypervelocity impact cratering of porous meteorites and terrestrial pumice and found higher values of the momentum enhancement factor due to ejecta than found in hydrocode modeling. This has important implications for kinetic impact deflection of small, hazardous asteroids and on the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mossion.

A link between prompt optical and prompt gamma-ray emission in gamma-ray bursts.

PubMed

Vestrand, W T; Wozniak, P R; Wren, J A; Fenimore, E E; Sakamoto, T; White, R R; Casperson, D; Davis, H; Evans, S; Galassi, M; McGowan, K E; Schier, J A; Asa, J W; Barthelmy, S D; Cummings, J R; Gehrels, N; Hullinger, D; Krimm, H A; Markwardt, C B; McLean, K; Palmer, D; Parsons, A; Tueller, J

2005-05-12

The prompt optical emission that arrives with the gamma-rays from a cosmic gamma-ray burst (GRB) is a signature of the engine powering the burst, the properties of the ultra-relativistic ejecta of the explosion, and the ejecta's interactions with the surroundings. Until now, only GRB 990123 had been detected at optical wavelengths during the burst phase. Its prompt optical emission was variable and uncorrelated with the prompt gamma-ray emission, suggesting that the optical emission was generated by a reverse shock arising from the ejecta's collision with surrounding material. Here we report prompt optical emission from GRB 041219a. It is variable and correlated with the prompt gamma-rays, indicating a common origin for the optical light and the gamma-rays. Within the context of the standard fireball model of GRBs, we attribute this new optical component to internal shocks driven into the burst ejecta by variations of the inner engine. The correlated optical emission is a direct probe of the jet isolated from the medium. The timing of the uncorrelated optical emission is strongly dependent on the nature of the medium.

Geomorphologic mapping of the lunar crater Tycho and its impact melt deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, T.; van der Bogert, C. H.; Hiesinger, H.

2016-07-01

Using SELENE/Kaguya Terrain Camera and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) data, we produced a new, high-resolution (10 m/pixel), geomorphological and impact melt distribution map for the lunar crater Tycho. The distal ejecta blanket and crater rays were investigated using LROC wide-angle camera (WAC) data (100 m/pixel), while the fine-scale morphologies of individual units were documented using high resolution (∼0.5 m/pixel) LROC narrow-angle camera (NAC) frames. In particular, Tycho shows a large coherent melt sheet on the crater floor, melt pools and flows along the terraced walls, and melt pools on the continuous ejecta blanket. The crater floor of Tycho exhibits three distinct units, distinguishable by their elevation and hummocky surface morphology. The distribution of impact melt pools and ejecta, as well as topographic asymmetries, support the formation of Tycho as an oblique impact from the W-SW. The asymmetric ejecta blanket, significantly reduced melt emplacement uprange, and the depressed uprange crater rim at Tycho suggest an impact angle of ∼25-45°.

Supernova shock breakout through a wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balberg, Shmuel; Loeb, Abraham

2011-06-01

The breakout of a supernova shock wave through the progenitor star's outer envelope is expected to appear as an X-ray flash. However, if the supernova explodes inside an optically thick wind, the breakout flash is delayed. We present a simple model for estimating the conditions at shock breakout in a wind based on the general observable quantities in the X-ray flash light curve; the total energy EX, and the diffusion time after the peak, tdiff. We base the derivation on the self-similar solution for the forward-reverse shock structure expected for an ejecta plowing through a pre-existing wind at large distances from the progenitor's surface. We find simple quantitative relations for the shock radius and velocity at breakout. By relating the ejecta density profile to the pre-explosion structure of the progenitor, the model can also be extended to constrain the combination of explosion energy and ejecta mass. For the observed case of XRO08109/SN2008D, our model provides reasonable constraints on the breakout radius, explosion energy and ejecta mass, and predicts a high shock velocity which naturally accounts for the observed non-thermal spectrum.

AT 2017gfo: An Anisotropic and Three-component Kilonova Counterpart of GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perego, Albino; Radice, David; Bernuzzi, Sebastiano

2017-12-01

The detection of a kilo/macronova electromagnetic counterpart (AT 2017gfo) of the first gravitational-wave signal compatible with the merger of two neutron stars (GW170817) has confirmed the occurrence of r-process nucleosynthesis in this kind of event. The blue and red components of AT 2017gfo have been interpreted as the signature of multi-component ejecta in the merger dynamics. However, the explanation of AT 2017gfo in terms of the properties of the ejecta and of the ejection mechanisms is still incomplete. In this work, we analyze AT 2017gfo with a new semi-analytic model of kilo/macronova inferred from general-relativistic simulations of the merger and long-term numerical models of the merger aftermath. The model accounts for the anisotropic emission from the three known mass ejecta components: dynamic, winds, and secular outflows from the disk. The early multi-band light curves of AT 2017gfo can only be explained by the presence of a relatively low-opacity component of the ejecta at high latitudes. This points to the key role of weak interactions in setting the ejecta properties and determining the nucleosynthetic yields. Our model also constrains the total ejected mass associated to AT 2017gfo to be between 0.042 and 0.077 {M}⊙ , the observation angle of the source to be between π /12 and 7π /36, and the mass of the disk to be ≳ 0.08 {M}⊙ .

Impacts into quartz sand: Crater formation, shock metamorphism, and ejecta distribution in laboratory experiments and numerical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wünnemann, Kai; Zhu, Meng-Hua; Stöffler, Dieter

2016-10-01

We investigated the ejection mechanics by a complementary approach of cratering experiments, including the microscopic analysis of material sampled from these experiments, and 2-D numerical modeling of vertical impacts. The study is based on cratering experiments in quartz sand targets performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range. In these experiments, the preimpact location in the target and the final position of ejecta was determined by using color-coded sand and a catcher system for the ejecta. The results were compared with numerical simulations of the cratering and ejection process to validate the iSALE shock physics code. In turn the models provide further details on the ejection velocities and angles. We quantify the general assumption that ejecta thickness decreases with distance according to a power-law and that the relative proportion of shocked material in the ejecta increase with distance. We distinguish three types of shock metamorphic particles (1) melt particles, (2) shock lithified aggregates, and (3) shock-comminuted grains. The agreement between experiment and model was excellent, which provides confidence that the models can predict ejection angles, velocities, and the degree of shock loading of material expelled from a crater accurately if impact parameters such as impact velocity, impactor size, and gravity are varied beyond the experimental limitations. This study is relevant for a quantitative assessment of impact gardening on planetary surfaces and the evolution of regolith layers on atmosphereless bodies.

Subsurface volatile content of martian double-layer ejecta (DLE) craters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Viola, Donna; McEwen, Alfred S.; Dundas, Colin M.; Byrne, Shane

2017-01-01

Excess ice is widespread throughout the martian mid-latitudes, particularly in Arcadia Planitia, where double-layer ejecta (DLE) craters also tend to be abundant. In this region, we observe the presence of thermokarstically-expanded secondary craters that likely form from impacts that destabilize a subsurface layer of excess ice, which subsequently sublimates. The presence of these expanded craters shows that excess ice is still preserved within the adjacent terrain. Here, we focus on a 15-km DLE crater that contains abundant superposed expanded craters in order to study the distribution of subsurface volatiles both at the time when the secondary craters formed and, by extension, remaining today. To do this, we measure the size distribution of the superposed expanded craters and use topographic data to calculate crater volumes as a proxy for the volumes of ice lost to sublimation during the expansion process. The inner ejecta layer contains craters that appear to have undergone more expansion, suggesting that excess ice was most abundant in that region. However, both of the ejecta layers had more expanded craters than the surrounding terrain. We extrapolate that the total volume of ice remaining within the entire ejecta deposit is as much as 74 km3 or more. The variation in ice content between the ejecta layers could be the result of (1) volatile preservation from the formation of the DLE crater, (2) post-impact deposition in the form of ice lenses; or (3) preferential accumulation or preservation of subsequent snowfall. We have ruled out (2) as the primary mode for ice deposition in this location based on inconsistencies with our observations, though it may operate in concert with other processes. Although none of the existing DLE formation hypotheses are completely consistent with our observations, which may merit a new or modified mechanism, we can conclude that DLE craters contain a significant quantity of excess ice today.

Besieged by Trojans: Material Exchange between Tethys and its Coorbital Moons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Michael; Rhoden, Alyssa R.; Asphaug, Erik

2016-10-01

Two small Trojan moons are coorbital with the Saturnian moon Tethys: Calypso (20-km diameter) resides in the trailing L5 Lagrangian point of Tethys' orbit around Saturn, while Telesto (25-km diameter) occupies the leading L4 Lagrangian point. Due to their fixed location with respect to Tethys, consistent material transfer to Tethys occurs whenever there is a primary impact on either of the Trojan moons. Here we investigate this material exchange, and its implications for the cratering history of Tethys. Multiple craters in excess of 1-km in diameter are seen on both Trojan moons [1]. We model the evolution of ejecta escaping from the largest five and seven craters on Calypso and Telesto respectively. The Maxwell Z-model [2] is used, with an implicit gravity-regime cratering assumption, to approximate outbound ejecta velocity distributions. The smallest craters considered on Calypso and Telesto are 1.35 and 1.9 km in diameter respectively; these impacts would have generated a significant amount of sesquinary ejecta [3] in orbits coorbital to that of Tethys. We model the evolution of these sesquinary ejecta in the Saturnian gravity system across 100 years and track their impact locations [e.g. 4]. Our results show that a large fraction of sesquinary ejecta created by primary impacts to either Trojan is likely to impact Tethys; the coorbital nature of the source bodies results in a significant fraction of this ejecta being incident at low impact velocities and low (oblique) impact angles. We present results of ongoing work to convolve these results with observed crater populations and morphologies on Tethys. The persistence of sesquinary impactors inbound to Tethys suggests that such impacts are a relatively frequent process. Additional sources of impactor material, such as from material excavated by primary impacts to Tethys and later reaccreted, will also be discussed. [1] Thomas et al., 2013, Icarus [2] Melosh, 1989, Oxford Univ. Press [3] Zahnle et al., 2008, Icarus [4] Nayak and Asphaug, 2016, Nature Communications.

Distal Impact Ejecta from the Gulf of Carpentaria: Have We Found Cometary Fragments as Part of the Ejecta Suite?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, L. E.; Abbott, D. H.; Breger, D.

2011-12-01

Analysis using light microscopy, analytical scanning electron microscopy, and measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of five sediment cores (MD 28-MD 32) from the Gulf of Carpentaria have revealed that each has had an impact layer less than a centimeter (10s to 100s of micrometers) thick prior to bioturbation. The present stratigraphic thickness of the impact layer (result of bioturbation) within every core was determined based on whether or not we had observed at least one of the following impact ejecta: FeNiCrCl (a recent discovery), metallic spherules (some of which consisted of Fe and Ni), or chlorinated hydrocarbon; the highest peak of magnetic susceptibility correlated with the highest concentration of impact ejecta. We used modeling of the magnetic susceptibility of a hematite-calcium carbonate mixture to constrain the minimum thickness of the impact ejecta layer (prior to bioturbation). Until recently we had been unaware that the red, glassy, semi-spherules we found within the impact layer were in fact FeNiCrCl. Nickel is not abundant within the Earth's crust, thus it is highly likely that these fragments are cometary debris from an impact event within the Gulf of Carpentaria. Furthermore, SEM analysis has confirmed that the chlorinated hydrocarbon was not PVC contamination from the coring process; with such high levels of chlorine the results strongly suggest that the material was a by product of a marine water impact event. In addition, by using impact modeling we deduced that the observed impact ejecta layer could not have been transported via an impact generated tsunami. The model also predicts that the layer could have been produced by a cometary impact event (average velocity 51 km/s) that would have produced the 12 km crater at the site of the Tabban crater candidate.

Assessing the Provenance of regolith components in the South Pole-Aitken Basin: Results from LRO, M3, GRAIL, and Ejecta Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petro, N. E.; Cohen, B. A.; Jolliff, B. L.; Moriarty, D. P.

2016-12-01

Results from recent lunar missions are reshaping our view of the lunar surface, the evolution of the Moon, and the scale of processes that have affected the Moon. From orbital remote sensing data we can investigate surface mineralogy at the 100s m scale as well as corresponding high-resolution images to evaluate the exposures of various compositions. Coupled with geophysical data from the GRAIL mission, we can now assess the effects of large impacts (>200 km in diameter). These data are essential for assessing the composition of the interior of the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), a key destination for future sample return (Jolliff et al., this conference). Data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) shows that variations in surface roughness and morphology are broad and likely reflect both the ancient age of the basin floor, as well as younger volcanic and impact-related resurfacing events. Data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper also reveal compositional variations across the interior of the basin and reflect both ancient volcanic activity as well as surface exposures of deep-seated crustal (SPA substrate) materials. These datasets are critical for delineating variations in surface compositions, which indicate formation mechanisms (e.g., volcanic vs. impact-derived). We investigate the resurfacing history of SPA, focusing on integrating data from multiple instruments, as well as updated modeling into the origin of regolith components (in the form of ejecta from near and distant impact craters). Recent advances include determination of the inventory of large craters as well as improved estimates of the amount of ejecta from such craters. As with past estimates of basin ejecta distribution, the volume of ejecta introduced to SPA is relatively small and quickly becomes diluted within the regolith. In addition, the contribution of ejecta by smaller, local craters is shown to distribute a comparable amount of material within the basin. Much of the material distributed by these local craters is SPA substrate, with a small amount of re-melted material. In most locations within SPA, the amount of reworked SPA substrate by ballistic ejecta emplacement and mixing from impacts within the presumed transient cavity greatly exceeds the amount of material contributed by ballistic sedimentation from large craters outside of SPA.

Mars on Earth: Analog basaltic soils and particulates from Lonar Crater, India, include Deccan soil, shocked soil, reworked lithic and glassy ejecta, and both shocked and unshocked baked zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, S. P.

2017-12-01

"There is no perfect analog for Mars on Earth" [first line of Hipkin et al. (2013) Icarus, 261-267]. However, fieldwork and corresponding sample analyses from laboratory instrumentation (to proxy field instruments) has resulted in the finding of unique analog materials that suggest that detailed investigations of Lonar Crater, India would be beneficial to the goals of the Mars Program. These are briefly described below as Analog Processes, Materials, and Fieldwork. Analog Processes: The geologic history of Lonar Crater emulates localities on Mars with 1.) flood basaltic volcanism with interlayer development of 2.) baked zones or "boles" and 3.) soil formation. Of six flows, the lower three are aqueously altered by groundwater to produce a range of 4.) alteration products described below. The impact event 570 ka produced a range of 5.) impactites including shocked baked zones, shocked soils, and altered basalt shocked to a range of shock pressures [Kieffer et al., 1976]. Analog Materials: 65 Ma Deccan basalt contains augite and labradorite. Baked zones are higher in hematite and other iron oxides. Soil consists of calcite and organic matter. Several basalts with secondary alteration are listed here and these mirror alteration on Mars: hematite, chlorite, serpentine, zeolite, and palagonite, with varying combinations of these with primary igneous minerals. All of these materials (#1 through 4 above) are shocked to a range of shocked pressures to produce maskelynite, flowing plagioclase glass, vesiculated plagioclase glass, and complete impact melts. Shocked soils contain schlieren calcite amidst comminuted grains of augite, labradorite, and these glasses. Shocked baked zones unsurprisingly have a petrographic texture similar to hornfels, another product of contact metamorphism. Analog Fieldwork: The ejecta consists of two layers: 8 m of lithic breccia with unshocked and fractured basalts under a 1 m suevite consisting of all ranges of shock pressure described above for the behavior of labradorite. Rare shocked baked zones and shocked soils (note unshocked soil as an inclusion in the BSE image of shocked soil) are found as talus in reworked ejecta and as clasts in the suevite ejecta layer. Lobes of both ejecta layers will be shown along with reworked ejecta that contains previous clasts of each ejecta layer.

Dissecting a supernova impostor's circumstellar medium: MUSEing about the SHAPE of η Carinae's outer ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehner, A.; Steffen, W.; Groh, J. H.; Vogt, F. P. A.; Baade, D.; Boffin, H. M. J.; Davidson, K.; de Wit, W. J.; Humphreys, R. M.; Martayan, C.; Oudmaijer, R. D.; Rivinius, T.; Selman, F.

2016-11-01

Aims: The role of episodic mass loss is one of the outstanding questions in massive star evolution. The structural inhomogeneities and kinematics of their nebulae are tracers of their mass-loss history. We conduct a three-dimensional morpho-kinematic analysis of the ejecta of η Car outside its famous Homunculus nebula. Methods: We carried out the first large-scale integral field unit observations of η Car in the optical, covering a field of view of 1'× 1' centered on the star. Observations with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) reveal the detailed three-dimensional structure of η Car's outer ejecta. Morpho-kinematic modeling of these ejecta is conducted with the code SHAPE. Results: The largest coherent structure in η Car's outer ejecta can be described as a bent cylinder with roughly the same symmetry axis as the Homunculus nebula. This large outer shell is interacting with the surrounding medium, creating soft X-ray emission. Doppler velocities of up to 3000 km s-1 are observed. We establish the shape and extent of the ghost shell in front of the southern Homunculus lobe and confirm that the NN condensation can best be modeled as a bowshock in the orbital/equatorial plane. Conclusions: The SHAPE modeling of the MUSE observations provides a significant gain in the study of the three-dimensional structure of η Car's outer ejecta. Our SHAPE modeling indicates that the kinematics of the outer ejecta measured with MUSE can be described by a spatially coherent structure, and that this structure also correlates with the extended soft X-ray emission associated with the outer debris field. The ghost shell immediately outside the southern Homunculus lobe hints at a sequence of eruptions within the time frame of the Great Eruption from 1837-1858 or possibly a later shock/reverse shock velocity separation. Our 3D morpho-kinematic modeling and the MUSE observations constitute an invaluable dataset to be confronted with future radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. Such a comparison may shed light on the yet elusive physical mechanism responsible for η Car-like eruptions. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programme 094.D-0215(A).

The Geology of the Marcia Quadrangle of Asteroid Vesta: Assessing the Effects of Large, Young Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David A.; Denevi, Brett W.; Mittlefehldt, David W.; Mest, Scott C.; Schenk, Paul M.; Yingst, R. Aileen; Buczowski, Debra L.; Scully, Jennifer E. C.; Garry, W. Brent; McCord, Thomas B.;

Fresh Shallow Valleys (FSVs) in Northern Arabia Terra, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, S. A.; Howard, A. D.; Moore, J. M.

2014-12-01

Fresh Shallow Valleys (FSVs) on Mars are part of a growing inventory of post-Noachian landforms that may be related to late, widespread aqueous activity that occurred during a period once thought to be less favorable for precipitation and runoff. Constraining the source, magnitude, timing and duration of FSVs will provide insight into the mechanism and extent of fluvial activity on Mars and the geologic and climatic environments in which they formed. Unlike the older Noachian-Hesperian valleys that are characterized by integrated, dissected and degraded networks that cover large spatial extents, FSVs are typically narrow, short or discontinuous valleys with low drainage densities. They are generally incised no more than a few decameters, slightly degraded at multi-meter scales, and cluster in the mid-latitudes (35-50° in both hemispheres). A high concentration of FSVs occurs in Northern Arabia Terra (~33°N, 8°E), a Noachian-aged landscape characterized by broad, irregular depressions. Many of the FSVs in this region are 150+ km long and some appear to cross depressions that were likely filled with ice or water at the time of formation. Examples of broad, flat floored FSVs with incised channels could either indicate a complex history of a single flow event or multiple flow events. The occurrence of "pollywogs," fairly fresh, small (typically 2-10 km in diameter) craters with a single channel extending from the rim outward, implies overflow of the crater, the presence of a deep lake and the involvement of artesian groundwater flow. Roughly 25% of the FSVs in our northern Arabia Terra study region occur on relatively fresh crater ejecta, which may be related to formation age, topography, surface materials and (or) substrate. Ejecta with dense concentrations of FSVs average 25.5 km in diameter, have more degraded crater interiors, and well developed petal-like ejecta. Ejecta with sparse or no FSVs have radial ejecta with less distinct petals and are associated with smaller craters (16 km and 8 km in diameter, respectively) that have less degraded crater interiors. Crater statistics suggest ejecta with high concentrations of FSVs are relatively older than ejecta with sparse or no FSVs. The crater statistics also suggest the valleys formed in the mid-Hesperian to Early-Amazonian, coeval with the formation of large alluvial fans.

The role of impact events play in redistributing and sequestering water on Early Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osinski, G.; Tornabene, L. L.

2017-12-01

Impact cratering is one of the most fundamental geological process in the Solar System. Several workers have considered the effect that impact events may have had on the climate of Early Mars. The proposed effects range from impact-induced precipitation to the production of runaway stable climates to the impact delivery of climatically active gases. The role of impact events in forming hydrated minerals has been touched upon but remains debated. In this contribution, we focus on the role that impact events may have played in redistributing and sequestering water on Early Mars; a record that may still be preserved in the Noachian crust. It has been previously proposed that the sequestration of significant quantities of water may have occurred within various hydrated minerals, in particular clays, in the martian crust. There is undoubtedly no single origin for clay-bearing rocks on Mars and the purpose of this contribution is not to review all the possible formation mechanisms. What we do propose, however, is that it is theoretically possible for impact events to create all known occurrences of clays on Mars. We show that clays can form within and around impact craters in two main ways: through the solid-state devitrification of hydrous impact melts and/or impact-generated hydrothermal alteration. Neither of these mechanisms requires a warmer or wetter climate scenario on Early Mars. Notwithstanding the original origin of clays, any clays may be widely redistributed over the Martian surface in the ejecta deposits of large impact craters. However, ejecta deposits are much more complex than commonly thought, with evidence in many instances for two different types of ejecta deposits around martian craters. The first is a ballistic ejecta layer that is low-shock, melt-poor and low-temperature; it will likely not induce the formation of new clays through the mechanisms described above, but could redistribute pre-impact clays over 100's and 1000's of km over the martian surface. Overlying ballistic ejecta deposits is a second ejecta type that is more melt-rich and higher temperature and that has been shown (on Earth) to form new primary clays and other hydrated minerals. This potential to form clays in situ many 100's of km away from the source crater in melt-rich ejecta deposits should be considered in any study of the Noachian crust.

Ejecta velocity distribution of impact craters formed on quartz sand: Effect of projectile density on crater scaling law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujido, Sayaka; Arakawa, Masahiko; Suzuki, Ayako I.; Yasui, Minami

2015-12-01

In order to clarify the effects of projectile density on ejecta velocity distributions for a granular target, impact cratering experiments on a quartz sand target were conducted by using eight types of projectiles with different densities ranging from 11 g cm-3 to 1.1 g cm-3, which were launched at about 200 m s-1 from a vertical gas gun at Kobe University. The scaling law of crater size, the ejection angle of ejecta grains, and the angle of the ejecta curtain were also investigated. The ejecta velocity distribution obtained from each projectile was well described by the π-scaling theory of v0/√{gR} =k2(x0/R)-1/μ , where v0, g, R and x0 are the ejection velocity, gravitational acceleration, crater radius and ejection position, respectively, and k2 and μ are constants mostly depending on target material properties (Housen, K.R., Holsapple, K.A. [2011]. Icarus 211, 856-875). The value of k2 was found to be almost constant at 0.7 for all projectiles except for the nylon projectile, while μ increased with the projectile density, from 0.43 for the low-density projectile to 0.6-0.7 for the high-density projectile. On the other hand, the π-scaling theory for crater size gave a μ value of 0.57, which was close to the average of the μ values obtained from ejecta velocity distributions. The ejection angle, θ, of each grain decreased slightly with distance, from higher than 45° near the impact point to 30-40° at 0.6 R. The ejecta curtain angle is controlled by the two elementary processes of ejecta velocity distribution and ejection angle; it gradually increased from 52° to 63° with the increase of the projectile density. The comparison of our experimental results with the theoretical model of the crater excavation flow known as the Z-model revealed that the relationship between μ and θ obtained by our experiments could not be described by the Z-model (Maxwell, D.E. [1977]. In: Roddy, D.J., Pepin, R.O., Merrill, R.B. (Eds.), Impact and Explosion Cratering. Pergamon, NY, pp. 1003-1008). Therefore, we used the extended Z-model by Croft (Croft, S.K. [1980]. Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 11, 2347-2378), which could be applied to the crater excavation process when the point source was buried at the depth of d under the target surface, and then all the experimental results of μ and θ were reasonably explained by suitable Z and d values of the extended Z-model.

Modeling the Impact Ejected Dust Contribution to the Lunar Exosphere: Results from Experiments and Ground Truth from LADEE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermalyn, B.; Colaprete, A.

2013-12-01

A considerable body of evidence indicates the presence of lofted regolith dust above the lunar surface. These observations range from multiple in-situ and orbital horizon glow detections to direct measurement of dust motion on the surface, as by the Apollo 17 Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites (LEAM) experiment. Despite this evidence, the specific mechanisms responsible for the lofting of regolith are still actively debated. These include impact ejection, electrostatic lofting, effects of high energy radiation, UV/X- rays, and interplay with solar wind plasma. These processes are highly relevant to one of the two main scientific objectives of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission (due to launch September, 2013): to directly measure the lunar exospheric dust environment and its spatial and temporal variability towards the goal of better understanding the dust flux. Of all the proposed mechanisms taking place on the lunar surface, the only unequivocal ongoing process is impact cratering. Hypervelocity impact events, which mobilize and redistribute regolith across planetary surfaces, are arguably the most pervasive geologic process on rocky bodies. While many studies of dust lofting state that the impact flux rate is orders of magnitude too low to account for the lunar horizon glow phenomenon and discount its contribution, it is imperative to re-examine these assumptions in light of new data on impact ejecta, particularly from the contributions from mesoscale (impactor size on the order of grain size) and macroscale (impactor > grain size) cratering. This is in large part due to a previous lack of data, for while past studies have established a canonical ejecta model for main-stage ejection of sand targets from vertical impacts, only recent studies have been able to begin quantitatively probing the intricacies of the ejection process outside this main-stage, vertical regime. In particular, it is the high-speed early-time ejecta that will reach significant altitude above the surface and remain aloft ballistically for hours. In addition, ejecta dynamics in the transition regime between microcratering and macro scale events is not yet well understood. As such, there is no currently accepted encompassing model of impact ejecta delivery to the lunar exosphere. It is important to note that the work described here is not to duplicate or exclude other lofting mechanisms -- in reality, the lofting of dust is almost definitely a complex combination of processes -- but instead to provide essential constraints on the impact contribution. This study attempts to constrain the expected contributions from cratering to the lunar exosphere by assessing the ejecta 'background' signal lofted above the surface and the effects of transient focused events (meteor showers) which can produce significant increases in ejecta. In particular, this work couples scaling of previous ejecta studies with Monte-Carlo and ballistics models and will present LADEE data analysis (particularly from the UVS and LDEX instruments) and interpretation in context of constraining the ejected mass distribution. These results are relevant to both our understanding of exospheric dust and for constraint of hazards for future human habitation.

A low temperature transfer of ALH84001 from Mars to Earth.

PubMed

Weiss, B P; Kirschvink, J L; Baudenbacher, F J; Vali, H; Peters, N T; Macdonald, F A; Wikswo, J P

2000-10-27

The ejection of material from Mars is thought to be caused by large impacts that would heat much of the ejecta to high temperatures. Images of the magnetic field of martian meteorite ALH84001 reveal a spatially heterogeneous pattern of magnetization associated with fractures and rock fragments. Heating the meteorite to 40 degrees C reduces the intensity of some magnetic features, indicating that the interior of the rock has not been above this temperature since before its ejection from the surface of Mars. Because this temperature cannot sterilize most bacteria or eukarya, these data support the hypothesis that meteorites could transfer life between planets in the solar system.

Dynamical Evolution of the Recent Jet in CH Cyg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karovska, Margarita

2011-10-01

We propose to carry out Chandra ACIS-S observations combined with HST/WFC3multi-wavelength imaging of the powerful, multi-component jet which was detectedin 2008 in the nearby symbiotic CH Cyg. CH Cyg is a fascinating system containing an evolved giant and a wind-accreting white dwarf, and it is one of the few symbiotics showing jet activity, especially in X-rays. Our goal is to measure the physical characteristics of the individual jet components, from the central source to the region of interaction with the circumbinary environment, reaching to within a few AU from the source of the jet. We will determine the characteristics of the central source, and of the inner and the outer jet, and the dynamical evolution, including precession, and kinematics of the ejecta.

Dynamical Evolution of the Recent Jet in CH Cyg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karovska, Margarita

2011-09-01

We propose to carry out Chandra ACIS-S observations combined with HST/WFC3 multi-wavelength imaging of the powerful, multi-component jet which was detected in 2008 in the nearby symbiotic CH Cyg. CH Cyg is a fascinating system containing an evolved giant and a wind-accreting white dwarf, and it is one of the few symbiotics showing jet activity, especially in X-rays. Our goal is to measure the physical characteristics of the individual jet components, from the central source to the region of interaction with the circumbinary environment, reaching to within a few AU from the source of the jet. We will determine the characteristics of the central source, and of the inner and the outer jet, and the dynamical evolution, including precession, and kinematics of the ejecta.

Colorful Impact Ejecta from Hargraves Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-08

The collision that created Hargraves Crater impacted into diverse bedrock lithologies of ancient Mars; the impact ejecta is a rich mix of rock types with different colors and textures, as seen by NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The crater is named after Robert Hargraves who discovered and studied meteorite impacts on the Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21609

X-ray emission from reverse-shocked ejecta in supernova remnants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cioffi, Denis F.; Mckee, Christopher F.

1990-01-01

A simple physical model of the dynamics of a young supernova remnant is used to derive a straightforward kinematical description of the reverse shock. With suitable approximations, formulae can then be developed to give the X-ray emission of the reverse-shocked ejecta. The results are found to agree favorably with observations of SN1006.

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This mosaic was assembled from images taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at a region dubbed 'site 31.' Spirit is looking at 'Missoula Crater.' From orbit, the features within the crater appeared to be ejecta from the younger 'Bonneville Crater,' but Spirit's closer look revealed wind-blown drift deposits, not ejecta, within Missoula Crater.

Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Experiment: Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-11-30

S72-37257 (November 1972) --- The Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (S-202), one of the experiments of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package which will be carried on the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. The purpose of this experiment is to measure the physical parameters of primary and secondary particles impacting the lunar surface.

Effects of shock-breakout pressure on ejection of micron-scale material from shocked tin surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellner, M. B.; Grover, M.; Hammerberg, J. E.; Hixson, R. S.; Iverson, A. J.; Macrum, G. S.; Morley, K. B.; Obst, A. W.; Olson, R. T.; Payton, J. R.; Rigg, P. A.; Routley, N.; Stevens, G. D.; Turley, W. D.; Veeser, L.; Buttler, W. T.

2007-07-01

This effort investigates the relation between ejecta production and shock-breakout pressure (PSB) for Sn shocked with a Taylor shockwave (unsupported) to pressures near the solid-on-release/partial melt-on-release phase transition region. The shockwaves were created by detonation of high explosive (HE) PBX-9501 on the front side of Sn coupons. Ejecta production at the backside or free side of the Sn coupons was characterized through use of piezoelectric pins, optical shadowgraphy, x-ray attenuation radiography, and optical-heterodyne velocimetry. Ejecta velocities, dynamic volume densities, and areal densities were then correlated with the shock-breakout pressure of Sn surfaces characterized by roughness average of Ra=16 μin or Ra=32 μin.

SHADOWS OF OUR FORMER COMPANIONS: HOW THE SINGLE-DEGENERATE BINARY TYPE IA SUPERNOVA SCENARIO AFFECTS REMNANTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gray, William J.; Raskin, Cody; Owen, J. Michael

2016-12-10

Here we present three-dimensional high-resolution simulations of Type Ia supernova in the presence of a non-degenerate companion. We find that the presence of a nearby companion leaves a long-lived hole in the supernova ejecta. In particular, we aim to study the long-term evolution of this hole as the supernova ejecta interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). Using estimates for the X-ray emission, we find that the hole generated by the companion remains for many centuries after the interaction between the ejecta and the ISM. We also show that the hole is discernible over a wide range of viewing anglesmore » and companion masses.« less

Polygons near Lyot Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-564, 4 December 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows patterned ground, arranged in the form of polygons, on the undulating plains associated with ejecta from the Lyot impact crater on the martian northern plains. This picture was acquired in October 2003 and shows that the polygon margins are ridges with large boulders--shown here as dark dots--on them. On Earth, polygon patterns like this are created in arctic and antarctic regions where there is ice in the ground. The seasonal and longer-term cycles of freezing and thawing of the ice-rich ground cause these features to form over time. Whether the same is true for Mars is unknown. The polygons are located near 54.6oN, 326.6oW. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the lower left.

Impact craters on Venus: Initial analysis from Magellan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, R.J.; Arvidson, R. E.; Boyce, J.M.; Campbell, D.B.; Guest, J.E.; Schaber, G.G.; Soderblom, L.A.

1991-01-01

Magellan radar images of 15 percent of the planet show 135 craters of probable impact origin. Craters more than 15 km across tend to contain central peaks, multiple central peaks, and peak rings. Many craters smaller than 15 km exhibit multiple floors or appear in clusters; these phenomena are attributed to atmospheric breakup of incoming meteoroids. Additionally, the atmosphere appears to have prevented the formation of primary impact craters smaller than about 3 km and produced a deficiency in the number of craters smaller than about 25 km across. Ejecta is found at greater distances than that predicted by simple ballistic emplacement, and the distal ends of some ejecta deposits are lobate. These characteristics may represent surface flows of material initially entrained in the atmosphere. Many craters are surrounded by zones of low radar albedo whose origin may have been deformation of the surface by the shock or pressure wave associated with the incoming meteoroid. Craters are absent from several large areas such as a 5 million square kilometer region around Sappho Patera, where the most likely explanation for the dearth of craters is volcanic resurfacing, There is apparently a spectrum of surface ages on Venus ranging approximately from 0 to 800 million years, and therefore Venus must be a geologically active planet.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ying D.; Yang, Zhongwei; Wang, Rui

On 2012 September 30-October 1 the Earth underwent a two-step geomagnetic storm. We examine the Sun-to-Earth characteristics of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) responsible for the geomagnetic storm with combined heliospheric imaging and in situ observations. The first CME, which occurred on 2012 September 25, is a slow event and shows an acceleration followed by a nearly invariant speed in the whole Sun-Earth space. The second event, launched from the Sun on 2012 September 27, exhibits a quick acceleration, then a rapid deceleration, and finally a nearly constant speed, a typical Sun-to-Earth propagation profile for fast CMEs. These two CMEsmore » interacted near 1 AU as predicted by the heliospheric imaging observations and formed a complex ejecta observed at Wind, with a shock inside that enhanced the pre-existing southward magnetic field. Reconstruction of the complex ejecta with the in situ data indicates an overall left-handed flux-rope-like configuration with an embedded concave-outward shock front, a maximum magnetic field strength deviating from the flux rope axis, and convex-outward field lines ahead of the shock. While the reconstruction results are consistent with the picture of CME-CME interactions, a magnetic cloud-like structure without clear signs of CME interactions is anticipated when the merging process is finished.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prentice, S. J.; Mazzali, P. A.; Pian, E.

The optical and optical/near-infrared pseudo-bolometric light curves of 85 stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe) are constructed using a consistent method and a standard cosmology. The light curves are analysed to derive temporal characteristics and peak luminosity L p , enabling the construction of a luminosity function. Subsequently, the mass of 56 Ni synthesized in the explosion, along with the ratio of ejecta mass to ejecta kinetic energy, are found. Analysis shows that host-galaxy extinction is an important factor in accurately determining luminosity values as it is significantly greater than Galactic extinction in most cases. It is found that broad-lined SNe Ic (SNemore » Ic-BL) and gamma-ray burst SNe are the most luminous subtypes with a combined median L p , in erg s -1 , of log(L p) = 43.00 compared to 42.51 for SNe Ic, 42.50 for SNe Ib, and 42.36 for SNe IIb. It is also found that SNe Ic-BL synthesize approximately twice the amount of 56Ni compared with SNe Ic, Ib, and IIb, with median M Ni = 0.34, 0.16, 0.14, and 0.11 M ⊙ , respectively. SNe Ic-BL, and to a lesser extent SNe Ic, typically rise from L p /2 to L p more quickly than SNe Ib/IIb; consequently, their light curves are not as broad.« less

Cobalt-56 γ-ray emission lines from the type Ia supernova 2014J.

PubMed

Churazov, E; Sunyaev, R; Isern, J; Knödlseder, J; Jean, P; Lebrun, F; Chugai, N; Grebenev, S; Bravo, E; Sazonov, S; Renaud, M

2014-08-28

A type Ia supernova is thought to be a thermonuclear explosion of either a single carbon-oxygen white dwarf or a pair of merging white dwarfs. The explosion fuses a large amount of radioactive (56)Ni (refs 1-3). After the explosion, the decay chain from (56)Ni to (56)Co to (56)Fe generates γ-ray photons, which are reprocessed in the expanding ejecta and give rise to powerful optical emission. Here we report the detection of (56)Co lines at energies of 847 and 1,238 kiloelectronvolts and a γ-ray continuum in the 200-400 kiloelectronvolt band from the type Ia supernova 2014J in the nearby galaxy M82. The line fluxes suggest that about 0.6 ± 0.1 solar masses of radioactive (56)Ni were synthesized during the explosion. The line broadening gives a characteristic mass-weighted ejecta expansion velocity of 10,000 ± 3,000 kilometres per second. The observed γ-ray properties are in broad agreement with the canonical model of an explosion of a white dwarf just massive enough to be unstable to gravitational collapse, but do not exclude merger scenarios that fuse comparable amounts of (56)Ni.

Shock Acceleration of Electrons and Synchrotron Emission from the Dynamical Ejecta of Neutron Star Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shiu-Hang; Maeda, Keiichi; Kawanaka, Norita

2018-05-01

Neutron star mergers (NSMs) eject energetic subrelativistic dynamical ejecta into circumbinary media. Analogous to supernovae and supernova remnants, the NSM dynamical ejecta are expected to produce nonthermal emission by electrons accelerated at a shock wave. In this paper, we present the expected radio and X-ray signals by this mechanism, taking into account nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) and magnetic field amplification. We suggest that the NSM is unique as a DSA site, where the seed relativistic electrons are abundantly provided by the decays of r-process elements. The signal is predicted to peak at a few 100–1000 days after the merger, determined by the balance between the decrease of the number of seed electrons and the increase of the dissipated kinetic energy, due to the shock expansion. While the resulting flux can ideally reach the maximum flux expected from near-equipartition, the available kinetic energy dissipation rate of the NSM ejecta limits the detectability of such a signal. It is likely that the radio and X-ray emission are overwhelmed by other mechanisms (e.g., an off-axis jet) for an observer placed in a jet direction (i.e., for GW170817). However, for an off-axis observer, to be discovered once a number of NSMs are identified, the dynamical ejecta component is predicted to dominate the nonthermal emission. While the detection of this signal is challenging even with near-future facilities, this potentially provides a robust probe of the creation of r-process elements in NSMs.

Initial Observations of Lunar Impact Melts and Ejecta Flows with the Mini-RF Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, Lynn M.; Neish, Catherine D.; Bussey, D. B. J.; Spudis, Paul D.; Patterson, G. Wesley; Cahill, Joshua T.; Raney, R. Keith

2011-01-01

The Mini-RF radar on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's spacecraft has revealed a great variety of crater ejecta flow and impact melt deposits, some of which were not observed in prior radar imaging. The craters Tycho and Glushko have long melt flows that exhibit variations in radar backscatter and circular polarization ratio along the flow. Comparison with optical imaging reveals that these changes are caused by features commonly seen in terrestrial lava flows, such as rafted plates, pressure ridges, and ponding. Small (less than 20 km) sized craters also show a large variety of features, including melt flows and ponds. Two craters have flow features that may be ejecta flows caused by entrained debris flowing across the surface rather than by melted rock. The circular polarization ratios (CPRs) of the impact melt flows are typically very high; even ponded areas have CPR values between 0.7-1.0. This high CPR suggests that deposits that appear smooth in optical imagery may be rough at centimeter- and decimeter- scales. In some places, ponds and flows are visible with no easily discernable source crater. These melt deposits may have come from oblique impacts that are capable of ejecting melted material farther downrange. They may also be associated with older, nearby craters that no longer have a radar-bright proximal ejecta blanket. The observed morphology of the lunar crater flows has implications for similar features observed on Venus. In particular, changes in backscatter along many of the ejecta flows are probably caused by features typical of lava flows.

Absence of Fast-Moving Iron in an Intermediate Type Ia Supernova Between Normal and Super-Chandrasekhar

DOE PAGES

Cao, Yi; Johansson, J.; Nugent, Peter E.; ...

2016-06-01

In this study, we report observations of a peculiar SN Ia iPTF13asv (a.k.a., SN2013cv) from the onset of the explosion to months after its peak. The early-phase spectra of iPTF13asv show an absence of iron absorption, indicating that synthesized iron elements are confined to low-velocity regions of the ejecta, which, in turn, implies a stratified ejecta structure along the line of sight. Our analysis of iPTF13asv's light curves and spectra shows that it is an intermediate case between normal and super-Chandrasekhar events. On the one hand, its light curve shape (B-bandmore » $${\\rm{\\Delta }}{m}_{15}=1.03\\pm 0.01$$) and overall spectral features resemble those of normal SNe Ia. On the other hand, its large peak optical and UV luminosity ($${M}_{B}=-19.84\\;{\\rm{mag}}$$, $${M}_{{uvm}2}=-15.5\\;{\\rm{mag}}$$) and its low but almost constant Si ii velocities of about 10,000 km s -1 are similar to those in super-Chandrasekhar events, and its persistent carbon signatures in the spectra are weaker than those seen commonly in super-Chandrasekhar events. We estimate a 56Ni mass of $${0.81}_{-0.18}^{+0.10}{M}_{\\odot }$$ and a total ejecta mass of $${1.59}_{-0.12}^{+0.45}{M}_{\\odot }$$. Finally, the large ejecta mass of iPTF13asv and its stratified ejecta structure together seemingly favor a double-degenerate origin.« less

Geologic map of Tooting crater, Amazonis Planitia region of Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mouginis-Mark, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Tooting crater has a diameter of 27.2 km, and formed on virtually flat lava flows within Amazonis Planitia ~1,300 km west of the summit of Olympus Mons volcano, where there appear to have been no other major topographic features prior to the impact. The crater formed in an area ~185 x 135 km that is at an elevation between −3,870 m and −3,874 m relative to the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Mars datum. This fortuitous situation (for example, a bland, horizontal target) allows the geometry of the crater and the thickness of the ejecta blanket to be accurately determined by subtracting the appropriate elevation of the surrounding landscape (−3,872 m) from the individual MOLA measurements across the crater. Thus, for the first time, it is possible to determine the radial decrease of ejecta thickness as a function of distance away from the rim crest. On the basis of the four discrete ejecta layers surrounding the crater cavity, Tooting crater is classified as a Multiple-Layered Ejecta (MLE) crater. By virtue of the asymmetric distribution of secondary craters and the greater thickness of ejecta to the northeast, Morris and others (2010) proposed that Tooting crater formed by an oblique impact from the southwest. The maximum range of blocks that produced identifiable secondary craters is ~500 km (~36.0 crater radii) from the northeast rim crest. In contrast, secondary craters are only identifiable ~215 km (15.8 radii) to the southeast and 225 km (16.5 radii) to the west.

The Geology of the Marcia Quadrangle of Asteroid 4Vesta: An Integrated Mapping Study Using Dawn Spacecraft Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David A.; Denevi, B. W.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Mest, S. C.; Schenk, P. M.; Jaumann, R.; DeSanctis, M. C.; Buczkowski, D. L.; Ammannito, E.; Prettyman, T. H.;

A Spectroscopic Study of the Rich Supernova Remnant Population in M83

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkler, P. Frank; Blair, William P.; Long, Knox S.

2017-04-01

We report the results from a spectrophotometric study sampling the ≳ 300 candidate supernova remnants (SNRs) in M83 identified through optical imaging with Magellan/IMACS and Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3. Of the 118 candidates identified based on a high [S II] λλ 6716, 6731 to Hα emission ratio, 117 show spectroscopic signatures of shock-heated gas, confirming them as SNRs—the largest uniform set of SNR spectra for any galaxy. Spectra of 22 objects with a high [O III] λ5007 to Hα emission ratio, selected in an attempt to identify young ejecta-dominated SNRs like Cas A, reveal only one (previously reported) object with the broad (≳ 1000 {km} {{{s}}}-1) emission lines characteristic of ejecta-dominated SNRs, beyond the known SN1957D remnant. The other 20 [O III]-selected candidates include planetary nebulae, compact H II regions, and one background QSO. Although our spectroscopic sample includes 22 SNRs smaller than 11 pc, none of the other objects show broad emission lines; instead their spectra stem from relatively slow (˜ 200 {km} {{{s}}}-1) radiative shocks propagating into the metal-rich interstellar medium of M83. With six SNe in the past century, one might expect more of M83's small-diameter SNRs to show evidence of ejecta; this appears not to be the case. We attribute their absence to several factors, including that SNRs expanding into a dense medium evolve quickly to the ISM-dominated phase, and that SNRs expanding into regions already evacuated by earlier SNe are probably very faint. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina), and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil).

Detection of Broad Hα Emission Lines in the Late-time Spectra of a Hydrogen-poor Superluminous Supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Lin; Quimby, R.; Ofek, E.; Gal-Yam, A.; Mazzali, P.; Perley, D.; Vreeswijk, P. M.; Leloudas, G.; De Cia, A.; Masci, F.; Cenko, S. B.; Cao, Y.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Nugent, P. E.; Rebbapragada, Umaa D.; Woźniak, P. R.; Yaron, O.

2015-12-01

iPTF13ehe is a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) at z = 0.3434, with a slow-evolving light curve and spectral features similar to SN2007bi. It rises in 83-148 days to reach a peak bolometric luminosity of ˜1.3 × 1044 erg s-1, then decays slowly at 0.015 mag day-1. The measured ejecta velocity is ˜ 13,000 km s-1. The inferred explosion characteristics, such as the ejecta mass (70-220 M⊙), and the total radiative and kinetic energy (Erad ˜ 1051 erg, Ekin ˜ 2 × 1053 erg), are typical of slow-evolving H-poor SLSN events. However, the late-time spectrum taken at +251 days (rest, post-peak) reveals a Balmer Hα emission feature with broad and narrow components, which has never been detected before among other H-poor SLSNe. The broad component has a velocity width of ˜4500 km s-1 and a ˜300 km s-1 blueward shift relative to the narrow component. We interpret this broad Hα emission with a luminosity of ˜2 × 1041 erg s-1 as resulting from the interaction between the supernova ejecta and a discrete H-rich shell, located at a distance of ˜4 × 1016 cm from the explosion site. This interaction causes the rest-frame r-band LC to brighten at late times. The fact that the late-time spectra are not completely absorbed by the shock-ionized H-shell implies that its Thomson scattering optical depth is likely ≤1, thus setting upper limits on the shell mass ≤30 M⊙. Of the existing models, a Pulsational Pair Instability supernova model can naturally explain the observed 30 M⊙ H-shell, ejected from a progenitor star with an initial mass of (95-150) M⊙ about 40 years ago. We estimate that at least ˜15% of all SLSNe-I may have late-time Balmer emission lines.

Experimental study on the ejecta-velocity distributions caused by low-velocity impacts on quartz sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujido, S.; Arakawa, M.; Suzuki, A. I.; Yasui, M.

2014-07-01

Introduction: Regolith formation on asteroids is caused by successive impacts of small bodies. The ejecta velocity distribution during the crater formation process is one of the most important physical properties related to the surface-evolution process, and the distribution is also necessary to reconstruct the planetary-accretion process among planetesimals. The surface of small bodies, such as asteroids and planetesimals in the solar system, could have varying porosity, strength, and density, and the impact velocity could vary across a wide range from a few tens of m/s to several km/s. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct impact experiments by changing the physical properties of the target and the projectile in a wide velocity range in order to constrain the crater-formation process applicable to the small bodies in the solar system. Housen and Holsapple (2011) compiled the data of ejecta velocity distribution with various impact velocities, porosities, grain sizes, grain shapes, and strengths of the targets, and they improved their ejecta scaling law. But the ejecta velocity data is not enough for varying projectile densities and for impact velocities less than 1 km/s. In this study, to investigate the projectile density dependence of the ejecta velocity distribution at a low velocity region, we conducted impact experiments with projectile densities from 1.1 to 11.3 g/cm^3. Then, we try to determine the effect of projectile density on the ejecta velocity distribution by means of the observation of each individual ejecta grain. Experimental methods: We made impact cratering experiments by using a vertical-type one-stage light-gas gun (V-LGG) set at Kobe University. Targets were quartz sand (irregular shape) and glass beads (spherical shape) with the grain size of 500 μ m (porosity 44.7 %). The target container with the size of 30 cm was set in a large vacuum chamber with air pressure less than 10^3 Pa. The projectile materials that we used were lead, copper, iron, titanium, zirconia, alumina, glass, and nylon (11.3-1.1 g/cm^3). The projectile shape was spherical with a diameter 2a = 3 mm. The projectile was launched at the impact velocity, V_i, from 24 to 217 m/s. We made impact experiments using 8 types of projectiles and observed each ejecta grain by using a high-speed digital video camera taken at 2000-10000 FPS. Then, we measured the ejection velocity and ejection angle of each grain varying with the initial position. We successfully obtained the relationship between the initial position and the initial ejection velocity for the quartz sand grains and the glass beads. Results: From the high-speed camera observation, we found that, for higher projectile density, the angle of ejecta curtain from the horizontal plane increases from 50° for nylon to 58° for zirconia. The ejection angle of each grain was observed to change with the initial position, x, from 50° near the impact point to 40° near the crater rim, and this relationship does not depend on the projectile density. Thus, the ejection angle of each grain cannot explain the change in the angle of ejecta curtain for each projectile. When the ejecta velocity distribution, V_e, is written in the form of V_e/V_i=c(x/a)^{-b}, c is seen to somewhat change in each projectile. Meanwhile, b depends on the projectile density, and it was revealed that, for increasing projectile densities, b decreases from 0.43 of nylon to 0.68 of zirconia. It is assumed that b depending on the projectile density could cause the difference of ejecta curtain formed by each projectile. When comparing the results of Housen and Holsapple (2011), who made experiments for a quartz sand target at high speeds of 1000-1900 m/s, with the results of this study for quartz sand or 500 μ m glass beads target at low velocities of 24-217 m/s, the two sets of results were found to be consistent, even though our velocity range was an order of magnitude smaller than their velocity range. In addition, when the velocity distributions are written in the form V_i/√{gR}=k(x/R)^{-b}, where R is a crater radius, g is the gravitational acceleration of planet, k is obtained to be approximately a constant of 0.78±0.17, irrespective of projectile density. Our results in low-velocity experiments for 500 μ m glass beads target are also roughly consistent with the results for the quartz sand target. In other words, we found that the shape of the target grain does not affect the velocity distribution so much, and the current scaling law can explain the effect of the impact velocity.

Rapid disappearance of a warm, dusty circumstellar disk.

PubMed

Melis, Carl; Zuckerman, B; Rhee, Joseph H; Song, Inseok; Murphy, Simon J; Bessell, Michael S

2012-07-04

Stars form with gaseous and dusty circumstellar envelopes, which rapidly settle into disks that eventually give rise to planetary systems. Understanding the process by which these disks evolve is paramount in developing an accurate theory of planet formation that can account for the variety of planetary systems discovered so far. The formation of Earth-like planets through collisional accumulation of rocky objects within a disk has mainly been explored in theoretical and computational work in which post-collision ejecta evolution typically is ignored, although recent work has considered the fate of such material. Here we report observations of a young, Sun-like star (TYC 8241 2652 1) where infrared flux from post-collisional ejecta has decreased drastically, by a factor of about 30, over a period of less than two years. The star seems to have gone from hosting substantial quantities of dusty ejecta, in a region analogous to where the rocky planets orbit in the Solar System, to retaining at most a meagre amount of cooler dust. Such a phase of rapid ejecta evolution has not been previously predicted or observed, and no currently available physical model satisfactorily explains the observations.

HYDRODYNAMICAL INTERACTION OF MILDLY RELATIVISTIC EJECTA WITH AN AMBIENT MEDIUM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suzuki, Akihiro; Maeda, Keiichi; Shigeyama, Toshikazu

2017-01-01

The hydrodynamical interaction of spherical ejecta freely expanding at mildly relativistic speeds into an ambient cold medium is studied in semianalytical and numerical ways to investigate how ejecta produced in energetic stellar explosions dissipate their kinetic energy through the interaction with the surrounding medium. We especially focus on the case in which the circumstellar medium (CSM) is well represented by a steady wind at a constant mass-loss rate, having been ejected from the stellar surface prior to the explosion. As a result of the hydrodynamical interaction, the ejecta and CSM are swept by the reverse and forward shocks, leading tomore » the formation of a geometrically thin shell. We present a semianalytical model describing the dynamical evolution of the shell and compare the results with numerical simulations. The shell can give rise to bright emission as it gradually becomes transparent to photons. We develop an emission model for the expected emission from the optically thick shell, in which photons in the shell gradually diffuse out to the interstellar space. Then we investigate the possibility that radiation powered by the hydrodynamical interaction is the origin of an underluminous class of gamma-ray bursts.« less

Age determinations and Earth-based multispectral observations of lunar light plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koehler, U.; Jaumann, R.; Neukum, G.

1993-01-01

The history of light plains still remains doubtful, but there are good arguments - mainly obtained by age determinations and supported by multispectral observations - for an endogenic (magmatic) instead of an (exclusively) impact related origin. Light plains are characterized by smooth areas with an albedo lower than the surrounding highlands (12 - 13 percent), but significantly higher than maria (5 - 6 percent). Before Apollo 16 a volcanic source has been supposed, but analysis of returned samples (highly brecciated and metamorphosed rocks) favored an impact ejecta related origin. Among the currently discussed models are formation by ejecta sedimentation from multi-ringed basins, formation by secondary and tertiary cratering action of ballistically ejected material during the formation of multi-ringed basins, in situ formation by impact melt of large events, and premare (crypto-) volcanism basalts covered by a thin ejecta cover; younger impacts penetrated the ejecta surface to create the dark haloed craters. To find arguments in favor or against these ideas the chronology of light plains is of major importance. Obviously a genetic relationship between the evolution of light plains and the basin forming impacts can be possible only if the events of emplacement features happened simultaneously.

X-Ray Illumination of the Ejecta of Supernova 1987A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsson, J.; Fransson, C.; Oestlin, G.; Groeningsson, P.; Jerkstrand, A.; Kozma, C.; Sollerman, J.; Challis, P.; Kirshner, R. P.; Chevalier, R. A.;

The Circumstellar Medium of Cassiopeia A Inferred from the Outer Ejecta Knot Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Una; Laming, J. Martin

2009-01-01

We investigate the effect of the circumstellar medium density profile on the X-ray emission from outer ejecta knots in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using the 1 Ms Chandra observation. The spectra of a number of radial series of ejecta knots at various positions around the remnant are analyzed using techniques similar to those devised in previous papers. We can obtain a reasonable match to our data for a circumstellar density profile proportional to r(sup -2) as would arise from the steady dense wind of a red supergiant, but the agreement is improved if we introduce a central cavity around the progenitor into our models. Such a profile might arise if the progenitor emitted a, fast tenuous stellar wind for a short period immediately prior to explosion. We review other lines of evidence supporting this conclusion. The spectra also indicate the widespread presence of Fe-enriched plasma that was presumably formed by complete Si burning during the explosion, possibly via alpha-rich freezeout. This component is typically associated with hotter and more highly ionized gas than the bulk of the O- and Si-rich ejecta.

Modeling the Provenance of Crater Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ya-Huei; Minton, David A.

2014-11-01

The cratering history of the Moon provides a way to study the violent early history of our early solar system. Nevertheless, we are still limited in our ability to interpret the lunar cratering history because the complex process of generation and subsequent transportation and destruction of impact melt products is relatively poorly understood. Here we describe a preliminary model for the transport of datable impact melt products by craters over Gy timescales on the lunar surface. We use a numerical model based on the Maxwell Z-model to model the exhumation and transport of ejecta material from within the excavation flow of a transient crater. We describe our algorithm for rapidly estimating the provenance of ejecta material for use in a Monte Carlo cratering code capable of simulating lunar cratering over Gy timescales.

The Three-Dimensional Morphology of VY Canis Majoris. II. Polarimetry and the Line-of-Sight Distribution of the Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Terry Jay; Humphreys, Roberta M.; Helton, L. Andrew; Gui, Changfeng; Huang, Xiang

2007-06-01

We use imaging polarimetry taken with the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys High Resolution Camera to explore the three-dimensional structure of the circumstellar dust distribution around the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris. The polarization vectors of the nebulosity surrounding VY CMa show a strong centrosymmetric pattern in all directions except directly east and range from 10% to 80% in fractional polarization. In regions that are optically thin, and therefore likely to have only single scattering, we use the fractional polarization and photometric color to locate the physical position of the dust along the line of sight. Most of the individual arclike features and clumps seen in the intensity image are also features in the fractional polarization map. These features must be distinct geometric objects. If they were just local density enhancements, the fractional polarization would not change so abruptly at the edge of the feature. The location of these features in the ejecta of VY CMa using polarimetry provides a determination of their three-dimensional geometry independent of, but in close agreement with, the results from our study of their kinematics (Paper I). Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

Evolution of Dust in Primordial Supernova Remnants and Its Influence on the Elemental Composition of Hyper-Metal-Poor Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozawa, Takaya; Kozasa, Takashi; Habe, Asao; Dwek, Eli; Umeda, Hideyuki; Tominaga, Nozomu; Maeda, Keiichi; Nomoto, Ken'ichi

2008-05-01

The calculations for the evolution of dust within Population III supernova remnants (SNRs) are presented, based on the models of dust formed in the unmixed ejecta of Type II SNe. We show that once dust grains collide with the reverse shock penetrating into the ejecta, their fates strongly depend on the initial radius aini. For SNRs expanding into the interstellar medium (ISM) with nH,0 = 1 cm-3, grains of aini<0.05 μm are trapped in the hot gas to be completely destroyed; grains of aini = 0.05-0.2 μm are piled up in the dense shell formed behind the forward shock; grains of aini>0.2 μm are injected into the ISM without being eroded significantly. The total mass of surviving dust is 0.01 to 0.8 Msolar for nH,0 = 10 to 0.1 cm-3. We also investigate the influence of the piled-up dust on the elemental abundances of the second-generation stars formed in the dense shell of Population III SNRs. The comparison of the calculated elemental abundances with those observed in hyper-metal-poor (HMP) and ultra-metal-poor (UMP) stars indicates that the transport of dust separated from metal-rich gas can be an important process in determining the abundance patterns of Mg and Si in HMP and UMP stars.

Propagation Characteristics of CMEs Associated with Magnetic Clouds and Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, R.-S.; Gopalswamy, N.; Cho, K.-S.; Moon, Y.-J.; Yashiro, S.

2013-05-01

We have investigated the characteristics of magnetic cloud (MC) and ejecta (EJ) associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) based on the assumption that all CMEs have a flux rope structure. For this, we used 54 CMEs and their interplanetary counterparts (interplanetary CMEs: ICMEs) that constitute the list of events used by the NASA/LWS Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop (CDAW) on CME flux ropes. We considered the location, angular width, and speed as well as the direction parameter, D. The direction parameter quantifies the degree of asymmetry of the CME shape in coronagraph images, and shows how closely the CME propagation is directed to Earth. For the 54 CDAW events, we found the following properties of the CMEs: i) the average value of D for the 23 MCs (0.62) is larger than that for the 31 EJs (0.49), which indicates that the MC-associated CMEs propagate more directly toward the Earth than the EJ-associated CMEs; ii) comparison between the direction parameter and the source location shows that the majority of the MC-associated CMEs are ejected along the radial direction, while many of the EJ-associated CMEs are ejected non-radially; iii) the mean speed of MC-associated CMEs (946 km s-1) is faster than that of EJ-associated CMEs (771 km s-1). For seven very fast CMEs (≥ 1500 km s-1), all CMEs with large D (≥ 0.4) are associated with MCs and the CMEs with small D are associated with EJs. From the statistical analysis of CME parameters, we found the superiority of the direction parameter. Based on these results, we suggest that the CME trajectory essentially determines the observed ICME structure.

Understanding the evolution and propagation of coronal mass ejections and associated plasma sheaths in interplanetary space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hess, Phillip

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is an eruption of magnetized plasma from the Coronaof the Sun. Understanding the physical process of CMEs is a fundamental challenge in solarphysics, and is also of increasing importance for our technological society. CMEs are knownthe main driver of space weather that has adverse effects on satellites, power grids, com-munication and navigation systems and astronauts. Understanding and predicting CMEs is still in the early stage of research. In this dissertation, improved observational methods and advanced theoretical analysis are used to study CMEs. Unlike many studies in the past that treat CMEs as a single object, this study divides aCME into two separate components: the ejecta from the corona and the sheath region thatis the ambient plasma compressed by the shock/wave running ahead of the ejecta; bothstructures are geo-effective but evolve differently. Stereoscopic observations from multiplespacecraft, including STEREO and SOHO, are combined to provide a three-dimensionalgeometric reconstruction of the structures studied. True distances and velocities of CMEs are accurately determined, free of projection effects, and with continuous tracking from the low corona to 1 AU.To understand the kinematic evolution of CMEs, an advanced drag-based model (DBM) is proposed, with several improvements to the original DBM model. The new model varies the drag parameter with distance; the variation is constrained by thenecessary conservation of physical parameters. Second, the deviation of CME-nose from the Sun-Earth-line is taken into account. Third, the geometric correction of the shape of the ejecta front is considered, based on the assumption that the true front is a flattened croissant-shaped flux rope front. These improvements of the DBM model provide a framework for using measurement data to make accurate prediction of the arrival times of CME ejecta and sheaths. Using a set of seven events to test the model, it is found that the evolution of the ejecta front can be accurately predicted, with a slightly poorer performance on the sheath front. To improve the sheath prediction, the standoff-distance between the ejecta and the sheath front is used to model the evolution. The predicted arrivals of both the sheath and ejecta fronts at Earth are determined to within an average 3.5 hours and 1.5 hours of observed arrivals,respectively. These prediction errors show a significant improvement over predictions made by other researches. The results of this dissertation study demonstrate that accurate space weather prediction is possible, and also reveals what observations are needed in the future for realistic operational space weather prediction.

The Interaction of Successive Coronal Mass Ejections: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lugaz, Noé; Temmer, Manuela; Wang, Yuming; Farrugia, Charles J.

2017-04-01

We present a review of the different aspects associated with the interaction of successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the corona and inner heliosphere, focusing on the initiation of series of CMEs, their interaction in the heliosphere, the particle acceleration associated with successive CMEs, and the effect of compound events on Earth's magnetosphere. The two main mechanisms resulting in the eruption of series of CMEs are sympathetic eruptions, when one eruption triggers another, and homologous eruptions, when a series of similar eruptions originates from one active region. CME - CME interaction may also be associated with two unrelated eruptions. The interaction of successive CMEs has been observed remotely in coronagraphs (with the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment - LASCO - since the early 2000s) and heliospheric imagers (since the late 2000s), and inferred from in situ measurements, starting with early measurements in the 1970s. The interaction of two or more CMEs is associated with complex phenomena, including magnetic reconnection, momentum exchange, the propagation of a fast magnetosonic shock through a magnetic ejecta, and changes in the CME expansion. The presence of a preceding CME a few hours before a fast eruption has been found to be connected with higher fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs), while CME - CME interaction occurring in the corona is often associated with unusual radio bursts, indicating electron acceleration. Higher suprathermal population, enhanced turbulence and wave activity, stronger shocks, and shock - shock or shock - CME interaction have been proposed as potential physical mechanisms to explain the observed associated SEP events. When measured in situ, CME - CME interaction may be associated with relatively well organized multiple-magnetic cloud events, instances of shocks propagating through a previous magnetic ejecta or more complex ejecta, when the characteristics of the individual eruptions cannot be easily distinguished. CME - CME interaction is associated with some of the most intense recorded geomagnetic storms. The compression of a CME by another and the propagation of a shock inside a magnetic ejecta can lead to extreme values of the southward magnetic field component, sometimes associated with high values of the dynamic pressure. This can result in intense geomagnetic storms, but can also trigger substorms and large earthward motions of the magnetopause, potentially associated with changes in the outer radiation belts. Future in situ measurements in the inner heliosphere by Solar Probe+ and Solar Orbiter may shed light on the evolution of CMEs as they interact, by providing opportunities for conjunction and evolutionary studies.

Layered/Pancake-like Ejecta on Ceres: Inferring the Composition and Mechanical Properties of the Cerean Surface through Modeling of Ejecta Emplacement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughson, K.; Russell, C. T.; Schmidt, B. E.; Chilton, H.; Scully, J. E. C.; Sizemore, H. G.; Byrne, S.; Platz, T.; Raymond, C. A.

2017-12-01

During the Survey, High Altitude Mapping Orbit, and Low Altitude Mapping Orbit phases of the primary mission Dawn's Framing Camera observed a multitude of globally distributed lobate deposits. These flows were broadly interpreted as either similar to ice-cored/ice-cemented flows (Type 1 flows) on Earth and Mars, long run-out terrestrial or martian landslides (Type 2 flows), or highly mobile fluidized ejecta-like deposits (Type 3 flows) (Buczckowski et al., 2016; Schmidt et al., 2017). The Type 3 flows are morphologically similar to layered/pancake ejecta found on Mars and Ganymede where they are thought to be caused by impacts into ground ice rich substrates (Mouginis-Mark, 1979; Boyce et al., 2010). We assess the effects of target material strength, sliding friction, and vapor entrainment on the production of these features by comparing the ejecta mobility (EM: the ratio of the radius of the ejecta blanket to the radius of the parent crater) values for all Type 3 cerean flows to a ballistic/kinematic sliding model similar to the one developed by Weiss et al. (2014) to model EM for impacts into a variety of ground ice rich substrates of differing volatile content on Mars. Initial results suggest that, in order for these features to form, the cerean surface requires a large coefficient of sliding friction (>0.1), and that significant amounts of water be vaporized during impact. However, the model does not tightly constrain the strength of the target material (best-fit values range from granite-like to unconsolidated-sand-like). These results are consistent with a largely dry, rough, and thin surface layer underlain by material rich in pore-filling ground ice, even at low latitudes. Additionally, before the Fall Meeting we will attempt to constrain the thickness of the ice-poor surface layer. This will be done through a combined analysis of model results and morphometric parameters of individual Type 3 flows. Future implementation of this model will further incorporate compositional and geophysical knowledge attained from Dawn in order to better constrain the strength of the cerean surface.

REBOUND-ing Off Asteroids: An N-body Particle Model for Ejecta Dynamics on Small Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Jennifer; Sarid, Gal

2017-10-01

Here we describe our numerical approach to model the evolution of ejecta clouds. Modeling with an N-body particle method enables us to study the micro-dynamics while varying the particle size distribution. A hydrodynamic approach loses many of the fine particle-particle interactions included in the N-body particle approach (Artemieva 2008).We use REBOUND, an N-body integration package (Rein et al. 2012) developed to model various dynamical systems (planetary orbits, ring systems, etc.) with high resolution calculations at a lower performance cost than other N-body integrators (Rein & Tamayo 2017). It offers both symplectic (WHFast) and non-symplectic (IAS15) methods (Rein & Spiegel 2014, Rein & Tamayo 2015). We primarily use the IAS15 integrator due to its robustness and accuracy with short interaction distances and non-conservative forces. We implemented a wrapper (developed in Python) to handle changes in time step and integrator at different stages of ejecta particle evolution.To set up the system, each particle is given a velocity away from the target body’s surface at a given angle within a defined ejecta cone. We study the ejecta cloud evolution beginning immediately after an impact rather than the actual impact itself. This model considers effects such as varying particle size distribution, radiation pressure, perturbations from a binary component, particle-particle collisions and non-axisymmetric gravity of the target body. Restrictions on the boundaries of the target body’s surface define the physical shape and help count the number of particles that land on the target body. Later, we will build the central body from individual particles to allow for a wider variety of target body shapes and topographies.With our particle modeling approach, individual particle trajectories are tracked and predicted on short, medium and long timescales. Our approach will be applied to modeling of the ejecta cloud produced during the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impact (Cheng et al. 2016, Schwartz et al. 2016). We will present some preliminary results of our applied model and possible applications to other asteroid impact events and Centaur ring formation mechanisms.

The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. III. Optical and UV Spectra of a Blue Kilonova from Fast Polar Ejecta

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicholl, M.; Berger, E.; Kasen, D.

2017-10-16

We present optical and ultraviolet spectra of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave (GW) source, the binary neutron star merger GW170817. Spectra were obtained nightly between 1.5 and 9.5 days post-merger, using the SOAR and Magellan telescopes; the UV spectrum was obtained with the \\textit{Hubble Space Telescope} at 5.5 days. Our data reveal a rapidly-fading blue component (more » $$T\\approx5500$$ K at 1.5 days) that quickly reddens; spectra later than $$\\gtrsim 4.5$$ days peak beyond the optical regime. The spectra are mostly featureless, although we identify a possible weak emission line at $$\\sim 7900$$ \\AA\\ at $$t\\lesssim 4.5$$ days. The colours, rapid evolution and featureless spectrum are consistent with a "blue" kilonova from polar ejecta comprised mainly of light $r$-process nuclei with atomic mass number $$A\\lesssim 140$$. This indicates a sight-line within $$\\theta_{\\rm obs}\\lesssim 45^{\\circ}$$ of the orbital axis. Comparison to models suggests $$\\sim0.03$$ M$$_\\odot$$ of blue ejecta, with a velocity of $$\\sim 0.3c$$. The required lanthanide fraction is $$\\sim 10^{-4}$$, but this drops to $$<10^{-5}$$ in the outermost ejecta. The large velocities point to a dynamical origin, rather than a disk wind, for this blue component, suggesting that both binary constituents are neutron stars (as opposed to a binary consisting of a neutron star and a black hole). For dynamical ejecta, the high mass favors a small neutron star radius of $$\\lesssim 12$$ km. This mass also supports the idea that neutron star mergers are a major contributor to $r$-process nucleosynthesis.« less

Dynamics of Large-Scale Solar-Wind Streams Obtained by the Double Superposed Epoch Analysis: 2. Comparisons of CIRs vs. Sheaths and MCs vs. Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yermolaev, Y. I.; Lodkina, I. G.; Nikolaeva, N. S.; Yermolaev, M. Y.

2017-12-01

This work is a continuation of our previous article (Yermolaev et al. in J. Geophys. Res. 120, 7094, 2015), which describes the average temporal profiles of interplanetary plasma and field parameters in large-scale solar-wind (SW) streams: corotating interaction regions (CIRs), interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs including both magnetic clouds (MCs) and ejecta), and sheaths as well as interplanetary shocks (ISs). As in the previous article, we use the data of the OMNI database, our catalog of large-scale solar-wind phenomena during 1976 - 2000 (Yermolaev et al. in Cosmic Res., 47, 2, 81, 2009) and the method of double superposed epoch analysis (Yermolaev et al. in Ann. Geophys., 28, 2177, 2010a). We rescale the duration of all types of structures in such a way that the beginnings and endings for all of them coincide. We present new detailed results comparing pair phenomena: 1) both types of compression regions ( i.e. CIRs vs. sheaths) and 2) both types of ICMEs (MCs vs. ejecta). The obtained data allow us to suggest that the formation of the two types of compression regions responds to the same physical mechanism, regardless of the type of piston (high-speed stream (HSS) or ICME); the differences are connected to the geometry ( i.e. the angle between the speed gradient in front of the piston and the satellite trajectory) and the jumps in speed at the edges of the compression regions. In our opinion, one of the possible reasons behind the observed differences in the parameters in MCs and ejecta is that when ejecta are observed, the satellite passes farther from the nose of the area of ICME than when MCs are observed.

Impact-induced compositional variations on Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera-Valentin, E. G.; Barr, A. C.

2013-12-01

The surface of Mercury shows unexpected spectral variations spatially associated with crater and basin ejecta (the so-called 'low-reflectance material' or LRM; [1]). The low reflectance is suggested to be caused by a native darkening agent at depth that has been excavated and redeposited onto the surface [1]. Although LRM is generally associated with crater ejecta, it is not found within the ejecta blankets of many large impact craters, perhaps suggesting that the subsurface source is heterogeneous [2]. We have developed a 3-D Monte Carlo model of impact cratering, excavation, and ejecta blanket deposition. Our simulations of the effect of early impacts onto Mercury show that if the LRM originates from depth to cover ~15% of Mercury's surface [2], its source is ~30 km deep. Considering the estimated mercurian crustal thickness of 50 km [3] this implies the darkening agent is most probably located within a chemically distinct lower crust. Simulations show that repeated and overlapping impacts redistribute the darkening agent away from the basin source and create a weak association between crater size and LRM abundance. Thus subsurface heterogeneity is not required to produce the weak association between crater size and LRM abundance within crater ejecta; this is a natural consequence of overlapping impacts. Our results can elucidate the new high-resolution compositional mapping of Mercury's heavily cratered terrain and provide insight into subsurface composition. Acknowledgements: This work is supported by the Center for Lunar Origin and Evolution through the NASA Lunar Science Institute NNA09DB32A. References: [1] Denevi and Robinson, 2008, Icarus 197, 239-246. [2] Denevi et al., 2009, Science 324, 613-618. [3] Smith et al., 2012, Science 336, 214-217.

Impact Cratering Calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahrens, Thomas J.

2002-01-01

Many Martian craters are surrounded by ejecta blankets which appear to have been fluidized forming lobate and layered deposits terminated by one or more continuous distal scarps, or ramparts. One of the first hypotheses for the formation of so-called rampart ejecta features was shock-melting of subsurface ice, entrainment of liquid water into the ejecta blanket, and subsequent fluidized flow. Our work quantifies this concept. Rampart ejecta found on all but the youngest volcanic and polar regions, and the different rampart ejecta morphologies are correlated with crater size and terrain. In addition, the minimum diameter of craters with rampart features decreases with increasing latitude indicating that ice laden crust resides closer to the surface as one goes poleward on Mars. Our second goal in was to determine what strength model(s) reproduce the faults and complex features found in large scale gravity driven craters. Collapse features found in large scale craters require that the rock strength weaken as a result of the shock processing of rock and the later cratering shear flows. In addition to the presence of molten silicate in the intensely shocked region, the presence of water, either ambient, or the result of shock melting of ice weakens rock. There are several other mechanisms for the reduction of strength in geologic materials including dynamic tensile and shear induced fracturing. Fracturing is a mechanism for large reductions in strength. We found that by incorporating damage into the models that we could in a single integrated impact calculation, starting in the atmosphere produce final crater profiles having the major features found in the field measurements (central uplifts, inner ring, terracing and faulting). This was accomplished with undamaged surface strengths (0.1 GPa) and in depth strengths (1.0 GPa).

The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. III. Optical and UV Spectra of a Blue Kilonova from Fast Polar Ejecta

DOE PAGES

Nicholl, Matt; Berger, E.; Kasen, D.; ...

2017-10-16

Here, we present optical and ultraviolet spectra of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave (GW) source, the binary neutron star merger GW170817. Spectra were obtained nightly between 1.5 and 9.5 days post-merger, using the SOAR and Magellan telescopes; the UV spectrum was obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope at 5.5 days. Our data reveal a rapidly-fading blue component (more » $$T\\approx5500$$ K at 1.5 days) that quickly reddens; spectra later than $$\\gtrsim 4.5$$ days peak beyond the optical regime. The spectra are mostly featureless, although we identify a possible weak emission line at $$\\sim 7900$$ Å at $$t\\lesssim 4.5$$ days. The colours, rapid evolution and featureless spectrum are consistent with a "blue" kilonova from polar ejecta comprised mainly of light $r$-process nuclei with atomic mass number $$A\\lesssim 140$$. This indicates a sight-line within $$\\theta_{\\rm obs}\\lesssim 45^{\\circ}$$ of the orbital axis. Comparison to models suggests $$\\sim0.03$$ M$$_\\odot$$ of blue ejecta, with a velocity of $$\\sim 0.3c$$. The required lanthanide fraction is $$\\sim 10^{-4}$$, but this drops to $$<10^{-5}$$ in the outermost ejecta. The large velocities point to a dynamical origin, rather than a disk wind, for this blue component, suggesting that both binary constituents are neutron stars (as opposed to a binary consisting of a neutron star and a black hole). For dynamical ejecta, the high mass favors a small neutron star radius of $$\\lesssim 12$$ km. This mass also supports the idea that neutron star mergers are a major contributor to $r$-process nucleosynthesis.« less

The Electromagnetic Counterpart of the Binary Neutron Star Merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. III. Optical and UV Spectra of a Blue Kilonova from Fast Polar Ejecta

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicholl, Matt; Berger, E.; Kasen, D.

Here, we present optical and ultraviolet spectra of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave (GW) source, the binary neutron star merger GW170817. Spectra were obtained nightly between 1.5 and 9.5 days post-merger, using the SOAR and Magellan telescopes; the UV spectrum was obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope at 5.5 days. Our data reveal a rapidly-fading blue component (more » $$T\\approx5500$$ K at 1.5 days) that quickly reddens; spectra later than $$\\gtrsim 4.5$$ days peak beyond the optical regime. The spectra are mostly featureless, although we identify a possible weak emission line at $$\\sim 7900$$ Å at $$t\\lesssim 4.5$$ days. The colours, rapid evolution and featureless spectrum are consistent with a "blue" kilonova from polar ejecta comprised mainly of light $r$-process nuclei with atomic mass number $$A\\lesssim 140$$. This indicates a sight-line within $$\\theta_{\\rm obs}\\lesssim 45^{\\circ}$$ of the orbital axis. Comparison to models suggests $$\\sim0.03$$ M$$_\\odot$$ of blue ejecta, with a velocity of $$\\sim 0.3c$$. The required lanthanide fraction is $$\\sim 10^{-4}$$, but this drops to $$<10^{-5}$$ in the outermost ejecta. The large velocities point to a dynamical origin, rather than a disk wind, for this blue component, suggesting that both binary constituents are neutron stars (as opposed to a binary consisting of a neutron star and a black hole). For dynamical ejecta, the high mass favors a small neutron star radius of $$\\lesssim 12$$ km. This mass also supports the idea that neutron star mergers are a major contributor to $r$-process nucleosynthesis.« less

Geologic implications of the Apollo 14 Fra Mauro breccias and comparison with ejecta from the Ries Crater, Germany

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chao, E.C.T.

1973-01-01

On the basis of petrographic and laboratory and active seismic data for the Fra Mauro breccias, and by comparison with the nature and distribution of the ejecta from the Ries crater, Germany, some tentative conclusions regarding the geologic significance of the Fra Mauro Formation on the moon can be drawn. The Fra Mauro Formation, as a whole, consists of unwcldcd, porous ejecta, slightly less porous than the regolith. It contains hand-specimen and larger size clasts of strongly annealed complex breccias, partly to slightly annealed breccias, basalts, and perhaps spherule-rich breccias. These clasts are embedded in a matrix of porous aggregate dominated by mineral and breccia fragments and probably largely free of undevitrified glass. All strongly annealed hand-specimen-size breccias are clasts in the Fra Mauro Formation. To account for the porous, unwelded state of the Fra Mauro Formation, the ejecta must have been deposited at a temperature below that required for welding and annealing. Large boulders probably compacted by the Cone crater event occur near the rim of the crater. They probably consist of a similar suite of fragments, but are probably less porous than the formation. The geochronologic clocks of fragments in the Fra Mauro Formation, with textures ranging from unannealed to strongly annealed, were not reset or strongly modified by the Imbrian event. Strongly annealed breccia clasts and basalt clasts are pre-Imbrian, and probably existed as ejecta mixed with basalt flows in the Imbrium Basin prior to the Imbrian event. The Imbrian event probably occurred between 3.90 or 3.88 and 3.65 b.y. ago.

Modeling Type IIn Supernovae: Understanding How Shock Development Effects Light Curves Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De La Rosa, Janie

2016-06-01

Type IIn supernovae are produced when massive stars experience dramatic mass loss phases caused by opacity edges or violent explosions. Violent mass ejections occur quite often just prior to the collapse of the star. If the final episode happens just before collapse, the outward ejecta is sufficiently dense to alter the supernova light-curve, both by absorbing the initial supernova light and producing emission when the supernova shock hits the ejecta. Initially, the ejecta is driven by shock progating through the interior of the star, and eventually expands through the circumstellar medium, forming a cold dense shell. As the shock wave approaches the shell, there is an increase in UV and optical radiation at the location of the shock breakout. We have developed a suite of simple semi-analytical models in order to understand the relationship between our observations and the properties of the expanding SN ejecta. When we compare Type IIn observations to a set of modeled SNe, we begin to see the influence of initial explosion conditions on early UV light curve properties such as peak luminosities and decay rate.The fast rise and decay corresponds to the models representing a photosphere moving through the envelope, while the modeled light curves with a slower rise and decay rate are powered by 56Ni decay. However, in both of these cases, models that matched the luminosity were unable to match the low radii from the blackbody models. The effect of shock heating as the supernova material blasts through the circumstellar material can drastically alter the temperature and position of the photosphere. The new set of models redefine the initial modeling conditions to incorporate an outer shell-like structure, and include late-time shock heating from shocks produced as the supernova ejecta travels through the inhomogeneous circumstellar medium.

A magnetar model for the hydrogen-rich super-luminous supernova iPTF14hls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessart, Luc

2018-02-01

Transient surveys have recently revealed the existence of H-rich super-luminous supernovae (SLSN; e.g., iPTF14hls, OGLE-SN14-073) that are characterized by an exceptionally high time-integrated bolometric luminosity, a sustained blue optical color, and Doppler-broadened H I lines at all times. Here, I investigate the effect that a magnetar (with an initial rotational energy of 4 × 1050 erg and field strength of 7 × 1013 G) would have on the properties of a typical Type II supernova (SN) ejecta (mass of 13.35 M⊙, kinetic energy of 1.32 × 1051 erg, 0.077 M⊙ of 56Ni) produced by the terminal explosion of an H-rich blue supergiant star. I present a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium time-dependent radiative transfer simulation of the resulting photometric and spectroscopic evolution from 1 d until 600 d after explosion. With the magnetar power, the model luminosity and brightness are enhanced, the ejecta is hotter and more ionized everywhere, and the spectrum formation region is much more extended. This magnetar-powered SN ejecta reproduces most of the observed properties of SLSN iPTF14hls, including the sustained brightness of ‑18 mag in the R band, the blue optical color, and the broad H I lines for 600 d. The non-extreme magnetar properties, combined with the standard Type II SN ejecta properties, offer an interesting alternative to the pair-unstable super-massive star model recently proposed, which involves a highly energetic and super-massive ejecta. Hence, such Type II SLSNe may differ from standard Type II SNe exclusively through the influence of a magnetar.

Three-dimensional simulations of the interaction between the nova ejecta, accretion disk, and companion star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueira, Joana; José, Jordi; García-Berro, Enrique; Campbell, Simon W.; García-Senz, Domingo; Mohamed, Shazrene

2018-05-01

Context. Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions hosted by accreting white dwarfs in stellar binary systems. Material piles up on top of the white dwarf star under mildly degenerate conditions, driving a thermonuclear runaway. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope, mostly proton-capture reactions and β+-decays, heats the material up to peak temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 MK. In these events, about 10-3-10-7 M⊙, enriched in CNO and, sometimes, other intermediate-mass elements (e.g., Ne, Na, Mg, and Al) are ejected into the interstellar medium. Aims: To date, most of the efforts undertaken in the modeling of classical nova outbursts have focused on the early stages of the explosion and ejection, ignoring the interaction of the ejecta, first with the accretion disk orbiting the white dwarf and ultimately with the secondary star. Methods: A suite of 3D, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the interaction between the nova ejecta, accretion disk, and stellar companion were performed to fill this gap; these simulations were aimed at testing the influence of the model parameters—that is, the mass and velocity of the ejecta, mass and the geometry of the accretion disk—on the dynamical and chemical properties of the system. Results: We discuss the conditions that lead to the disruption of the accretion disk and to mass loss from the binary system. In addition, we discuss the likelihood of chemical contamination of the stellar secondary induced by the impact with the nova ejecta and its potential effect on the next nova cycle. Movies showing the full evolution of several models are available online at http://https://www.aanda.org and at http://www.fen.upc.edu/users/jjose/Downloads.html

Narrowband Hα Imaging of Old Hydrogen-deficient Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pooley, David A.; Vinko, Jozsef; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Wheeler, J. Craig Craig; Szalai, Tamas; MacQueen, Phillip; Marion, Howie H.; Sárneczky, Krisztián

2017-06-01

We report results from our long-term observational survey aimed at discovering late-time interaction between the ejecta of hydrogen-deficient Type I supernovae and the hydrogen-rich envelope expelled from the progenitor star several decades to centuries before explosion. The expelled envelope, moving with a velocity of ˜10-100 km/s, is expected to be caught up by the fast-moving SN ejecta several years to decades after explosion depending on the history of the mass-loss process acting in the progenitor star prior to explosion. The collision between the SN ejecta and the circumstellar envelope results in net emission in the Balmer-lines, especially in Hα. For the past three years, we have been using the Direct Imaging Auxiliary Functions Instrument (DIAFI) on the 2.7m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory to look for signs of late-time Hα emission in older Type Ia/Ibc/IIb SNe having hydrogen-poor ejecta, via narrow-band imaging. Continuum-subtracted Hα emission has been detected for 13 point sources: 9 SN Ibc, 1 SN IIb and 3 SN Ia events. Thirty-eight SN sites were observed on at least two epochs, from which three objects (SN 1985F, SN 2005kl, SN 2012fh) showed significant temporal variation in the strength of their Hα emission in our DIAFI data. This suggests that the variable emission is probably not due to nearby HII regions, and hence is an important additional hint that ejecta-CSM interaction may take place in these systems. Moreover, we successfully detected the late-time Hα emission from the Type Ib SN 2014C, which was recently discovered as a strongly interacting SN in other wavebands.

Impact of ejecta morphology and composition on the electromagnetic signatures of neutron star mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollaeger, Ryan T.; Korobkin, Oleg; Fontes, Christopher J.; Rosswog, Stephan K.; Even, Wesley P.; Fryer, Christopher L.; Sollerman, Jesper; Hungerford, Aimee L.; van Rossum, Daniel R.; Wollaber, Allan B.

2018-04-01

The electromagnetic transients accompanying compact binary mergers (γ-ray bursts, afterglows and 'macronovae') are crucial to pinpoint the sky location of gravitational wave sources. Macronovae are caused by the radioactivity from freshly synthesised heavy elements, e.g. from dynamic ejecta and various types of winds. We study macronova signatures by using multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations. We employ the radiative transfer code SuperNu and state-of-the art LTE opacities for a few representative elements from the wind and dynamical ejecta (Cr, Pd, Se, Te, Br, Zr, Sm, Ce, Nd, U) to calculate synthetic light curves and spectra for a range of ejecta morphologies. The radioactive power of the resulting macronova is calculated with the detailed input of decay products. We assess the detection prospects for our most complex models, based on the portion of viewing angles that are sufficiently bright, at different cosmological redshifts (z). The brighter emission from the wind is unobscured by the lanthanides (or actinides) in some of the models, permitting non-zero detection probabilities for redshifts up to z = 0.07. We also find the nuclear mass model and the resulting radioactive heating rate are crucial for the detectability. While for the most pessimistic heating rate (from the FRDM model) no reasonable increase in the ejecta mass or velocity, or wind mass or velocity, can possibly make the light curves agree with the observed nIR excess after GRB130603B, a more optimistic heating rate (from the Duflo-Zuker model) leads to good agreement. We conclude that future reliable macronova observations would constrain nuclear heating rates, and consequently help constrain nuclear mass models.

A viscous-to-brittle transition in eruptions through clay suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Diana; Scheu, Bettina; Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Kennedy, Ben M.; Jolly, Arthur; Dingwell, Donald B.

2017-05-01

Volcanic lakes are often associated with active geothermal circulation, mineral alteration, and precipitation, each of which can complicate the analysis of shallow magma physics, geophysical signals, and chemical signals. The rheology of the lake and associated hydrothermal system affects the eruptive activity as bubbles ascend and burst through the lake producing distinct ejection behavior. We investigate such phenomena by conducting scaled experiments in which heated water-clay suspensions are decompressed rapidly from relevant pressures. After a jet phase of expanding vapor, the suspensions break up into ejecta that are either angular or droplet geometry. We parameterize these regimes and find a universal clay volume fraction of 0.28 below which the ejecta are form droplets and above which the ejecta are angular. We propose a regime diagram for optical observations of active lakes, which allows rheological characterization and informs volcanic monitoring.

Rapid fading of optical afterglows as evidence for beaming in gamma-ray bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Y. F.; Dai, Z. G.; Lu, T.

2000-03-01

Based on the refined dynamical model proposed by us earlier for beamed gamma -ray burst ejecta, we carry out detailed numerical procedure to study those gamma -ray bursts with rapidly fading afterglows (i.e., ~ t-2). It is found that optical afterglows from GRB 970228, 980326, 980519, 990123, 990510 and 991208 can be satisfactorily fitted if the gamma -ray burst ejecta are highly collimated, with a universal initial half opening angle theta_0 ~ 0.1. The obvious light curve break observed in GRB 990123 is due to the relativistic-Newtonian transition of the beamed ejecta, and the rapidly fading optical afterglows come from synchrotron emissions during the mildly relativistic and non-relativistic phases. We strongly suggest that the rapid fading of afterglows currently observed in some gamma -ray bursts is evidence for beaming in these cases.

Constraining ejecta particle size distributions with light scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schauer, Martin; Buttler, William; Frayer, Daniel; Grover, Michael; Lalone, Brandon; Monfared, Shabnam; Sorenson, Daniel; Stevens, Gerald; Turley, William

2017-06-01

The angular distribution of the intensity of light scattered from a particle is strongly dependent on the particle size and can be calculated using the Mie solution to Maxwell's equations. For a collection of particles with a range of sizes, the angular intensity distribution will be the sum of the contributions from each particle size weighted by the number of particles in that size bin. The set of equations describing this pattern is not uniquely invertible, i.e. a number of different distributions can lead to the same scattering pattern, but with reasonable assumptions about the distribution it is possible to constrain the problem and extract estimates of the particle sizes from a measured scattering pattern. We report here on experiments using particles ejected by shockwaves incident on strips of triangular perturbations machined into the surface of tin targets. These measurements indicate a bimodal distribution of ejected particle sizes with relatively large particles (median radius 2-4 μm) evolved from the edges of the perturbation strip and smaller particles (median radius 200-600 nm) from the perturbations. We will briefly discuss the implications of these results and outline future plans.

ARC-1979-A79-7097

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-07-08

Range : 85,000 kilometers (53,000 miles) This photo of Jupiter's satellite Ganymede shows ancient cratered terrain. A variety of impact craters of different ages are shown. The brightest craters are the youngest. The ejecta blankets fade with age. The center shows a bright patch that represents the rebounding of the floor of the crater. The dirty ice has lost all topography except for faint circular patterns. Also shown are the 'Callisto type' curved troughs and ridges that mark an ancient enormous impact basin. The basin itself has been destroyed by later geologic processes. Only the ring features are preserved on the ancient surface. Near the bottom of the picture, these curved features are trumcated by the younger grooved terrain.

Spectra of Cas A's Highest Velocity Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fesen, Robert A.; Milisavljevic, Dan

2010-08-01

The young age and close distance of the Galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) make it perhaps our best case study and clearest look at the explosion dynamics of a core-collapse supernova (CCSN). Interestingly, Cas A exhibits two nearly opposing streams of high velocity ejecta or `jets' in its NE and SW regions racing outward at speeds more than twice that of the main shell. The nature of these jets, however, and their possible association with an aspherical supernova explosion mechanism is controversial. A handful of existing low-resolution spectra of outer knots in the NE jet display chemical abundances hinting at an origin from the S-Si-Ca- Ar rich layer deep inside the progenitor. If these abundances could be firmly established in both the NE and SW jets, it would be very strong evidence in support of a highly asymmetrical explosion engine for Cas A's progenitor and, in turn, for CCSNe in general. We request KPNO 4m telescope + MARS time to obtain high quality multi-object spectroscopy of Cas A's highest velocity ejecta to measure their nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, calcium, and argon abundances. These spectra will be analyzed with the metal-rich shock models of J. Raymond and then compared to current sets of CCSN models paying particular attention to knot composition vs. ejection velocity and ejecta mixing.

The First Hours of the GW170817 Kilonova and the Importance of Early Optical and Ultraviolet Observations for Constraining Emission Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcavi, Iair

2018-03-01

The kilonova associated with GW170817 displayed early blue emission, which has been interpreted as a signature of either radioactive decay in low-opacity ejecta, relativistic boosting of radioactive decay in high-velocity ejecta, the cooling of material heated by a wind or by a “cocoon” surrounding a jet, or a combination thereof. Distinguishing between these mechanisms is important for constraining the ejecta components and their parameters, which tie directly into the physics we can learn from these events. I compile published ultraviolet, optical, and infrared light curves of the GW170817 kilonova and examine whether the combined data set can be used to distinguish between early-emission models. The combined optical data show an early rise consistent with radioactive decay of low-opacity ejecta as the main emission source, but the subsequent decline is fit well by all models. A lack of constraints on the ultraviolet flux during the first few hours after discovery allows for both radioactive decay and other cooling mechanisms to explain the early bolometric light curve. This analysis demonstrates that early (few hours after merger) high-cadence optical and ultraviolet observations will be critical for determining the source of blue emission in future kilonovae.

A Detailed Observational Analysis of V1324 Sco, the Most Gamma-Ray-luminous Classical Nova to Date

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finzell, Thomas; Chomiuk, Laura; Metzger, Brian D.; Walter, Frederick M.; Linford, Justin D.; Mukai, Koji; Nelson, Thomas; Weston, Jennifer H. S.; Zheng, Yong; Sokoloski, Jennifer L.; Mioduszewski, Amy; Rupen, Michael P.; Dong, Subo; Starrfield, Sumner; Cheung, C. C.; Woodward, Charles E.; Taylor, Gregory B.; Bohlsen, Terry; Buil, Christian; Prieto, Jose; Wagner, R. Mark; Bensby, Thomas; Bond, I. A.; Sumi, T.; Bennett, D. P.; Abe, F.; Koshimoto, N.; Suzuki, D.; Tristram, P. J.; Christie, Grant W.; Natusch, Tim; McCormick, Jennie; Yee, Jennifer; Gould, Andy

2018-01-01

It has recently been discovered that some, if not all, classical novae emit GeV gamma-rays during outburst, but the mechanisms involved in the production ofgamma-rays are still not well understood. We present here a comprehensive multiwavelength data set—from radio to X-rays—for the most gamma-ray-luminous classical nova to date, V1324 Sco. Using this data set, we show that V1324 Sco is a canonical dusty Fe II-type nova, with a maximum ejecta velocity of 2600 km s‑1 and an ejecta mass of a few × {10}-5 {M}ȯ . There is also evidence for complex shock interactions, including a double-peaked radio light curve which shows high brightness temperatures at early times. To explore why V1324 Sco was so gamma-ray luminous, we present a model of the nova ejecta featuring strong internal shocks and find that higher gamma-ray luminosities result from higher ejecta velocities and/or mass-loss rates. Comparison of V1324 Sco with other gamma-ray-detected novae does not show clear signatures of either, and we conclude that a larger sample of similarly well-observed novae is needed to understand the origin and variation of gamma-rays in novae.

Meteoritic Microfossils in Eltanin Impact Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyte, Frank T.; Gersonde, Rainer; Kuhn, Gerhard

2006-01-01

We report the unique occurrence of microfossils composed largely of meteoritic ejecta particles from the late Pliocene (2.5 Ma) Eltanin impact event. These deposits are unique, recording the only known km-sized asteroid impact into a deep-ocean (5 km) basin. First discovered as in Ir anomaly in sediment cores that were collected in 1965, the deposits contain nun-sized shock-melted asteroidal material, unmelted meteorite fragments (named the Eltanin meteorite), and trace impact spherules. Two oceanographic expeditions by the FS Polarstern in 1995 and 2001 explored approximately 80,000 sq-km. of the impact region, mapping the distribution of meteoritic ejecta, disturbance of seafloor sediments by the impact, and collected 20 new cores with impact deposits in the vicinity of the Freeden Seamounts (57.3S, 90.5W). Analyses of sediment cores show that the impact disrupted sediments on the ocean floor, redepositing them as a chaotic jumble of sediment fragments overlain by a sequence of laminated sands, silts and clays deposited from the water column. Overprinted on this is a pulse of meteoritic ejecta, likely transported ballistically, then settled through the water column. At some localities, meteoritic ejecta was as much as 0.4 to 2.8 g/cm2. This is the most meteorite-rich locality known on Earth.

Amazonis Planitia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] (Released 5 July 2002) This is an image of a crater within part of Amazonis Planitia, located at 22.9N, 152.5W. This image features a number of common features exhibited by Martian craters. The crater is sufficiently large to exhibit a central peak that is seen in the upper right hand corner if the image. Also apparent is the slump blocks on the inside of the crater walls. When the crater was first formed, the crater walls were unstable and subsequently formed a series of landslides over time that formed the hummocky terrain just inside the present crater wall. While these cratering features are common to craters formed on other planetary bodies, such as the moon, the ejecta blanket surrounding the crater displays a morphology that is more unique to Mars. The lobate morphology implies that the ejecta blanket was emplaced in an almost fluid fashion rather than the traditional ballistic ejecta emplacement. This crater morphology occurs on Mars where water ice is suspected to be present just beneath the surface. The impact that created the crater would have enough energy to melt large amounts of water that could form the mud or debris flows that characterize the ejecta morphology that is seen in this image.

Impact-shocked zircons: discovery of shock-induced textures reflecting increasing degrees of shock metamorphism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bohor, B.F.; Betterton, W.J.; Krogh, T.E.

1993-01-01

Textural effects specifically characteristic of shock metamorphism in zircons from impact environments have not been reported previously. However, planar deformation features (PDF) due to shock metamorphism are well documented in quartz and other mineral grains from these same environments. An etching technique was developed that allows SEM visualization of PDF and other probable shock-induced textural features, such as granular (polycrystalline) texture, in zircons from a variety of impact shock environments. These textural features in shocked zircons from K/T boundary distal ejecta form a series related to increasing degrees of shock that should correlate with proportionate resetting of the UPb isotopic system. ?? 1993.

The composition and structure of planetary rings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, J. A.

1985-01-01

The properties of planetary ring systems are summarized herein; emphasis is given to the available evidence on their compositions and to their dynamical attributes. Somewhat contaminated water ice makes up the vast expanse of Saturn's rings. Modified methane ice may comprise Uranus' rings while silicates are the likely material of the Jovian ring. Saturn's rings form an elaborate system whose characteristics are still being documented and whose nature is being unravelled following the Voyager flybys. Uranus' nine narrow bands display an intriguing dynamical structure thought to be caused by unseen shephard satellites. Jupiter's ring system is a mere wisp, probably derived as ejecta off hidden parent bodies.

Summary of Results from Analyses of Deposits of the Deep-Ocean Impact of the Eltanin Asteroid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyte, Frank T.; Kuhn, Gerhard; Gersonde, Rainer

2005-01-01

Deposits of the late Pliocene (2.5 Ma) Eltanin impact are unique in the known geological record. The only known example of a km-sized asteroid to impact a deep-ocean (5 km) basin, is the most meterorite-rich locality known. This was discovered as an Ir anomaly in sediments from three cores collected in 1965 by the USNS Eltanin. These cores contained mm-sized shock-melted asteroid materials and unmelted meteorite fragments. Mineral chemistry of meteorite fragments, and siderophole concentrations in melt rocks, indicate that the parent asteroid was a low-metal (4\\%) mesosiderite. A geological exploration of the impact in 1995 by Polarstern expedition ANT-XIV4 was near the Freeden Seamounts (57.3S, 90.5 W), and successfully collected three cores with impact deposits. Analyses showed that sediments as old as Eocene were eroded by the impact disturbance and redeposited in three distinct units. The lowermost is a chaotic assemblage of sediment fragments up to 50 cm in size. Above this is a laminated sand-rich unit that deposited as a turbulent flow, and this is overlain by a more fine-grained deposit of silts and clays that settled from a cloud of sediment suspended in the water column. Meteoritic ejecta particles were concentrated near the base of the uppermost unit, where coarse ejecta caught up with the disturbed sediment. Here we will present results from a new suite of cores collected on Polarstern expedition ANT-XVIIU5a. In 2001, the Polarstern returned to the impact area and explored a region of 80,000 sq-km., collecting at least 16 sediment cores with meteoritic ejecta. The known strewn field extends over a region 660 by 200 km. The meteoritic ejecta is most concentrated in cores on the Freeden seamounts, and in the basins to the north, where the amount of meteoritic material deposited on the ocean floor was as much as 3 g/sq-cm. These concentrations drop off to the north and the east to levels as low as approximately 0.1 g/sq-cm. We were unable to sample the impact south and west of the seamounts, as the deposit was buried beyond the reach of our 25 m piston corer. We estimate that ground zero was in the region just north, or northwest, of the seamounts. There is no evidence that the impactor penetrated the ocean floor or formed a crater. The composition of the melted ejecta is inconsistent with mixing between projectile and terrestrial materials other than seawater salts. X-ray radiographs of sediments reveal details not seen in earlier cores. The uppermost impact unit is well-preserved in several cores, found as much as 50 km from the seamounts to the east, north, and west of the seamounts, where at least 25 cm of this unit is preserved. At greater distances burrowing organisms have mixed the sediments so if this unit did exist, it was too thin to survive bioturbation. These finegrained sediments are clearly laminated, and show alternating layers of low- and high-density (meteoritic) sediments, consistent with ripple formation in an energetic flow regime. We have extracted 35 g of meteoritic melt rock and 3 g of meteorite fragments from sieved sediments. Additionally a 9 g, 2.2 cm meteorite was recovered during opening of one core. The fact that 9\\% of the coarse ejecta is unmelted meteorites may be characteristic of deep-ocean impacts. This may have significance for delivery of organic matter to the early Earth by small impacts into primordial oceans, where actual meteorite fragments can survive in significant amounts. However, a large portion of the meteoritic debris is buried rapidly by the sediments disturbed by the impact.

The NASA Lunar Impact Monitoring Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Rob

2008-01-01

We have a fruitful observing program underway which has significantly increased the number of lunar impacts observed. We have done initial test shots at the Ames Vertical Gun Range obtained preliminary luminous efficiency values. More shots and better diagnostics are needed to determine ejecta properties. We are working to have a more accurate ejecta. environment definition to support lunar lander, habitat, and EVA design. Data also useful for validation of sporadic model at large size range.

Geologic setting of the apollo 14 samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swann, G.A.; Trask, N.J.; Hait, M.H.; Sutton, R.L.

1971-01-01

The apollo 14 lunar module landed in a region of the lunar highlands that is part of a widespread blanket of ejecta surrounding the Mare Imbrium basin. Samples were collected from the regolith developed on a nearly level plain, a ridge 100 meters high, and a blacky ejecta deposit around a young crater. Large boulders in the vicinity of the landing site are coherent fragmental rocks as are some of the returned samples.

Yield strength of Cu and an engineered material of Cu with 1% Pb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, William; Gray, George, III; Fensin, Saryu; Grover, Mike; Stevens, Gerald; Stone, Joseph; Turley, William

2015-06-01

To study the effects of engineered elastic-plastic yield on the mass-ejection from shocked materials we fielded explosively driven Cu and CuPb experiments. The Cu and CuPb experiments fielded fully annealed disks in contact with PBX 9501; the CuPb was extruded with 1% Pb that aggregates at the Cu grain boundaries. The elastic-plastic yield strength is explored as a difference of ejecta production of CuPb versus Cu, where the ejecta production of solid materials ties directly to the surface perturbation geometries of wavelengths (fixed at 65 μm) and amplitudes (which were varied). We observed that the Cu performs as expected, with ejecta turning on at the previously observed yield threshold, but the CuPb ejects mass in much larger quantities, at much lower wavenumber (k = 2 π/ λ) amplitude (h) products (kh), implying a reduced elastic-plastic yield stress of the engineered material, CuPb.

Seismic effects from major basin formation on the Moon and Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, P. H.; Gault, D. E.

1974-01-01

Grooved and hilly terrains are reported which occur at the antipode of major basins on the Moon (Imbrium, Orientale) and Mercury (Caloris). Order-of-magnitude calculations, for an Imbrium-size impact on the Moon, indicate P-wave-induced surface displacements of 10 m at the basin antipode that would arrive prior to secondary ejecta. Comparable surface waves are reported which would arrive subsequent to secondary ejecta impacts and would increase in magnitude as they converge at the antipode. Other seismically induced surface features include: subdued, furrowed crater walls produced by landslides and concomitant secondary impacts; emplacement and leveling of light plains units owing to seismically induced "fluidization" of slide material; knobby, pitted terrain around old basins from enhancement of seismic waves in ancient ejecta blankets; and the production and enhancement of deep-seated fractures that led to the concentration of farside lunar maria in the Apollo-Ingenii region.

The 3D morphology of the ejecta surrounding VY Canis Majoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Terry Jay; Humphreys, Roberta M.; Helton, L. Andrew

2007-03-01

We use second epoch images taken with WFPC2 on the HST and imaging polarimetry taken with the HST/ACS/HRC to explore the three dimensional structure of the circumstellar dust distribution around the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris. Transverse motions, combined with radial velocities, provide a picture of the kinematics of the ejecta, including the total space motions. The fractional polarization and photometric colors provide an independent method of locating the physical position of the dust along the line-of-sight. Most of the individual arc-like features and clumps seen in the intensity image are also features in the fractional polarization map, and must be distinct geometric objects. The location of these features in the ejecta of VY CMa using kinematics and polarimetry agree well with each other, and strongly suggest they are the result of relatively massive ejections, probably associated with magnetic fields.

The self-secondary crater population of the Hokusai crater on Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Zhiyong; Prieur, Nils C.; Werner, Stephanie C.

2016-07-01

Whether or not self-secondaries dominate small crater populations on continuous ejecta deposits and floors of fresh impact craters has long been a controversy. This issue potentially affects the age determination technique using crater statistics. Here the self-secondary crater population on the continuous ejecta deposits of the Hokusai crater on Mercury is unambiguously recognized. Superposition relationships show that this population was emplaced after both the ballistic sedimentation of excavation flows and the subsequent veneering of impact melt, but it predated the settlement and solidification of melt pools on the crater floor. Fragments that formed self-secondaries were launched via impact spallation with large angles. Complex craters on the Moon, Mercury, and Mars probably all have formed self-secondaries populations. Dating young craters using crater statistics on their continuous ejecta deposits can be misleading. Impact melt pools are less affected by self-secondaries. Overprint by subsequent crater populations with time reduces the predominance of self-secondaries.

Petrologic variations in Apollo 16 surface soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houck, K. J.

1982-01-01

Source rock, maturation history and intrasite variation data are derived for the Apollo 16 regolith by comparing modal analyses of 15 surface soils with rake and rock sample data. Triangular source rock component plots show that Apollo 16 soils have similar source rocks that are well homogenized throughout the site. The site can be divided into three soil petrographic provinces. Central site soils are mature, well homogenized, and enriched in glass. They are probably the most typical Cayley Plains materials present. North Ray soils are immature to submature, containing North Ray ejecta. South Ray soils are mature, but contain small amounts of fresh impact melts and plagioclase, due perhaps to the breakdown of blocky South Ray ejecta. The different compositions and physical properties of North and South Ray ejecta support the hypothesis that the latter event excavated Cayley material, while the former excavated Descartes materials.

Impact vaporization: Late time phenomena from experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, P. H.; Gault, D. E.

1987-01-01

While simple airflow produced by the outward movement of the ejecta curtain can be scaled to large dimensions, the interaction between an impact-vaporized component and the ejecta curtain is more complicated. The goal of these experiments was to examine such interaction in a real system involving crater growth, ejection of material, two phased mixtures of gas and dust, and strong pressure gradients. The results will be complemented by theoretical studies at laboratory scales in order to separate the various parameters for planetary scale processes. These experiments prompt, however, the following conclusions that may have relevance at broader scales. First, under near vacuum or low atmospheric pressures, an expanding vapor cloud scours the surrounding surface in advance of arriving ejecta. Second, the effect of early-time vaporization is relatively unimportant at late-times. Third, the overpressure created within the crater cavity by significant vaporization results in increased cratering efficiency and larger aspect ratios.

Hydrothermal Alteration at Lonar Crater, India and Elemental Variations in Impact Crater Clays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsom, H. E.; Nelson, M. J.; Shearer, C. K.; Misra, S.; Narasimham, V.

2005-01-01

The role of hydrothermal alteration and chemical transport involving impact craters could have occurred on Mars, the poles of Mercury and the Moon, and other small bodies. We are studying terrestrial craters of various sizes in different environments to better understand aqueous alteration and chemical transport processes. The Lonar crater in India (1.8 km diameter) is particularly interesting being the only impact crater in basalt. In January of 2004, during fieldwork in the ejecta blanket around the rim of the Lonar crater we discovered alteration zones not previously described at this crater. The alteration of the ejecta blanket could represent evidence of localized hydrothermal activity. Such activity is consistent with the presence of large amounts of impact melt in the ejecta blanket. Map of one area on the north rim of the crater containing highly altered zones at least 3 m deep is shown.

Constraining the Type Ia Supernova Progenitor: The Search for Hydrogen in Nebular Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonard, Douglas

2006-02-01

The progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are observationally unconstrained. Prevailing theory invokes a carbon- oxygen white dwarf accreting matter from a companion until a thermonuclear runaway ensues that incinerates the white dwarf. While models of exploding carbon-oxygen white dwarfs faithfully reproduce the main characteristics of SNe Ia, we are ignorant about the nature of the proposed companion star. Simulations resulting from this single- degenerate binary channel, however, demand the presence of low-velocity, H(alpha) emission in spectra taken in the nebular phase (250 - 400 days after maximum light), since a portion of the companion's envelope becomes entrained in the ejecta. This hydrogen has never been detected, and only generally weak limits have heretofore been set from ~ 6 SNe Ia observed during the nebular phase at low resolution and often with a low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). We propose to remedy this situation through high S/N observations of two nearby, nebular-phase SNe Ia, with sufficient sensitivity and resolution to detect ~ 0.01 Msun of solar abundance material in the ejecta. The detection of late- time H(alpha) emission would be considered a ``smoking gun'' for the binary scenario. If H(alpha) is not detected, the limits will effectively rule out sub-giant, red giant, and all but the most widely separated main-sequence companions.

Single impacts of keV fullerene ions on free standing graphene: Emission of ions and electrons from confined volume

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verkhoturov, Stanislav V.; Geng, Sheng; Schweikert, Emile A., E-mail: schweikert@chem.tamu.edu

We present the first data from individual C{sub 60} impacting one to four layer graphene at 25 and 50 keV. Negative secondary ions and electrons emitted in transmission were recorded separately from each impact. The yields for C{sub n}{sup −} clusters are above 10% for n ≤ 4, they oscillate with electron affinities and decrease exponentially with n. The result can be explained with the aid of MD simulation as a post-collision process where sufficient vibrational energy is accumulated around the rim of the impact hole for sputtering of carbon clusters. The ionization probability can be estimated by comparing experimentalmore » yields of C{sub n}{sup −} with those of C{sub n}{sup 0} from MD simulation, where it increases exponentially with n. The ionization probability can be approximated with ejecta from a thermally excited (3700 K) rim damped by cluster fragmentation and electron detachment. The experimental electron probability distributions are Poisson-like. On average, three electrons of thermal energies are emitted per impact. The thermal excitation model invoked for C{sub n}{sup −} emission can also explain the emission of electrons. The interaction of C{sub 60} with graphene is fundamentally different from impacts on 3D targets. A key characteristic is the high degree of ionization of the ejecta.« less

Properties and Radial Trends of Coronal Mass Ejecta and Their Associated Shocks Observed by Ulysses in the Ecliptic Plane. Appendix 2; Repr. from Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, 2000 p 12,617-12,626

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riley, Pete; Gosling, J. T.; McComas, D. J.; Forsyth, R. J.

2001-01-01

In this paper, magnetic and plasma measurements are used to analyze 17 interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CMEs) identified by Ulysses during its in-ecliptic passage to Jupiter. We focus on the expansion characteristics of these CMEs (as inferred from the time rate of change of the velocity profiles through the CMEs) and the properties of 14 forward shocks unambiguously associated with these CMEs. We highlight radial trends from 1 to 5.4 AU. Our results indicate that the CMEs are generally expanding at all heliocentric distances. With regard to the shocks preceding these ejecta, we note the following: (1) There is a clear tendency for the shock speed (in the upstream frame of reference) to decrease with increasing heliocentric distance as the CMEs transfer momentum to the ambient solar wind and slow down; (2) 86% of the shock fronts are oriented in the ecliptic plane such that their normals point westward (i.e., in the direction of planetary motion about the Sun), (3) 86% of the shocks are propagating toward the heliographic equator; and (4) no clear trend was found in the strength of the shocks versus heliocentric distance. These results are interpreted using simple dynamical arguments and are supported by fluid and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations.

The bolometric light curves and physical parameters of stripped-envelope supernovae

DOE PAGES

Prentice, S. J.; Mazzali, P. A.; Pian, E.; ...

2016-02-08

The optical and optical/near-infrared pseudo-bolometric light curves of 85 stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe) are constructed using a consistent method and a standard cosmology. The light curves are analysed to derive temporal characteristics and peak luminosity L p , enabling the construction of a luminosity function. Subsequently, the mass of 56 Ni synthesized in the explosion, along with the ratio of ejecta mass to ejecta kinetic energy, are found. Analysis shows that host-galaxy extinction is an important factor in accurately determining luminosity values as it is significantly greater than Galactic extinction in most cases. It is found that broad-lined SNe Ic (SNemore » Ic-BL) and gamma-ray burst SNe are the most luminous subtypes with a combined median L p , in erg s -1 , of log(L p) = 43.00 compared to 42.51 for SNe Ic, 42.50 for SNe Ib, and 42.36 for SNe IIb. It is also found that SNe Ic-BL synthesize approximately twice the amount of 56Ni compared with SNe Ic, Ib, and IIb, with median M Ni = 0.34, 0.16, 0.14, and 0.11 M ⊙ , respectively. SNe Ic-BL, and to a lesser extent SNe Ic, typically rise from L p /2 to L p more quickly than SNe Ib/IIb; consequently, their light curves are not as broad.« less

The impact environment of the Hadean Earth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abramov, Oleg; Kring, David A. Kring; Mojzsis, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Impact bombardment in the first billion years of solar system history determined in large part the initial physical and chemical states of the inner planets and their potential to host biospheres. The range of physical states and thermal consequences of the impact epoch, however, are not well quantified. Here, we assess these effects on the young Earth's crust as well as the likelihood that a record of such effects could be preserved in the oldest terrestrial minerals and rocks. We place special emphasis on modeling the thermal effects of the late heavy bombardment (LHB) – a putative spike in the number of impacts at about 3.9 Gyr ago – using several different numerical modeling and analytical techniques. A comprehensive array of impact-produced heat sources was evaluated which includes shock heating, impact melt generation, uplift, and ejecta heating. Results indicate that ∼1.5–2.5 vol.% of the upper 20 km of Earth's crust was melted in the LHB, with only ∼0.3–1.5 vol.% in a molten state at any given time. The model predicts that approximately 5–10% of the planet's surface area was covered by >1 km deep impact melt sheets. A global average of ∼600–800 m of ejecta and ∼800–1000 m of condensed rock vapor is predicted to have been deposited in the LHB, with most of the condensed rock vapor produced by the largest (>100-km) projectiles. To explore for a record of such catastrophic events, we created two- and three-dimensional models of post-impact cooling of ejecta and craters, coupled to diffusion models of radiogenic Pb*-loss in zircons. We used this to estimate what the cumulative effects of putative LHB-induced age resetting would be of Hadean zircons on a global scale. Zircons entrained in ejecta are projected to have the following average global distribution after the end of the LHB: ∼59% with no impact-induced Pb*-loss, ∼26% with partial Pb*-loss and ∼15% with complete Pb*-loss or destruction of the grain. In addition to the relatively high erodibility of ejecta, our results show that if discordant ca. 3.9 Gyr old zones in the Jack Hills zircons are a signature of the LHB, they were most likely sourced from impact ejecta.

Australasian microtektites and associated impact ejecta in the South China Sea and the Middle Pleistocene supereruption of Toba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glass, Billy P.; Koeberl, Christian

2006-02-01

Australasian microtektites were discovered in Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 1143A in the central part of the South China Sea. Unmelted ejecta were found associated with the microtektites at this site and with Australasian microtektites in Core SO95-17957-2 and ODP Hole 1144A from the central and northern part of the South China Sea, respectively. A few opaque, irregular, rounded, partly melted particles containing highly fractured mineral inclusions (generally quartz and some K feldspar) and some partially melted mineral grains, in a glassy matrix were also found in the microtektite layer. The unmelted ejecta at all three sites include abundant white, opaque grains consisting of mixtures of quartz, coesite, and stishovite, and abundant rock fragments which also contain coesite and, rarely, stishovite. This is the first time that shock-metamorphosed rock fragments have been found in the Australasian microtektite layer. The rock fragments have major and trace element contents similar to the Australasian microtektites and tektites, except for higher volatile element contents. Assuming that the Australasian tektites and microtektites were formed from the same target material as the rock fragments, the parent material for the Australasian tektites and microtektites appears to have been a fine-grained sedimentary deposit. Hole 1144A has the highest abundance of microtektites (number/cm2) of any known Australasian microtektite-bearing site and may be closer to the source crater than any previously identified Australasian microtektite-bearing site. A source crater in the vicinity of 22° N and 104° E seems to explain geographic variations in abundance of both the microtektites and the unmelted ejecta the best; however, a region extending NW into southern China and SE into the Gulf of Tonkin explains the geographic variation in abundance of microtektites and unmelted ejecta almost as well. The size of the source crater is estimated to be 43 ± 9 km based on estimated thickness of the ejecta layer at each site and distance from the proposed source. A volcanic ash layer occurs just above the Australasian microtektite layer, which some authors suggest is from a supereruption of the Toba caldera complex. We estimate that deposition of the ash occurred ˜800 ka ago and that it is spread over an area of at least 3.7 × 107 km2.

The Degradational History of Endeavour Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, J. A.; Parker, T. J.; Crumpler, L. S.; Wilson, S. A.; Golombek, M. P.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.

2015-01-01

Endeavour crater (2.28 deg S, 354.77 deg E) is a Noachian-aged 22 km-diameter impact structure of complex morphology in Meridiani Planum. The degradation state of the crater has been studied using Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Opportunity rover data. Exposed rim segments rise approximately 10 m to approximately 100 m above the level of the embaying Burns Formation and the crater is 200-500 m deep with the southern interior wall exposing over approximately 300 m relief. Both pre-impact rocks (Matijevic Formation) and Endeavour impact ejecta (Shoemaker Formation) are present at Cape York, but only the Shoemaker crops out (up to approximately 140 m) along the rim segment from Murray Ridge to Cape Tribulation. Study of pristine complex craters Bopolu and Tooting, and morphometry of other martian complex craters, enables us to approximate Endeavour's pristine form. The original rim likely averaged 410 m (+/-)200 m in elevation and a 250-275 m section of ejecta ((+/-)50-60 m) would have composed a significant fraction of the rim height. The original crater depth was likely between 1.5 km and 2.2 km. Comparison between the predicted original and current form of Endeavour suggests approximately 100-200 m rim lowering that removed most ejecta in some locales (e.g., Cape York) while thick sections remain elsewhere (e.g., Cape Tribulation). Almost complete removal of ejecta at Cape York and minimal observable offset across fractures indicates current differences in rim relief are not solely due to original rim relief. Rim segments are embayed by approximately 100-200 m thickness of plains rocks outside the crater, but thicker deposits lie inside the crater. Ventifact textures confirm ongoing eolian erosion with the overall extent difficult to estimate. Analogy with degraded Noachian-aged craters south of Endeavour, however, suggests fluvial erosion dominated rim degradation in the Noachian and was likely followed by approximately 10s of meters modification by alternate processes. Such degradation is consistent with 1) the interpretation of a pediment on the rim flanks of Endeavour, 2) the formation of features such as Marathon Valley, 3) the nearly complete removal of ejecta at Cape York, 4) preservation of a thicker section of ejecta at Cape Tribulation and perhaps, 5) the origin of some gaps in the rim around the crater. A paucity of debris shed from the rim indicates most degradation occurred prior to embayment by the plains rocks.

A High-Resolution X-Ray and Optical Study of SN1006: Asymmetric Expansion and Small-Scale Structure in a Type Ia Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winkler, P. Frank; Williams, Brian J.; Reynolds, Stephen P.; Petre, Robert; Long, Knox S.; Katsuda, Satoru; Hwang, Una

2014-01-01

We introduce a deep (670 ks) X-ray survey of the entire SN 1006 remnant from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, together with a deep Ha image of SN 1006 from the 4 m Blanco telescope at CTIO. Comparison with Chandra images from 2003 gives the first measurement of the X-ray proper motions around the entire periphery, carried out over a 9 yr baseline. We find that the expansion velocity varies significantly with azimuth. The highest velocity of approx.7400 km/s (almost 2.5 times that in the northwest (NW)) is found along the southeast (SE) periphery, where both the kinematics and the spectra indicate that most of the X-ray emission stems from ejecta that have been decelerated little, if at all. Asymmetries in the distribution of ejecta are seen on a variety of spatial scales. Si-rich ejecta are especially prominent in the SE quadrant, while O and Mg are more uniformly distributed, indicating large-scale asymmetries arising from the explosion itself. Neon emission is strongest in a sharp filament just behind the primary shock along the NWrim, where the pre-shock density is highest. Here the Ne is likely interstellar, while Ne within the shell may include a contribution from ejecta. Within the interior of the projected shell we find a few isolated "bullets" of what appear to be supernova ejecta that are immediately preceded by bowshocks seen in Ha, features that we interpret as ejecta knots that have reached relatively dense regions of the surrounding interstellar medium, but that appear in the interior in projection. Recent three-dimensional hydrodynamic models for Type Ia supernovae display small-scale features that strongly resemble the ones seen in X-rays in SN 1006; an origin in the explosion itself or from subsequent hydrodynamic instabilities both remain viable options. We have expanded the search for precursor X-ray emission ahead of a synchrotron-dominated shock front, as expected from diffusive shock acceleration theory, to numerous regions along both the northeast and southwest rims of the shell. Our data require that a precursor be thinner than about 3, and fainter than about 5% of the post-shock peak. These limits suggest that the magnetic field is amplified by a factor of seven or more in a narrow precursor region, promoting diffusive particle acceleration.

Calculation of ejecta thickness and structural uplift for Lunar and Martian complex crater rims.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, Tim; Sturm, Sebastian; Kenkmann, Thomas

2014-05-01

Crater rims of simple and complex craters have an elevation that is formed during the excavation stage of crater formation. For simple crater rims it is believed that the elevation is due to the sum of two equal parts, the thickness of the most proximal impact ejecta blanket (overturned flap) plus the thickness that results from plastic deformation including injection [1, 2, 3]. We intend to measure and quantify the kinematics of mass movements, especially concerning the question why complex impact craters have elevated crater rims like simple craters and precisely constrain the ejecta thickness and structural uplift of Lunar and Martian crater rims to understand what the main contributor to the elevated rim is [4]. We investigated a pristine 16 km-diameter unnamed Martian complex crater (21.52°N, 184.35°) and the lunar complex craters Bessel (21.8°N, 17.9°E) 16 km in diameter and Euler (23.3°N, 29.2°W) 28 km in diameter [5, 6]. In the crater walls of these craters we found columnar lavas on Mars and basaltic layering on the Moon. We used the uppermost layers of these exposed outcrops along the crater wall to determine the dip of the target rocks (Mars) and to distinguish between the bedrock and the overlying ejecta. We precisely measured the structural uplift and ejecta thickness of these complex craters. The unnamed crater on Mars has a mean rim height of 375.75 m, with a structural uplift of 233.88 m (57.44%), exposed as columnar lavas and the superposing ejecta has a height of 141.87 m (43.56%). For the Lunar complex crater Euler the mean total rim height is 790 ± 100 m, with a minimal structural uplift of 475 ± 100 m (60 ± 10 %), exposed as basaltic layers [e.g., 7, 8] and a maximum ejecta thickness of 315 ± 100 m (40 ± 10%). The Lunar complex crater Bessel has a total rim height of 430 ± 15 m , with a minimal structural uplift of 290 ± 15 m (67 ± 3 %), exposed as basaltic layers and a maximum ejecta thickness of 140 ± 115 m (33 ± 3%). For the Martian crater, the calculated structural uplift has a value of 215.83 m [9]. For Euler and Bessel crater calculated values for the structural uplift are 310.76 m and 262.8 m, respectively [10]. The structural uplift of the crater rim only by dike injection and plastic deformation in the underlying target material seems unlikely at distances ~1 km beyond the transient crater cavity. Other mechanisms, like reverse faulting, beginning in the excavation stage of crater formation, could be responsible for additional structural uplift of the crater rim. Nevertheless, our results show that structural uplift is a more dominant effect than ejecta emplacement for complex impact craters. References: [1] Melosh H.J. (1989) Oxford monographs on geology and geophysics, 11, Impact cratering: a geologic process. [2] Poelchau M.H. et al. (2009) JGR, 114, E01006. [3] Shoemaker E. M. (1963) The Solar System, 4, 301-336. [4] Settle M., and Head J.W. (1977) Icarus, v. 31, p. 123. [5] Sturm, S. et al. (2014) LPSC 45, #1801. [6] Krüger T. et al. (2014) LPSC 45, #1834. [7] Hiesinger H. et al. (2002) GRL, 29. [8] Enns A.C. (2013) LPSC XLIV, #2751. [9] Steward S. T. and Valiant G. J. (2006) Meteoritics & Planet. Sci., 41, 1509-1537. [10] Pike R. J. (1974) EPSL, 23, 265-274. [11]Turtle, E. et al. (2005) GSA-SP. 384, 1.

Limb of Copernicus Impact Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Copernicus is 93 km wide and is located within the Mare Imbrium Basin, northern nearside of the Moon (10 degrees N., 20 degrees W.). Image shows crater floor, floor mounds, rim, and rayed ejecta. Rays from the ejecta are superposed on all other surrounding terrains which places the crater in its namesake age group: the Copernican system, established as the youngest assemblage of rocks on the Moon (Shoemaker and Hackman, 1962, The Moon: London, Academic Press, p.289- 300).

Sesquinary Catenae on the Martian Satellite Phobos from Reaccretion of Escaping Ejecta

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-30

Life near the Roche limit—behavior of ejecta from satellites close to planets . Icarus 42, 422–441 (1980). 13. Soter, S. in Studies of the Terrestrial...sesquinaries are probes of the primary ejection process, but are also bound to the dynamics of the planet -satellite system. Unlike secondaries, to...intermediate between vesc and the orbital velocity vorb. When the satellite is far from the planet , sesquinaries can produce primary- like crater morphology

Subsequent Nonthermal Emission Due to the Kilonova Ejecta in GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Katsuaki; To, Sho

2018-01-01

The ejected material at the binary neutron star merger GW170817 was confirmed as a kilonova by UV, optical, and IR observations. This event provides a unique opportunity to investigate the particle acceleration at a mildly relativistic shock propagating in the circumbinary medium. In this paper, we simulate the nonthermal emission from electrons accelerated by the shock induced by the kilonova ejecta with a time-dependent method. The initial velocity and mass of the ejecta in the simulations are obtained from the kilonova observations in GW170817. If the ambient density is high enough (≥10‑2 cm‑3), radio, optical/IR, and X-ray signals will be detected in a few years, though the off-axis short gamma-ray burst models, accounting for the X-ray/radio counterpart detected at ∼10 days after the merger, imply low ambient density. We also demonstrate that the additional low-mass (∼10‑5 M ⊙) component with a velocity of 0.5c–0.8c can reproduce the early X-ray/radio counterpart. This alternative model allows a favorably high density to detect the nonthermal emission due to the kilonova ejecta. Even for a low ambient density such as ∼10‑3 cm‑3, depending on the microscopic parameters for the electron acceleration, we can expect a growth of radio flux of ∼0.1 mJy in a few years.

Dynamics of large-scale solar wind streams obtained by the double superposed epoch analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yermolaev, Yu. I.; Lodkina, I. G.; Nikolaeva, N. S.; Yermolaev, M. Yu.

2015-09-01

Using the OMNI data for period 1976-2000, we investigate the temporal profiles of 20 plasma and field parameters in the disturbed large-scale types of solar wind (SW): corotating interaction regions (CIR), interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME) (both magnetic cloud (MC) and Ejecta), and Sheath as well as the interplanetary shock (IS). To take into account the different durations of SW types, we use the double superposed epoch analysis (DSEA) method: rescaling the duration of the interval for all types in such a manner that, respectively, beginning and end for all intervals of selected type coincide. As the analyzed SW types can interact with each other and change parameters as a result of such interaction, we investigate separately eights sequences of SW types: (1) CIR, (2) IS/CIR, (3) Ejecta, (4) Sheath/Ejecta, (5) IS/Sheath/Ejecta, (6) MC, (7) Sheath/MC, and (8) IS/Sheath/MC. The main conclusion is that the behavior of parameters in Sheath and in CIR are very similar both qualitatively and quantitatively. Both the high-speed stream (HSS) and the fast ICME play a role of pistons which push the plasma located ahead them. The increase of speed in HSS and ICME leads at first to formation of compression regions (CIR and Sheath, respectively) and then to IS. The occurrence of compression regions and IS increases the probability of growth of magnetospheric activity.

Scientific Objectives of Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) and Deployable Camera 3 Digital (DCAM3-D): Observation of an Ejecta Curtain and a Crater Formed on the Surface of Ryugu by an Artificial High-Velocity Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arakawa, M.; Wada, K.; Saiki, T.; Kadono, T.; Takagi, Y.; Shirai, K.; Okamoto, C.; Yano, H.; Hayakawa, M.; Nakazawa, S.; Hirata, N.; Kobayashi, M.; Michel, P.; Jutzi, M.; Imamura, H.; Ogawa, K.; Sakatani, N.; Iijima, Y.; Honda, R.; Ishibashi, K.; Hayakawa, H.; Sawada, H.

2017-07-01

The Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) equipped on Hayabusa2 was developed to produce an artificial impact crater on the primitive Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 162173 Ryugu (Ryugu) in order to explore the asteroid subsurface material unaffected by space weathering and thermal alteration by solar radiation. An exposed fresh surface by the impactor and/or the ejecta deposit excavated from the crater will be observed by remote sensing instruments, and a subsurface fresh sample of the asteroid will be collected there. The SCI impact experiment will be observed by a Deployable CAMera 3-D (DCAM3-D) at a distance of ˜1 km from the impact point, and the time evolution of the ejecta curtain will be observed by this camera to confirm the impact point on the asteroid surface. As a result of the observation of the ejecta curtain by DCAM3-D and the crater morphology by onboard cameras, the subsurface structure and the physical properties of the constituting materials will be derived from crater scaling laws. Moreover, the SCI experiment on Ryugu gives us a precious opportunity to clarify effects of microgravity on the cratering process and to validate numerical simulations and models of the cratering process.

Martian Impact Craters as Revealed by MGS and Odyssey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, N. G.

2005-01-01

A variety of ejecta and interior morphologies were revealed for martian impact craters by Viking imagery. Numerous studies have classified these ejecta and interior morphologies and looked at how these morphologies correlate with crater diameter, latitude, terrain, and elevation [1, 2, 3, 4]. Many of these features, particularly the layered (fluidized) ejecta morphologies and central pits, have been proposed to result when the crater formed in target material containing high concentrations of volatiles. The Catalog of Large Martian Impact Craters was originally derived from the Viking 1:2,000,000 photomosaics and contains information on 42,283 impact craters 5-km diameter distributed across the entire martian surface. The information in this Catalog has been used to study the distributions of craters displaying specific ejecta and interior morphologies in an attempt to understand the environmental conditions which give rise to these features and to estimate the areal and vertical extents of subsurface volatile reservoirs [4, 5]. The Catalog is currently undergoing revision utilizing Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Odyssey data [6]. The higher resolution multispectral imagery is resulting in numerous revisions to the original classifications and the addition of new elemental, thermophysical, and topographic data is allowing new insights into the environmental conditions under which these features form. A few of the new results from analysis of data in the revised Catalog are discussed below.

Bistatic Radar Observations of the Moon Using Mini-RF on LRO and the Arecibo Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, G. W.; Stickle, A. M.; Turner, F. S.; Jensen, J. R.; Bussey, D. B. J.; Spudis, P.; Espiritu, R. C.; Schulze, R. C.; Yocky, D. A.; Wahl, D. E.;

Surface compositions across Pluto and Charon.

PubMed

Grundy, W M; Binzel, R P; Buratti, B J; Cook, J C; Cruikshank, D P; Dalle Ore, C M; Earle, A M; Ennico, K; Howett, C J A; Lunsford, A W; Olkin, C B; Parker, A H; Philippe, S; Protopapa, S; Quirico, E; Reuter, D C; Schmitt, B; Singer, K N; Verbiscer, A J; Beyer, R A; Buie, M W; Cheng, A F; Jennings, D E; Linscott, I R; Parker, J Wm; Schenk, P M; Spencer, J R; Stansberry, J A; Stern, S A; Throop, H B; Tsang, C C C; Weaver, H A; Weigle, G E; Young, L A

2016-03-18

The New Horizons spacecraft mapped colors and infrared spectra across the encounter hemispheres of Pluto and Charon. The volatile methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen ices that dominate Pluto's surface have complicated spatial distributions resulting from sublimation, condensation, and glacial flow acting over seasonal and geological time scales. Pluto's water ice "bedrock" was also mapped, with isolated outcrops occurring in a variety of settings. Pluto's surface exhibits complex regional color diversity associated with its distinct provinces. Charon's color pattern is simpler, dominated by neutral low latitudes and a reddish northern polar region. Charon's near-infrared spectra reveal highly localized areas with strong ammonia absorption tied to small craters with relatively fresh-appearing impact ejecta. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Physics of gamma-ray bursts and multi-messenger signals from double neutron star mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, He

My dissertation includes two parts: Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs): Gamma-ray bursts are multi-wavelength transients, with both prompt gamma-ray emission and late time afterglow emission observed by telescopes in different wavelengths. I have carried out three investigations to understand GRB prompt emission and afterglow. Chapter 2 develops a new method, namely, "Stepwise Filter Correlation" method, to decompose the variability components in a light curve. After proving its reliability through simulations, we apply this method to 266 bright GRBs and find that the majority of the bursts have clear evidence of superposition of fast and slow variability components. Chapter 3 gives a complete presentation of the analytical approximations for synchrotron self-compton emission for all possible orders of the characteristic synchrotron spectral breaks (nua, nu m, and nuc). We identify a "strong absorption" regime whennua > nuc, and derive the critical condition for this regime. The external shock theory is an elegant theory to model GRB afterglows. It invokes a limit number of model parameters, and has well predicted spectral and temporal properties. Chapter 4 gives a complete reference of all the analytical synchrotron external shock afterglow models by deriving the temporal and spectral indices of all the models in all spectral regimes. This complete reference will serve as a useful tool for afterglow observers to quickly identify relevant models to interpret their data and identify new physics when the models fail. Milti-messenger signals from double neutron star merger: As the multi-messenger era of astronomy ushers in, the second part of the dissertation studies the possible electromagnetic (EM) and neutrino emission counterparts of double neutron star mergers. Chapter 6 suggests that if double neutron star mergers leave behind a massive magnetar rather than a black hole, the magnetar wind could push the ejecta launched during the merger process, and under certain conditions, accelerates it to a relativistic speed. Such a magnetar-powered ejecta, when interacting with the ambient medium, would develop a bright broad-band afterglow due to external shock synchrotron radiation. We study this physical scenario in detail, and present the predicted X-ray, optical and radio light curves for a range of magnetar and ejecta parameters. Chapter 7 applies the model to interpret one optical transient discovered recently. In chapter 8, we show that protons accelerated in the external shock would interact with photons generated in the dissipating magnetar wind and emit high energy neutrinos and photons. We find that PeV neutrinos could be emitted from the shock front as long as the ejecta could be accelerated to a relativistic speed. These events would contribute to the diffuse Pev neutrino background and sub-Tev gamma-ray background.

Constraining the Maximum Mass of Neutron Stars from Multi-messenger Observations of GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margalit, Ben; Metzger, Brian D.

2017-12-01

We combine electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational-wave (GW) information on the binary neutron star (NS) merger GW170817 in order to constrain the radii {R}{ns} and maximum mass {M}\\max of NSs. GW170817 was followed by a range of EM counterparts, including a weak gamma-ray burst (GRB), kilonova (KN) emission from the radioactive decay of the merger ejecta, and X-ray/radio emission consistent with being the synchrotron afterglow of a more powerful off-axis jet. The type of compact remnant produced in the immediate merger aftermath, and its predicted EM signal, depend sensitively on the high-density NS equation of state (EOS). For a soft EOS that supports a low {M}\\max , the merger undergoes a prompt collapse accompanied by a small quantity of shock-heated or disk-wind ejecta, inconsistent with the large quantity ≳ {10}-2 {M}⊙ of lanthanide-free ejecta inferred from the KN. On the other hand, if {M}\\max is sufficiently large, then the merger product is a rapidly rotating supramassive NS (SMNS), which must spin down before collapsing into a black hole. A fraction of the enormous rotational energy necessarily released by the SMNS during this process is transferred to the ejecta, either into the GRB jet (energy {E}{GRB}) or the KN ejecta (energy {E}{ej}), also inconsistent with observations. By combining the total binary mass of GW170817 inferred from the GW signal with conservative upper limits on {E}{GRB} and {E}{ej} from EM observations, we constrain the likelihood probability of a wide range of previously allowed EOSs. These two constraints delineate an allowed region of the {M}\\max {--}{R}{ns} parameter space, which, once marginalized over NS radius, places an upper limit of {M}\\max ≲ 2.17 {M}⊙ (90%), which is tighter or arguably less model-dependent than other current constraints.

Using the Geminids to Characterize the Surface Response of an Airless Body to Meteoroid Bombardment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szalay, J.; Pokorny, P.; Jenniskens, P. M. M.; Horanyi, M.

2017-12-01

All airless bodies in the solar system are exposed to the continual bombardment by interplanetary meteoroids. These impacts can eject orders of magnitude more mass than the primary impactors, sustaining bound and/or unbound ejecta clouds that vary both spatially and temporally from changes in impactor fluxes. The dust environment in the vicinity of an airless body provides both a scientific resource and a hazard for exploration. Characterizing the spatial and temporal variability of the dust environment of airless planetary bodies provides a novel way to understand their meteoroid environment by effectively using these objects as large surface area meteoroid detectors. Additionally, were a dust detector with chemical sensing capability to be flown near such a body, it would be able to directly measure the composition of the body without requiring the mission design complexity involved in landing and sampling surface material. Paramount to understanding the current and future impact ejecta measurements is a sufficient understanding of the impact ejecta processes at the surface. In this presentation, we focus on data taken by the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX), an impact ionization dust detector onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission, designed to measure impact ejecta around the Moon. We use the Geminids meteoroid shower as a well constrained input function, and via comparison to existing ground-based measurements of this shower, to "calibrate" the response of the lunar surface to meteoroid bombardment. Understanding the response of the lunar surface to meteoroid bombardment can by extension allow us to better understand the ejecta response at other regolith airless bodies in the solar system. Future missions equipped with dust detectors sent to the Moon, large Near Earth Asteroids, the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, or many other airless bodies in the solar system would greatly improve our knowledge of their local meteoroid environments, characterize their chemical compositions, and improve the safety for future manned and unmanned missions to these bodies.

The Binary Neutron Star Event LIGO/Virgo GW170817 160 Days after Merger: Synchrotron Emission across the Electromagnetic Spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margutti, R.; Alexander, K. D.; Xie, X.; Sironi, L.; Metzger, B. D.; Kathirgamaraju, A.; Fong, W.; Blanchard, P. K.; Berger, E.; MacFadyen, A.; Giannios, D.; Guidorzi, C.; Hajela, A.; Chornock, R.; Cowperthwaite, P. S.; Eftekhari, T.; Nicholl, M.; Villar, V. A.; Williams, P. K. G.; Zrake, J.

2018-03-01

We report deep Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and Karl J. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the binary neutron star event GW170817 at t < 160 days after merger. These observations show that GW170817 has been steadily brightening with time and might have now reached its peak, and constrain the emission process as non-thermal synchrotron emission where the cooling frequency ν c is above the X-ray band and the synchrotron frequency ν m is below the radio band. The very simple power-law spectrum extending for eight orders of magnitude in frequency enables the most precise measurement of the index p of the distribution of non-thermal relativistic electrons N(γ )\\propto {γ }-p accelerated by a shock launched by a neutron star (NS)–NS merger to date. We find p = 2.17 ± 0.01, which indicates that radiation from ejecta with Γ ∼ 3–10 dominates the observed emission. While constraining the nature of the emission process, these observations do not constrain the nature of the relativistic ejecta. We employ simulations of explosive outflows launched in NS ejecta clouds to show that the spectral and temporal evolution of the non-thermal emission from GW170817 is consistent with both emission from radially stratified quasi-spherical ejecta traveling at mildly relativistic speeds, and emission from off-axis collimated ejecta characterized by a narrow cone of ultra-relativistic material with slower wings extending to larger angles. In the latter scenario, GW170817 harbored a normal short gamma-ray burst (SGRB) directed away from our line of sight. Observations at t ≤ 200 days are unlikely to settle the debate, as in both scenarios the observed emission is effectively dominated by radiation from mildly relativistic material.

Near Surface Stratigraphy and Regolith Production in Southwestern Elysium Planitia, Mars: Implications for Hesperian-Amazonian Terrains and the InSight Lander Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, N. H.; Golombek, M. P.; Sweeney, J.; Fergason, R.; Kirk, R.; Schwartz, C.

2017-10-01

The presence of rocks in the ejecta of craters at the InSight landing site in southwestern Elysium Planitia indicates a strong, rock-producing unit at depth. A finer regolith above is inferred by the lack of rocks in the ejecta of 10-m-scale craters. This regolith should be penetrable by the mole of the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3). An analysis of the size-frequency distribution (SFD) of 7988 rocky ejecta craters (RECs) across four candidate landing ellipses reveals that all craters >200 m in diameter and {<}750 ± 30 Ma in age have boulder-sized rocks in their ejecta. The frequency of RECs however decreases significantly below this diameter (D), represented by a roll-off in the SFD slope. At 30 m < D < 200 m, the slope of the cumulative SFD declines to near zero at D < 30 m. Surface modification, resolution limits, or human counting error cannot account for the magnitude of this roll-off. Rather, a significant population of <200 m diameter fresh non-rocky ejecta craters (NRECs) here indicates the presence of a relatively fine-grained regolith that prevents smaller craters from excavating the strong rock-producing unit. Depth to excavation relationships and the REC size thresholds indicate the region is capped by a regolith that is almost everywhere 3 m thick but may be as thick as 12 to 18 m. The lower bound of the thickness range is independently confirmed by the depth to the inner crater in concentric or nested craters. The data indicate that 85% of the InSight landing region is covered by a regolith that is at least 3 m thick. The probability of encountering rockier material at depths >3 m by the HP3 however increases significantly due to the increase in boulder-size rocks in the lower regolith column, near the interface of the bedrock.

Detection of Broad Hα Emission Lines in the Late-Time Spectra of a Hydrogen-Poor Superluminous Supernova

DOE PAGES

Yan, Lin; Quimby, R.; Ofek, E.; ...

2015-11-23

iPTF13ehe is a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) at z = 0.3434, with a slow-evolving light curve and spectral features similar to SN2007bi. It rises in 83–148 days to reach a peak bolometric luminosity of ~1.3 × 10 44 erg s -1, then decays slowly at 0.015 mag day -1. The measured ejecta velocity is ~ 13,000 km s -1. The inferred explosion characteristics, such as the ejecta mass (70–220 M ⊙), and the total radiative and kinetic energy (E rad ~ 10 51 erg, E kin ~ 2 × 10 53 erg), are typical of slow-evolving H-poor SLSN events. However,more » the late-time spectrum taken at +251 days (rest, post-peak) reveals a Balmer Hα emission feature with broad and narrow components, which has never been detected before among other H-poor SLSNe. The broad component has a velocity width of ~4500 km s -1 and a ~300 km s -1 blueward shift relative to the narrow component. In this paper, we interpret this broad Hα emission with a luminosity of ~2 × 10 41 erg s -1 as resulting from the interaction between the supernova ejecta and a discrete H-rich shell, located at a distance of ~4 × 10 16 cm from the explosion site. This interaction causes the rest-frame r-band LC to brighten at late times. The fact that the late-time spectra are not completely absorbed by the shock-ionized H-shell implies that its Thomson scattering optical depth is likely ≤1, thus setting upper limits on the shell mass ≤30 M ⊙. Of the existing models, a Pulsational Pair Instability supernova model can naturally explain the observed 30 M ⊙ H-shell, ejected from a progenitor star with an initial mass of (95–150) M ⊙ about 40 years ago. Finally, we estimate that at least ~15% of all SLSNe-I may have late-time Balmer emission lines.« less

Mini-RF and LROC observations of mare crater layering relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stickle, A. M.; Patterson, G. W.; Cahill, J. T. S.; Bussey, D. B. J.

2016-07-01

The lunar maria cover approximately 17% of the Moon's surface. Discerning discrete subsurface layers in the mare provides some constraints on thickness and volume estimates of mare volcanism. Multiple types of data and measurement techniques allow probing the subsurface and provide insights into these layers, including detailed examination of impact craters, mare pits and sinuous rilles, and radar sounders. Unfortunately, radar sounding includes many uncertainties about the material properties of the lunar surface that may influence estimates of layer depth and thickness. Because they distribute material from depth onto the surface, detailed examination of impact ejecta blankets provides a reliable way to examine deeper material using orbital instruments such as cameras, spectrometers, or imaging radars. Here, we utilize Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) data to investigate the scattering characteristics of ejecta blankets of young lunar craters. We use Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) information from twenty-two young, fresh lunar craters to examine how the scattering behavior changes as a function of radius from the crater rim. Observations across a range of crater size and relative ages exhibit significant diversity within mare regions. Five of the examined craters exhibit profiles with no shelf of constant CPR near the crater rim. Comparing these CPR profiles with LROC imagery shows that the magnitude of the CPR may be an indication of crater degradation state; this may manifest differently at radar compared to optical wavelengths. Comparisons of radar and optical data also suggest relationships between subsurface stratigraphy and structure in the mare and the block size of the material found within the ejecta blanket. Of the examined craters, twelve have shelves of approximately constant CPR as well as discrete layers outcropping in the subsurface, and nine fall along a trend line when comparing shelf-width with thickness of subsurface layers. These observations suggest that surface CPR measurements may be used to identify near-surface layering. Here, we use ejected material to probe the subsurface, allowing observations of near-surface stratigraphy that may be otherwise hidden by layers higher from remote observations.

Investigation of Surface Phenomena in Shocked Tin in Converging Geometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rousculp, Christopher L.; Oro, David Michael; Griego, Jeffrey Randall

2016-04-14

There is a great interest in RMI as source of ejecta from metal shells. Previous experiments have explored wavelength amplitude (kA) variation but they have a small range of drive pressures and are in planer geometry. Simulations, both MD and hydro, have explored RMI in planer geometry. The ejecta source model from RMI is an area of active algorithm and code development in ASCI-IC Lagrangian Applications Project. PHELIX offers precise, reproducible variable driver for Hydro and material physics diagnoses with proton radiography.

Supernova Science with an Advanced Compton Telescope

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-12-04

Older SNRs must be galactic, but the emission can be detected on decadal- millenial time-scales. SNR studies thus concentrate upon 57Co(122 keV), 22Na...early and is a probe of the mass overlying the outermost 56Ni- rich ejecta. The 847 keV line peaks later (at which time the ejecta for most models has... rich super-luminous SNe Ia will be detected to the largest distances, but the larger SN rate of normally-luminous SNe Ia make them the most frequently

A first-order model for impact crater degradation on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izenberg, Noam R.; Arvidson, Raymond E.; Phillips, Roger J.

1993-01-01

A first-order impact crater aging model is presented based on observations of the global crater population of Venus. The total population consists of 879 craters found over the approximately 98 percent of the planet that has been mapped by the Magellan spacecraft during the first three cycles of its mission. The model is based upon three primary aspects of venusian impact craters: (1) extended ejecta deposits (EED's); (2) crater rims and continuous ejecta deposits; and (3) crater interiors and floors.

Impact ejecta at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary.

PubMed

Schaller, Morgan F; Fung, Megan K; Wright, James D; Katz, Miriam E; Kent, Dennis V

2016-10-14

Extraterrestrial impacts have left a substantial imprint on the climate and evolutionary history of Earth. A rapid carbon cycle perturbation and global warming event about 56 million years ago at the Paleocene-Eocene (P-E) boundary (the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum) was accompanied by rapid expansions of mammals and terrestrial plants and extinctions of deep-sea benthic organisms. Here, we report the discovery of silicate glass spherules in a discrete stratigraphic layer from three marine P-E boundary sections on the Atlantic margin. Distinct characteristics identify the spherules as microtektites and microkrystites, indicating that an extraterrestrial impact occurred during the carbon isotope excursion at the P-E boundary. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A Different Point of View towards GRB 031203

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez-Ruiz, E.; Granot, J.; Kouveliotou, C.; Woosley, S. E.; Patel, S. K.; Mazzali, P. A.

2004-01-01

One of the most fundamental characteristics of any explosion is its energy, yet despite lively debates, the gamma-ray burst (GRB) community has still to reach a consensus on whether GRBs are standard bombs with a total energy in their relativistic ejecta approximately 10(exp 51) ergs, or a broad range of phenomena with energies varying by many orders of magnitude. While low energy GRBs may well exist, we show here that observations of GRB 031203, do not require a sub-energetic nature for that event. In fact, contrary to previous claims, the data are more consistent with a typical, powerful GRB seen at an angle of about twice the opening angle of the central jet.

Shocked quartz in the cretaceous-tertiary boundary clays: Evidence for a global distribution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bohor, B.F.; Modreski, P.J.; Foord, E.E.

1987-01-01

Shocked quartz grains displaying planar features were isolated from Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary days at five sites in Europe, a core from the north-central Pacific Ocean, and a site in New Zealand. At all of these sites, the planar features in the shocked quartz can be indexed to rational crystallographic planes of the quartz lattice. The grains display streaking indicative of shock in x-ray diffraction photographs and also show reduced refractive indices. These characteristic features of shocked quartz at several sites worldwide confirm that an impact event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary distributed ejecta products in an earth-girdling dust cloud, as postulated by the Alvarez impact hypothesis.

Impact-shocked zircons: Discovery of shock-induced textures reflecting increasing degrees of shock metamorphism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohor, B. F.; Betterton, W. J.; Krogh, T. E.

1993-01-01

Textural effects specifically characteristic of shock metamorphism in zircons from impact environments have not been reported previously. However, planar deformation features (PDF) due to shock metamorphism are well documented in quartz and other mineral grains from these same environments. An etching technique was developed that allows scanning electron microscope (SEM) visualization of PDF and other probable shock-induced textural features, such as granular (polycrystalline) texture, in zircons from a variety of impact shock environments. These textural features in shocked zircons from K/T boundary distal ejecta form a series related to increasing degrees of shock that should correlate with proportionate resetting of the U-Pb isotopic system.

Low-frequency radio absorption in Cassiopeia A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias, M.; Vink, J.; de Gasperin, F.; Salas, P.; Oonk, J. B. R.; van Weeren, R. J.; van Amesfoort, A. S.; Anderson, J.; Beck, R.; Bell, M. E.; Bentum, M. J.; Best, P.; Blaauw, R.; Breitling, F.; Broderick, J. W.; Brouw, W. N.; Brüggen, M.; Butcher, H. R.; Ciardi, B.; de Geus, E.; Deller, A.; van Dijk, P. C. G.; Duscha, S.; Eislöffel, J.; Garrett, M. A.; Grießmeier, J. M.; Gunst, A. W.; van Haarlem, M. P.; Heald, G.; Hessels, J.; Hörandel, J.; Holties, H. A.; van der Horst, A. J.; Iacobelli, M.; Juette, E.; Krankowski, A.; van Leeuwen, J.; Mann, G.; McKay-Bukowski, D.; McKean, J. P.; Mulder, H.; Nelles, A.; Orru, E.; Paas, H.; Pandey-Pommier, M.; Pandey, V. N.; Pekal, R.; Pizzo, R.; Polatidis, A. G.; Reich, W.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Rothkaehl, H.; Schwarz, D. J.; Smirnov, O.; Soida, M.; Steinmetz, M.; Tagger, M.; Thoudam, S.; Toribio, M. C.; Vocks, C.; van der Wiel, M. H. D.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Wucknitz, O.; Zarka, P.; Zucca, P.

2018-05-01

Context. Cassiopeia A is one of the best-studied supernova remnants. Its bright radio and X-ray emission is due to shocked ejecta. Cas A is rather unique in that the unshocked ejecta can also be studied: through emission in the infrared, the radio-active decay of 44Ti, and the low-frequency free-free absorption caused by cold ionised gas, which is the topic of this paper. Aims: Free-free absorption processes are affected by the mass, geometry, temperature, and ionisation conditions in the absorbing gas. Observations at the lowest radio frequencies can constrain a combination of these properties. Methods: We used Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Low Band Antenna observations at 30-77 MHz and Very Large Array (VLA) L-band observations at 1-2 GHz to fit for internal absorption as parametrised by the emission measure. We simultaneously fit multiple UV-matched images with a common resolution of 17″ (this corresponds to 0.25 pc for a source at the distance of Cas A). The ample frequency coverage allows us separate the relative contributions from the absorbing gas, the unabsorbed front of the shell, and the absorbed back of the shell to the emission spectrum. We explored the effects that a temperature lower than the 100-500 K proposed from infrared observations and a high degree of clumping can have on the derived physical properties of the unshocked material, such as its mass and density. We also compiled integrated radio flux density measurements, fit for the absorption processes that occur in the radio band, and considered their effect on the secular decline of the source. Results: We find a mass in the unshocked ejecta of M = 2.95 ± 0.48 M⊙ for an assumed gas temperatureof T = 100 K. This estimate is reduced for colder gas temperatures and, most significantly, if the ejecta are clumped. We measure the reverse shock to have a radius of 114″± 6″ and be centred at 23:23:26, +58:48:54 (J2000). We also find that a decrease in the amount of mass in the unshocked ejecta (as more and more material meets the reverse shock and heats up) cannot account for the observed low-frequency behaviour of the secular decline rate. Conclusions: To reconcile our low-frequency absorption measurements with models that reproduce much of the observed behaviour in Cas A and predict little mass in the unshocked ejecta, the ejecta need to be very clumped or the temperature in the cold gas needs to be low ( 10 K). Both of these options are plausible and can together contribute to the high absorption value that we find. The 9 LBA narrow-band images and the VLA image are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/612/A110

Regolith stratigraphy at the Chang'E-3 landing site as seen by lunar penetrating radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fa, Wenzhe; Zhu, Meng-Hua; Liu, Tiantian; Plescia, Jeffrey B.

2015-12-01

The Chang'E-3 lunar penetrating radar (LPR) observations at 500 MHz reveal four major stratigraphic zones from the surface to a depth of ~20 m along the survey line: a layered reworked zone (<1 m), an ejecta layer (~2-6 m), a paleoregolith layer (~4-11 m), and the underlying mare basalts. The reworked zone has two to five distinct layers and consists of surface regolith. The paleoregolith buried by the ejecta from a 500 m crater is relatively homogenous and contains only a few rocks. Population of buried rocks increases with depth to ~2 m at first, and then decreases with depth, representing a balance between initial deposition of the ejecta and later turnover of the regolith. Combining with the surface age, the LPR observations indicate a mean accumulation rate of about 5-10 m/Gyr for the surface regolith, which is at least 4-8 times larger than previous estimation.

Bridging the gap between supernovae and their remnants through multi-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlando, S.; Miceli, M.; Petruk, O.

2017-02-01

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are diffuse extended sources characterized by a complex morphology and a non-uniform distribution of ejecta. Such a morphology reflects pristine structures and features of the progenitor supernova (SN) and the early interaction of the SN blast wave with the inhomogeneous circumstellar medium (CSM). Deciphering the observations of SNRs might open the possibility to investigate the physical properties of both the interacting ejecta and the shocked CSM. This requires accurate numerical models which describe the evolution from the SN explosion to the remnant development and which connect the emission properties of the remnants to the progenitor SNe. Here we show how multi-dimensional SN-SNR hydrodynamic models have been very effective in deciphering observations of SNR Cassiopeia A and SN 1987A, thus unveiling the structure of ejecta in the immediate aftermath of the SN explosion and constraining the 3D pre-supernova structure and geometry of the environment surrounding the progenitor SN.

Remote sensing and geologic studies of the orientale basin region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawke, B. Ray; Lucey, P. G.; Taylor, G. J.; Bell, Jeffrey F.; Peterson, C. A.; Blewett, D.; Horton, K.; Spudis, P. D.

1991-01-01

Both visual and near-infrared spectral observations are combined with multispectral imaging to study the Orientale interior and exterior, the Cruger region, Grimaldi Region, the Schiller-Schickard Region, and the Humorum Region of the Moon. It was concluded that anorthosites occur in the Inner Rook Mountains of Orientale, the inner ring of Grimaldi, and the main ring of Humorum. Imaging spectroscopy shows that the entire eastern Inner Rook Mountains are composed of anorthosites. Orientale ejecta are strikingly like the surface materials in the region where Apollo 16 landed. This similarity indicates similar mineralogy, i.e., noritic anorthosite. Thus, Orientile ejecta is more mafic than the Inner Rook Mountains. This situation is also true for the Nectaris, Humorum, and Gramaldi basins. Isolated areas of the Orientale region show the presence of gabbroic rocks, but, in general, Orientale ejecta are noritic anorthosites, which contain much more low-Ca pyroxene than high-Ca pyroxene. Ancient (pre-Orientale) mare volcanism apparently occurred in several areas of the western limb.

Grs 1915+105: a superluminal source in the Galaxy.

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, L F; Mirabel, I F

1995-01-01

We present the results of additional observations of the high energy source GRS 1915+105, which produces ejecta with apparent superluminal motions. The observations reported here were carried out with the Very Large Array at 3.5 cm and 20 cm. The 3.5-cm observations made during 1994 May allowed us to continue following the proper motions of the bright 1994 March 19 ejecta, as well as those of a subsequent, fainter ejection. The proper motions of the 1994 March 19 ejecta continued to be ballistic (i.e., constant) over the period of about 75 days where they remained detectable. From the observations in 1994 March-May we have identified three ejections of pairs of plasma clouds moving ballistically in approximately the same direction on the sky with similar proper motions. The 20-cm observations made during 1994 November and December were used to search, yet unsuccessfully, for extended jets or lobes associated with GRS 1915+105. PMID:11607605

Thermally distinct ejecta blankets from Martian craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betts, B. H.; Murray, B. C.

1992-09-01

The study of ejecta blankets on Mars gives information about the Martian surface, subsurface, geologic history, atmospheric history, and impact process. In Feb. and Mar. 1989, the Termoskan instrument on board the Phobos 1988 spacecraft of the USSR acquired the highest spatial resolution thermal data ever obtained for Mars, ranging in the resolution from 300 meters to 3 km per pixel. Termoskan simultaneously obtained broad band visible channel data. The data covers a large portion of the equatorial region from 30 degrees S latitude to 6 degrees N latitude. Utilizing the data set we have discovered tens of craters with thermal infrared distinct ejecta (TIDE) in the equatorial regions of Mars. In order to look for correlations within the data, we have compiled a database which currently consists of 110 craters in an area rich in TIDE's and geologic unit variations. For each crater, we include morphologic information from Barlow's Catalog of Large Martian Impact Craters in addition to geographic, geologic, and physical information and Termoskan thermal infrared and visible data.

Thermally distinct ejecta blankets from Martian craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, B. H.; Murray, B. C.

1992-01-01

The study of ejecta blankets on Mars gives information about the Martian surface, subsurface, geologic history, atmospheric history, and impact process. In Feb. and Mar. 1989, the Termoskan instrument on board the Phobos 1988 spacecraft of the USSR acquired the highest spatial resolution thermal data ever obtained for Mars, ranging in the resolution from 300 meters to 3 km per pixel. Termoskan simultaneously obtained broad band visible channel data. The data covers a large portion of the equatorial region from 30 degrees S latitude to 6 degrees N latitude. Utilizing the data set we have discovered tens of craters with thermal infrared distinct ejecta (TIDE) in the equatorial regions of Mars. In order to look for correlations within the data, we have compiled a database which currently consists of 110 craters in an area rich in TIDE's and geologic unit variations. For each crater, we include morphologic information from Barlow's Catalog of Large Martian Impact Craters in addition to geographic, geologic, and physical information and Termoskan thermal infrared and visible data.

Pedestal Crater and Yardangs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-444, 6 August 2003

This April 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a small meteor impact crater that has been modified by wind erosion. Two things happened after the crater formed. First, the upper few meters of surface material into which the meteor impacted was later eroded away by wind. The crater ejecta formed a protective armor that kept the material under the ejecta from been blown away. This caused the crater and ejecta to appear as if standing upon a raised platform--a feature that Mars geologists call a pedestal crater. Next, the pedestal crater was buried beneath several meters of new sediment, and then this material was eroded away by wind to form the array of sharp ridges that run across the pedestal crater's surface. These small ridges are known as yardangs. This picture is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left; it is located in west Daedalia Planum near 14.6oS, 131.9oW.

Dust in Supernovae and Supernova Remnants I: Formation Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarangi, A.; Matsuura, M.; Micelotta, E. R.

2018-04-01

Supernovae are considered as prime sources of dust in space. Observations of local supernovae over the past couple of decades have detected the presence of dust in supernova ejecta. The reddening of the high redshift quasars also indicate the presence of large masses of dust in early galaxies. Considering the top heavy IMF in the early galaxies, supernovae are assumed to be the major contributor to these large amounts of dust. However, the composition and morphology of dust grains formed in a supernova ejecta is yet to be understood with clarity. Moreover, the dust masses inferred from observations in mid-infrared and submillimeter wavelength regimes differ by two orders of magnitude or more. Therefore, the mechanism responsible for the synthesis of molecules and dust in such environments plays a crucial role in studying the evolution of cosmic dust in galaxies. This review summarises our current knowledge of dust formation in supernova ejecta and tries to quantify the role of supernovae as dust producers in a galaxy.

Solar radio bursts of spectral type II, coronal shocks, and optical coronal transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maxwell, A.; Dryer, M.

1981-01-01

An examination is presented of the association of solar radio bursts of spectral type II and coronal shocks with solar flare ejecta observed in H-alpha, the green coronal line, and white-light coronagraphs. It is suggested that fast-moving optical coronal transients should for the most part be identified with piston-type phenomena well behind the outward-traveling shock waves that generate type II radio bursts. A general model is presented which relates type II radio bursts and coronal shocks to optically observed ejecta and consists of three main velocity regimes: (1) a quasi-hemispherical shock wave moving outward from the flare at speeds of 1000-2000 km/sec and Alfven Mach number of about 1.5; (2) the velocity of the piston driving the shock, on the order of 0.8 that of the shock; and (3) the regime of the slower-moving H-alpha ejecta, with velocities of 300-500 km/sec.

Proton radiography measurements and models of ejecta structure in shocked Sn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammerberg, J. E.; Buttler, W. T.; Llobet, A.; Morris, C.; Goett, J.; Manzanares, R.; Saunders, A.; Schmidt, D.; Tainter, A.; Vogan-McNeil, W.; Wilde, C.

2017-06-01

We discuss experimental validation of ejecta source mass and velocity models using proton radiography. We have performed ejecta measurements at the Los Alamos proton radiography facility on 7 mm thick 81 mm diameter Sn samples driven with a plane-wave high explosive lens (PBX9501 + TNT). The surface of the Sn, in contact with He gas at an initial pressure of 7 atmospheres, was machined to have 4 concentric sinusoidal features with a wavelength of λ = 2 mm in the radial direction and amplitude h0 = 0.159 mm (kh0 = 2 πh0 / λ = 0.5). The shock pressure was 27 GPa. 42 images were obtained between 0 and 14 μs from the time of shock breakout at 275 and 400 ns intervals. The Abel inverted density profiles evolve to a self-similar density distribution that depends on a scaling variable z /vs t where vs is the spike tip velocity, z is the distance from the free surface and t is the time after shock breakout. Both the density profiles and the time dependence of the mass per unit area in the evolving spikes are in good agreement with a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability based model for ejecta production and evolution. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Dept. of Energy under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. The support of the LANL ASC-PEM and Science Campaign 2 programs is gratefully acknowledged.

Crater gradation in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, J. A.; Arvidson, R. E.; Crumpler, L. S.; Golombek, M. P.; Hahn, B.; Haldemann, A. F. C.; Li, R.; Soderblom, L. A.; Squyres, S. W.; Wright, S. P.; Watters, W. A.

2006-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rovers investigated numerous craters in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum during the first ~400 sols of their missions. Craters vary in size and preservation state but are mostly due to secondary impacts at Gusev and primary impacts at Meridiani. Craters at both locations are modified primarily by eolian erosion and infilling and lack evidence for modification by aqueous processes. Effects of gradation on crater form are dependent on size, local lithology, slopes, and availability of mobile sediments. At Gusev, impacts into basaltic rubble create shallow craters and ejecta composed of resistant rocks. Ejecta initially experience eolian stripping, which becomes weathering-limited as lags develop on ejecta surfaces and sediments are trapped within craters. Subsequent eolian gradation depends on the slow production of fines by weathering and impacts and is accompanied by minor mass wasting. At Meridiani the sulfate-rich bedrock is more susceptible to eolian erosion, and exposed crater rims, walls, and ejecta are eroded, while lower interiors and low-relief surfaces are increasingly infilled and buried by mostly basaltic sediments. Eolian processes outpace early mass wasting, often produce meters of erosion, and mantle some surfaces. Some small craters were likely completely eroded/buried. Craters >100 m in diameter on the Hesperian-aged floor of Gusev are generally more pristine than on the Amazonian-aged Meridiani plains. This conclusion contradicts interpretations from orbital views, which do not readily distinguish crater gradation state at Meridiani and reveal apparently subdued crater forms at Gusev that may suggest more gradation than has occurred.

Caught in the Act: UV spectroscopy of the ejecta-companion collision from a type Ia supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Shrinivas

2017-08-01

There is now significant observational evidence for both of the leading models proposed to explain the origin of type Ia supernovae (SNe). While the majority of SNe Ia likely come from the merger of two white dwarf (WD) stars (known as the double degenerate model), a significant fraction are the result of a WD accreting mass from the hydrogen envelope of a binary companion (known as the single degenerate model). Eventually, as the accreting WD approaches the Chandrasekhar limit, the onset of unstable burning occurs ultimately leading to a thermonuclear explosion. With observational evidence for both channels firmly in place, future efforts to better understand the progenitors of SNe Ia will require detailed studies of individual systems.A fundamental expectation of the single degenerate model is that the collision of the blast wave with the donor star will produce a unique signature - a bright and rapidly declining UV pulse. This UV signal has only been previously observed in a single SN. Here, we propose to undertake STIS UV spectroscopy of one infant type Ia SN with similarly strong UV emission. The spectra will provide unique and detailed insight into the ejecta-companion interaction while also probing the chemical abundance of the outermost layers of the SN ejecta. The ejecta-companion signature is only visible UV, and HST/STIS is the only instrument capable of obtaining the spectra that are needed as a detailed probe of the interaction physics.

NEUTRON-STAR MERGER EJECTA AS OBSTACLES TO NEUTRINO-POWERED JETS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Just, O.; Janka, H.-T.; Schwarz, N.

2016-01-10

We present the first special relativistic, axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of black hole-torus systems (approximating general relativistic gravity) as remnants of binary-neutron star (NS–NS) and neutron star–black hole (NS–BH) mergers, in which the viscously driven evolution of the accretion torus is followed with self-consistent energy-dependent neutrino transport and the interaction with the cloud of dynamical ejecta expelled during the NS–NS merging is taken into account. The modeled torus masses, BH masses and spins, and the ejecta masses, velocities, and spatial distributions are adopted from relativistic merger simulations. We find that energy deposition by neutrino annihilation can accelerate outflows with initially highmore » Lorentz factors along polar low-density funnels, but only in mergers with extremely low baryon pollution in the polar regions. NS–BH mergers, where polar mass ejection during the merging phase is absent, provide sufficiently baryon-poor environments to enable neutrino-powered, ultrarelativistic jets with terminal Lorentz factors above 100 and considerable dynamical collimation, favoring short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs), although their typical energies and durations might be too small to explain the majority of events. In the case of NS–NS mergers, however, neutrino emission of the accreting and viscously spreading torus is too short and too weak to yield enough energy for the outflows to break out from the surrounding ejecta shell as highly relativistic jets. We conclude that neutrino annihilation alone cannot power sGRBs from NS–NS mergers.« less

Spectral Sequences of Type Ia Supernovae. I. Connecting Normal and Subluminous SNe Ia and the Presence of Unburned Carbon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heringer, E.; Kerkwijk, M. H. van; Sim, S. A.

2017-09-01

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are generally agreed to arise from thermonuclear explosions of carbon–oxygen white dwarfs. The actual path to explosion, however, remains elusive, with numerous plausible parent systems and explosion mechanisms suggested. Observationally, SNe Ia have multiple subclasses, distinguished by their light curves and spectra. This raises the question of whether these indicate that multiple mechanisms occur in nature or that explosions have a large but continuous range of physical properties. We revisit the idea that normal and 91bg-like SNe can be understood as part of a spectral sequence in which changes in temperature dominate. Specifically, we findmore » that a single ejecta structure is sufficient to provide reasonable fits of both the normal SN Ia SN 2011fe and the 91bg-like SN 2005bl, provided that the luminosity and thus temperature of the ejecta are adjusted appropriately. This suggests that the outer layers of the ejecta are similar, thus providing some support for a common explosion mechanism. Our spectral sequence also helps to shed light on the conditions under which carbon can be detected in premaximum SN Ia spectra—we find that emission from iron can “fill in” the carbon trough in cool SNe Ia. This may indicate that the outer layers of the ejecta of events in which carbon is detected are relatively metal-poor compared to events in which carbon is not detected.« less

On the Possibility of Fast Radio Bursts from Inside Supernovae: The Case of SN 1986J

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bietenholz, Michael F.; Bartel, Norbert

2017-12-01

We discuss the possibility of obtaining fast radio bursts (FRBs) from the interior of supernovae, in particular SN 1986J. Young neutron stars are involved in many of the possible scenarios for the origin of FRBs, and it has been suggested that the high dispersion measures observed in FRBs might be produced by the ionized material in the ejecta of associated supernovae. Using VLA and VLBI measurements of the Type IIn SN 1986J, which has a central compact component not seen in other supernovae, we can directly observe for the first time radio signals, which originate in the interior of a young (∼30 year old) supernova. We show that at an age of 30 years, any FRB signal at ∼1 GHz would still be largely absorbed by the ejecta. By the time the ejecta have expanded so that a 1 GHz signal would be visible, the internal dispersion measure due to the SN ejecta would be below the values typically seen for FRBs. The high dispersion measures seen for the FRBs detected so far could of course be due to propagation through the intergalactic medium provided that the FRBs are at distances much larger than that of SN 1986J, which is 10 Mpc. We conclude that if FRBs originate in Type II SNe/SNRs, they would likely not become visible until 60 ∼ 200 years after the SN explosion.

Martian subsurface properties and crater formation processes inferred from fresh impact crater geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Sarah T.; Valiant, Gregory J.

2006-10-01

The geometry of simple impact craters reflects the properties of the target materials, and the diverse range of fluidized morphologies observed in Martian ejecta blankets are controlled by the near-surface composition and the climate at the time of impact. Using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data set, quantitative information about the strength of the upper crust and the dynamics of Martian ejecta blankets may be derived from crater geometry measurements. Here, we present the results from geometrical measurements of fresh craters 3-50 km in rim diameter in selected highland (Lunae and Solis Plana) and lowland (Acidalia, Isidis, and Utopia Planitiae) terrains. We find large, resolved differences between the geometrical properties of the freshest highland and lowland craters. Simple lowland craters are 1.5-2.0 times deeper (≥5σo difference) with >50% larger cavities (≥2σo) compared to highland craters of the same diameter. Rim heights and the volume of material above the preimpact surface are slightly greater in the lowlands over most of the size range studied. The different shapes of simple highland and lowland craters indicate that the upper ˜6.5 km of the lowland study regions are significantly stronger than the upper crust of the highland plateaus. Lowland craters collapse to final volumes of 45-70% of their transient cavity volumes, while highland craters preserve only 25-50%. The effective yield strength of the upper crust in the lowland regions falls in the range of competent rock, approximately 9-12 MPa, and the highland plateaus may be weaker by a factor of 2 or more, consistent with heavily fractured Noachian layered deposits. The measured volumes of continuous ejecta blankets and uplifted surface materials exceed the predictions from standard crater scaling relationships and Maxwell's Z model of crater excavation by a factor of 3. The excess volume of fluidized ejecta blankets on Mars cannot be explained by concentration of ejecta through nonballistic emplacement processes and/or bulking. The observations require a modification of the scaling laws and are well fit using a scaling factor of ˜1.4 between the transient crater surface diameter to the final crater rim diameter and excavation flow originating from one projectile diameter depth with Z = 2.7. The refined excavation model provides the first observationally constrained set of initial parameters for study of the formation of fluidized ejecta blankets on Mars.

Geology of the Selk crater region on Titan from Cassini VIMS observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soderblom, J.M.; Brown, R.H.; Soderblom, L.A.; Barnes, J.W.; Jaumann, R.; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Sotin, Christophe; Stephan, K.; Baines, K.H.; Buratti, B.J.; Clark, R.N.; Nicholson, P.D.

2010-01-01

Observations of Titan obtained by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) have revealed Selk crater, a geologically young, bright-rimmed, impact crater located ???800. km north-northwest of the Huygens landing site. The crater rim-crest diameter is ???90. km; its floor diameter is ???60. km. A central pit/peak, 20-30. km in diameter, is seen; the ratio of the size of this feature to the crater diameter is consistent with similarly sized craters on Ganymede and Callisto, all of which are dome craters. The VIMS data, unfortunately, are not of sufficient resolution to detect such a dome. The inner rim of Selk crater is fluted, probably by eolian erosion, while the outer flank and presumed ejecta blanket appear dissected by drainages (particularly to the east), likely the result of fluvial erosion. Terracing is observed on the northern and western walls of Selk crater within a 10-15. km wide terrace zone identified in VIMS data; the terrace zone is bright in SAR data, consistent with it being a rough surface. The terrace zone is slightly wider than those observed on Ganymede and Callisto and may reflect differences in thermal structure and/or composition of the lithosphere. The polygonal appearance of the crater likely results from two preexisting planes of weakness (oriented at azimuths of 21?? and 122?? east of north). A unit of generally bright terrain that exhibits similar infrared-color variation and contrast to Selk crater extends east-southeast from the crater several hundred kilometers. We informally refer to this terrain as the Selk "bench." Both Selk and the bench are surrounded by the infrared-dark Belet dune field. Hypotheses for the genesis of the optically bright terrain of the bench include: wind shadowing in the lee of Selk crater preventing the encroachment of dunes, impact-induced cryovolcanism, flow of a fluidized-ejecta blanket (similar to the bright crater outflows observed on Venus), and erosion of a streamlined upland formed in the lee of Selk crater by fluid flow. Vestigial circular outlines in this feature just east of Selk's ejecta blanket suggest that this might be a remnant of an ancient, cratered crust. Evidently the southern margin of the feature has sufficient relief to prevent the encroachment of dunes from the Belet dune field. We conclude that this feature either represents a relatively high-viscosity, fluidized-ejecta flow (a class intermediate to ejecta blankets and long venusian-style ejecta flows) or a streamlined upland remnant that formed downstream from the crater by erosive fluid flow from the west-northwest. ?? 2010 Elsevier Inc.

Cosmic Blasting Zone

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-12-06

Saturn's impact-pummeled Hyperion stares back at Cassini in this six-image mosaic taken during the spacecraft’s close approach on Sept. 26, 2005. This up-close view shows a low density body blasted by impacts over the eons. Scientists originally believed that the spongy appearance of Hyperion is caused by a phenomenon called thermal erosion, in which dark materials accumulating on crater floors are warmed by sunlight and melt deeper into the surface, allowing surrounding ice to vaporize away. Cassini scientists now think that Hyperion’s unusual appearance can be attributed to the fact that it has an unusually low density for such a large object, giving it weak surface gravity and high porosity. These characteristics help preserve the original shapes of Hyperion’s craters by limiting the amount of impact ejecta coating the moon’s surface. Impactors tend to make craters by compressing the surface material, rather than blasting it out. Further, Hyperion’s weak gravity, and correspondingly low escape velocity, means that what little ejecta is produced has a good chance of escaping the moon altogether. At 280 kilometers, (174 miles) across, Hyperion’s impact-shaped morphology makes it the largest of Saturn's irregularly-shaped moons. Six, clear-filter images were combined to create this mosaic. Images were taken by the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera at a mean distance of about 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles) from Hyperion and at a sun-Hyperion-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 51 degrees. Image scale is 197 meters per pixel. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07761

Popigai Impact Structure Modeling: Morphology and Worldwide Ejecta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivanov, B. A.; Artemieva, N. A.; Pierazzo, E.

2004-01-01

The approx. 100 km in diameter, 35.7 0.2 Ma old Popigai structure [1], northern Siberia (Russia), is the best-preserved of the large terrestrial complex crater structures containing a central-peak ring [2- 4]. Although remotely located, the excellent outcrops, large number of drill cores, and wealth of geochemical data make Popigai ideal for the general study of the cratering processes. It is most famous for its impact-diamonds [2,5]. Popigai is the best candidate for the source crater of the worldwide late Eocene ejecta [6,7].

Martian impact craters - Correlations of ejecta and interior morphologies with diameter, latitude, and terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, Nadine G.; Bradley, Tracy L.

1990-01-01

An effort is made to establish the ability of a correlation between crater morphology and latitude, diameter, and terrain, to discriminate among the effects of impact energy, atmosphere, and subsurface volatiles in 3819 larger-than-8 km diameter craters distributed over the Martian surface. It is noted that changes in ejecta and interior morphology correlate with increases in crater diameter, and that while many of the interior structures exhibit distributions interpretable as terrain-dependent, central peak and peak ring interior morphologies exhibit minimal relationships with planetary properties.

Distribution of inert gases in fines from the Cayley-Descartes region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walton, J. R.; Lakatos, S.; Heymann, D.

1973-01-01

The inert gases in 14 different fines and in one sample of 2 to 4 mm fines from Apollo 16 were measured by mass spectroscopy with respect to trapped solar wind gases, cosmogenic gases, and 'parentless' Ar-40. Such studies are helpful for the understanding of regolith evolution, of transport of regolith fines, and of the lunar atmosphere. The Apollo 16 soils are unique because they represent, after Luna 20, the second and much more extensive record from the lunar highlands. The landing site presents the problem of materials from the Cayley Formation vs those from the Descartes Formation. There are two large, relatively fresh craters in the area, North Ray and South Ray, whose ejecta patterns may be recognized in the inert-gas record.

Simulating regolith ejecta due to gas impingement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Wesley Allen; Metzger, Philip; Dove, Adrienne; Britt, Daniel

2016-10-01

Space missions operating at or near the surface of a planet or small body must consider possible gas-regolith interactions, as they can cause hazardous effects or, conversely, be employed to accomplish mission goals. They are also directly related to a body's surface properties; thus understanding these interactions could provide an additional tool to analyze mission data. The Python Regolith Interaction Calculator (PyRIC), built upon a computational technique developed in the Apollo era, was used to assess interactions between rocket exhaust and an asteroid's surface. It focused specifically on threshold conditions for causing regolith ejecta. To improve this model, and learn more about the underlying physics, we have begun ground-based experiments studying the interaction between gas impingement and regolith simulant. Compressed air, initially standing in for rocket exhaust, is directed through a rocket nozzle at a bed of simulant. We assess the qualitative behavior of various simulants when subjected to a known maximum surface pressure, both in atmosphere and in a chamber initially at vacuum. These behaviors are compared to prior computational results, and possible flow patterns are inferred. Our future work will continue these experiments in microgravity through the use of a drop tower. These will use several simulant types and various pressure levels to observe the effects gas flow can have on target surfaces. Combining this with a characterization of the surface pressure distribution, tighter bounds can be set on the cohesive threshold necessary to maintain regolith integrity. This will aid the characterization of actual regolith distributions, as well as informing the surface operation phase of mission design.

High-Resolution, Long-Slit Spectroscopy of VY Canis Majoris: The Evidence for Localized High Mass Loss Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humphreys, Roberta M.; Davidson, Kris; Ruch, Gerald; Wallerstein, George

2005-01-01

High spatial and spectral resolution spectroscopy of the OH/IR supergiant VY CMa and its circumstellar ejecta reveals evidence for high mass loss events from localized regions on the star occurring over the past 1000 yr. The reflected absorption lines and the extremely strong K I emission lines show a complex pattern of velocities in the ejecta. We show that the large, dusty northwest arc, expanding at ~50 km s-1 with respect to the embedded star, is kinematically distinct from the surrounding nebulosity and was ejected about 400 yr ago. Other large, more filamentary loops were probably expelled as much as 800-1000 yr ago, whereas knots and small arcs close to the star resulted from more recent events 100-200 yr ago. The more diffuse, uniformly distributed gas and dust is surprisingly stationary, with little or no velocity relative to the star. This is not what we would expect for the circumstellar material from an evolved red supergiant with a long history of mass loss. We therefore suggest that the high mass loss rate for VY CMa is a measure of the mass carried out by these specific ejections accompanied by streams or flows of gas through low-density regions in the dust envelope. VY CMa may thus be our most extreme example of stellar activity, but our results also bring into question the evolutionary state of this famous star. In a separate appendix, we discuss the origin of the very strong K I and other rare emission lines in its spectrum.

Butterfly Ejecta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

Released 4 September 2003

In the heavily cratered southern highlands of Mars, the type of crater seen in this THEMIS visible image is relatively rare. Elliptical craters with 'butterfly' ejecta patterns make up roughly 5% of the total crater population of Mars. They are caused by impactors which hit the surface at oblique, or very shallow angles. Similar craters are also seen in about the same abundance on the Moon and Venus.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -24.6, Longitude 41 East (319 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Trioctahedral micas in xenolithic ejecta from recent volcanism of the Somma-Vesuvius (Italy): Crystal chemistry and genetic inferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balassone, Giuseppina; Scordari, Fernando; Lacalamita, Maria; Schingaro, Emanuela; Mormone, Angela; Piochi, Monica; Petti, Carmela; Mondillo, Nicola

2013-02-01

This study reports the first crystal chemical database resulting from a detailed structural investigation of trioctahedral micas found in xenolithic ejecta produced during the AD 1631, 1872 and 1944 eruptions, three explosive episodes of recent volcanic period of Vesuvius volcano (Southern Italy). Three xenolith types were selected: metamorphic/metasomatic skarns, pyrometamorphic/hydrothermally altered nodules and mafic cumulates. They are related to different magma chemistry and effusive styles: from sub-plinian and most evolved (AD 1631 eruption) to violent strombolian with medium evolution degree (AD 1872 eruption) to vulcanian-effusive, least evolved (AD 1944 eruption) event, respectively. Both xenoliths and micas were investigated employing multiple techniques: the xenoliths were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and quantitative energy-dispersive microanalysis; the micas were studied by electron probe microanalysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The mica-bearing xenoliths show variable texture and mineralogical assemblage, clearly related to their different origin. Based on the major oxide chemistry, only one xenolithic sample falls in the skarn compositional field from the Somma-Vesuvius literature, some fall close to the skarns and cumulate fields, others plot close to the syenite/foidolite/essexite field. A subgroup of the selected ejecta does not fall or approach any of the compositional fields. Trace and rare earth element patterns show some petrological affinity between studied xenoliths and erupted magmas with typical Eu, Ta and Nb negative anomalies. Strongly depleted patterns were detected for the 1631 metamorphic/metasomatic skarns xenoliths. Three distinct mica groups were distinguished: 1) Mg-, Al-rich, low Ti-bearing, low to moderate F-bearing varieties (1631 xenolith), 2) Al-moderate, F- and Mg-rich, Ti-, Fe-poor varieties (1872 xenolith), and 3) Al-, Ti- and Fe-rich, F-poor phases (1944 xenolith). All the analyzed mica crystals are 1M polytypes with the expected space group C2/m. Micas from xenoliths of the 1631 Vesuvius eruption are phlogopites characterized by a combination of low extent of oxy-type and variable extent OH- → F- substitutions, as testified by the range of F concentration (from ~ 0.20 to 0.80 apfu). Micas from xenoliths of the 1872 Vesuvius eruption exhibit structural peculiarities typical of fluorophlogopites, i.e. OH- → F- substitution is predominant. Micas from the xenolith of the 1944 Vesuvius eruption display features typical of oxy-substituted micas. The variability of the crystal chemical features of the studied micas is consistent with the remarkable variation of their host rocks. Micas from 1631 nodules are related to metasomatic, skarn-type environment, deriving from the metamorphosed wall-rocks hosting the magma reservoir. The fluorophlogopites from the 1872 xenoliths testify for strongly dehydrated environmental conditions compared to those of the 1631 and 1944 hosts. Finally, magma storage condition at depth, associated to a decreasing aH2O may have promoted major oxy-type substitutions in 1944 biotites.

Arruntia Crater: A Rare Window into Vesta’s Northern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunshine, Jessica; Cheek, Leah

2015-11-01

One of the intriguing results of the Dawn mission to Vesta was the discovery that the only deposits containing significant olivine, a key mineralogic indicator of primitive materials, occur in two shallow craters in the northern hemisphere. Numerous investigations into these exposures using either the Framing Camera (FC) or the VIR spectrometer typically find similarities between the olivine outcropping in Bellicia’s wall and in the Arruntia ejecta. Our own investigations - using a hybrid VIR-FC approach -suggest an important distinction between the exposures at the two craters. Specifically, we find that the proximal Arruntia ejecta are dominated not by an olivine-rich component (although isolated examples occur), but instead by a more evolved, eucritic component. These interspersed eucritic materials are similar to olivine-rich materials in FC data because both components pull the 1 um band to longer wavelengths. Ultimately, however, they are distinguished by the position and strength of the 2 um band, which is not covered by FC wavelengths. The Arruntia ejecta also appear olivine-like in some parameterizations of VIR spectra for the area, but closer examination of the full spectra at a fine spatial scale clearly suggests the presence of two different materials. Interestingly, the approach used here also reveals a separate diogenitic component in the distal Arruntia ejecta as well as in isolated locations within Arruntia’s wall. Initial evaluation of stratigraphic relationships in the Arruntia ejecta suggest a pre-impact sequence of eucrite -> olivine-rich -> diogenite grading from depth to the shallowest subsurface (although the small size of Arruntia means that this entire assemblage was excavated from no more than a few of kilometers below the surface). These results illustrate two main points: first, that pyroxene-bearing materials rich in olivine are difficult to distinguish from evolved pyroxenes in the absence of full resolution spectroscopy at a fine spatial scale. Second, we find that Arruntia crater is likely a unique location on Vesta where pervasive mechanical gardening has not yet masked the stratigraphic relationships between endmember diogenitic and eucritic components nor olivine-enhancements.

The disposition of impact ejecta resulting from the AIDA-DART mission to binary asteroid 65803 Didymos: an independent investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, James E.; O'Brien, David P.

2016-10-01

If all goes as planned, in the year 2020 a joint ESA and NASA mission will be launched that will rendezvous with the near-Earth binary asteroid system 65803 Didymos in the fall of 2022. The European component, the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) spacecraft will arrive first and characterize the system, which consists of a ~800 m diameter primary and a ~160 m diameter secondary, orbiting a common center of mass at a semi-major axis distance of ~1200 m with a orbital period of 11.9 hr. Following system characterization, the AIDA spacecraft will remove to a safe distance while the NASA component, the 300 kg Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collides with the trailing edge of the secondary body (with respect to the binary's retrograde mutual orbit). Meanwhile, the AIDA spacecraft will conduct observations of this impact and its aftermath, specifically looking for changes made to the primary, the secondary, and their mutual orbit as a result of the DART collision. Of particular interest is the ballistic flight and final disposition of the ejecta produced by the impact cratering process, not just from the standpoint of scientific study, but also from the standpoint of AIDA spacecraft safety.In this study, we investigate a series of hypothetical DART impacts utilizing a semi-empirical, numerical impact ejecta plume model originally developed for the Deep Impact mission and designed specifically with impacts on small bodies in mind. The resulting excavated mass is discretized into 7200 individual tracer particles, each representing a unique combination of speed, mass, and ejected direction. The trajectory of each tracer is computed numerically under the gravitational influence of both primary and secondary, along with the effects of solar radiation pressure. Each tracer is followed until it either impacts a body or escapes the system, whereupon tracking is continued in the heliocentric frame using an N-body integrator. Various impact scenarios will be explored, along with a number of ejecta particle sizes, with the aim of characterizing the most likely final ejecta dispositions resulting from the DART impact, and the safest vantages from which the AIDA spacecraft can observe this event.

Numerical modeling of Stickney crater and its aftermath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Stephen R.; Michel, Patrick; Bruck Syal, Megan; Owen, J. Michael; Miller, Paul L.; Richardson, Derek C.; Zhang, Yun

2016-10-01

Phobos is characterized by a large crater called Stickney. Its collisional formation and its aftermath have important implications on the final structure, morphology, and surface properties of Phobos that still need further clarification. This is particularly important in the current environment, with space mission concepts to Phobos under active study by several space agencies. SPH hydrocode simulations of the impact that formed Stickney crater [1] have been performed. Using the Soft-Sphere Discrete Element Method (SSDEM) collisional routine of the N-body code pkdgrav [2], we take the outcome of SPH simulations as inputs and model the ensuing phase of the crater formation process and its ejecta evolution under the gravitational influence of Phobos and Mars. In our simulations, about 9 million particles comprise Phobos' shape [3], and the evolution of particles that are expected to form or leave the crater is followed using multiple plausible orbits for Phobos around Mars. We track the immediate fate of low-speed ejecta (~3-8 m/s), allowing us to test an hypothesis [4] that they may scour certain groove marks that have been observed on Phobos' surface and to quantify the amounts and locations of re-impacting ejecta. We also compute the orbital fate of ejecta whose speed is below the system escape speed (about 3 km/s). This allows us to estimate the thickness and distribution of the final ejecta blanket and to check whether crater chains may form. Finally, particles forming the crater walls are followed until achieving stability, allowing us to estimate the final crater depth and diameter. We will show examples of these simulations from a set of SPH initial conditions and over a range of parameters (e.g., material friction coefficients). Work ongoing to cover a larger range of plausible impact conditions, allowing us to explore different scenarios to explain Phobos' observed properties and to infer more, giving useful constraints to space mission studies. [1] Bruck Syal, M. et al. (this meeting); [2] Schwartz, S.R. et al. 2012, Granul. Matter 14, 363; [3] Willner, K. et al. 2010, E. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 294, 541; [4] Wilson, L. & Head, J.W. 2015, Planet. Space Sci. 105, 26.

In pursuit of gamma-ray burst progenitors: the identification of a sub-population of rotating Wolf-Rayet stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vink, J. S.; Gräfener, G.; Harries, T. J.

2011-12-01

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) involve the most powerful cosmic explosions since the Big Bang. Whilst it has been established that GRBs are related to the death throes of massive stars, the identification of their elusive progenitors has proved challenging. Theoretical modelling suggests that rotating Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are the best candidates. Wolf-Rayet stars are thought to be in advanced core burning stages, just prior to explosion, but their strong stellar winds shroud their surfaces, preventing a direct measurement of their rotation. Fortunately, linear spectropolarimetry may be used to probe the flattening of their winds because of stellar spin. Spectropolarimetry surveys have shown that the vast majority of WR stars (80%) have spherically symmetric winds and are therefore rotating slowly, yet a small minority (of 20%) display a spectropolarimetric signature indicative of rotation. Here we find a highly significant correlation between WR objects that carry the signature of stellar rotation and the small subset of WR stars with ejecta nebulae that have only recently transitioned from a previous red sugergiant or luminous blue variable phase. As these youthful WR stars have yet to spin-down because of mass loss, they are the best candidate GRB progenitors identified to date. When we take recently published WR ejecta nebula numbers (of Stock & Barlow 2010, MNRAS, 409, 1429), we find that five out of the six line-effect WR stars are surrounded by ejecta nebulae. The statistics imply that the null hypothesis of no correlation between line-effect WR stars and ejecta nebulae can be rejected at the 0.0004% level. Given that four line-effect and WR ejecta nebula have spectroscopically been confirmed to contain nucleo-synthetic products, we argue that the correlation is both statistically significant and physically convincing. The implication is that we have identified a sub-population of WR stars that fulfils the necessary criteria for making GRBs. Finally, we discuss the potential of identifying GRB progenitors via linear spectropolarimetry with extremely large telescopes.

Initial Results on the Meteoritic Component of new Sediment Cores Containing Deposits of the Eltanin Impact Event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kyte, Frank T.; Gersonde, Rainer; Kuhn, Gerhard

2002-01-01

The late Pliocene impact of the Eltanin asteroid is the only known asteroid impact in a deep- ocean (-5 km) basin . This was first discovered in 1981 as an Ir anomaly in sediment cores collected by the USNS Eltanin in 1965. In 1995, Polarstern expedition ANT XII/4 made the first geological survey of the suspected impact region. Three sediment cores sampled around the San Martin seamounts (approx. 57.5 S, 91 W) contained well-preserved impact deposits that include disturbed ocean sediments and meteoritic impact ejecta. The latter is composed of shock-melted asteroidal materials and unmelted meteorites. In 2001, the FS Polarstern returned to the impact area during expedition ANT XVIIU5a. At least 16 cores were recovered that contain ejecta deposits. These cores and geophysical data from the expedition can be used to map the effects of the impact over a region of about 80,000 square km. To date we have measured Ir concentrations in sediments from seven of the new cores and preliminary data should be available for a few more by the time of the meeting. Our initial interpretation of these data is that there is a region in the vicinity of the San Martin Seamounts comprising at least 20,000 square km in which the average amount of meteoritic material deposited was more than 1 g per square cm. This alone is enough material to support a 500 m asteroid. Beyond this is a region of about 60,000 square km, mostly to the north and west, where the amount of ejecta probably averages about 0.2 g per square cm. Another 400 km to the east, USNS Eltanin core E10-2 has about 0.05 g per square cm, so we know that ejecta probably occurs across more than a million square km of ocean floor. A key to future exploration of this impact is to find evidence of the ejecta at more sites distant from the seamounts. We currently have almost no data from regions to the west or south of the San Martin seamounts.

Crater gradation in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grant, J. A.; Arvidson, R. E.; Crumpler, L.S.; Golombek, M.P.; Hahn, B.; Haldemann, A.F.C.; Li, R.; Soderblom, L.A.; Squyres, S. W.; Wright, S.P.; Watters, W.A.

2006-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rovers investigated numerous craters in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum during the first ???400 sols of their missions. Craters vary in size and preservation state but are mostly due to secondary impacts at Gusev and primary impacts at Meridiani. Craters at both locations are modified primarily by eolian erosion and infilling and lack evidence for modification by aqueous processes. Effects of gradation on crater form are dependent on size, local lithology, slopes, and availability of mobile sediments. At Gusev, impacts into basaltic rubble create shallow craters and ejecta composed of resistant rocks. Ejecta initially experience eolian stripping, which becomes weathering-limited as lags develop on ejecta surfaces and sediments are trapped within craters. Subsequent eolian gradation depends on the slow production of fines by weathering and impacts and is accompanied by minor mass wasting. At Meridiani the sulfate-rich bedrock is more susceptible to eolian erosion, and exposed crater rims, walls, and ejecta are eroded, while lower interiors and low-relief surfaces are increasingly infilled and buried by mostly basaltic sediments. Eolian processes outpace early mass wasting, often produce meters of erosion, and mantle some surfaces. Some small craters were likely completely eroded/buried. Craters >100 m in diameter on the Hesperian-aged floor of Gusev are generally more pristine than on the Amazonian-aged Meridiani plains. This conclusion contradicts interpretations from orbital views, which do not readily distinguish crater gradation state at Meridiani and reveal apparently subdued crater forms at Gusev that may suggest more gradation than has occurred. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

The Distribution of Radioactive Ti-44 in Cassiopeia A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grefenstette, Brian W.; Fryer, Chris L.; Harrison, Fiona A.; Boggs, Steven E.; Delaney, Tracey; Laming, J. Martin; Reynolds, Stephen P.; Alexander, David M.; Barret, Didier; Zhang, William W.;

Activity of the 2013 Geminid meteoroid stream at the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szalay, Jamey R.; Pokorný, Petr; Jenniskens, Peter; Horányi, Mihály

2018-03-01

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) onboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer mission orbited the Moon from 2013 October to 2014 April and detected impact ejecta generated by the continual bombardment of meteoroids to the lunar surface. While the Moon transited the Geminid meteoroid stream, LDEX observed a large enhancement in the lunar impact ejecta cloud, particularly above the portion of lunar surface normal to the Geminids radiant. Here, we present the LDEX measurements during the Geminids, using the surface density of impact ejecta at the Moon as a proxy for meteoroid activity. We find two peaks during the Geminids, a smaller peak at solar longitude λ⊙ = 261.3° ± 0.12° followed by a larger peak at λ⊙ = 262.2° ± 0.12°, with a surface density ratio of 2.6 between the two. Both peaks coincide with radar observations of shallower mass indices than most of the Geminids, suggesting an enhancement of larger particles during the two peaks. The total duration of the 2013 Geminid meteoroid shower at the Moon measured by LDEX is Δλ⊙ = 1.7° for activity >10 per cent of the peak value, corresponding to a width of 1.9 × 106 km normal to the Geminids velocity vector. The timing of the main observed peak matches ground-based visual observations of meteors with magnitude of -1 to -3 and suggests LDEX is detecting ejecta from primary impactors with radii ˜2 mm to 2 cm during this time.

Relativistic simulations of long-lived reverse shocks in stratified ejecta: the origin of flares in GRB afterglows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamberts, A.; Daigne, F.

2018-02-01

The X-ray light curves of the early afterglow phase from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) present a puzzling variability, including flares. The origin of these flares is still debated, and often associated with a late activity of the central engine. We discuss an alternative scenario where the central engine remains short-lived and flares are produced by the propagation of a long-lived reverse shock in a stratified ejecta. Here we focus on the hydrodynamics of the shock interactions. We perform one-dimensional ultrarelativistic hydrodynamic simulations with different initial internal structure in the GRB ejecta. We use them to extract bolometric light curves and compare with a previous study based on a simplified ballistic model. We find a good agreement between both approaches, with similar slopes and variability in the light curves, but identify several weaknesses in the ballistic model: the density is underestimated in the shocked regions, and more importantly, late shock reflections are not captured. With accurate dynamics provided by our hydrodynamic simulations, we confirm that internal shocks in the ejecta lead to the formation of dense shells. The interaction of the long-lived reverse shock with a dense shell then produces a fast and intense increase of the dissipated power. Assuming that the emission is due to the synchrotron radiation from shock-accelerated electrons, and that the external forward shock is radiatively inefficient, we find that this results in a bright flare in the X-ray light curve, with arrival times, shapes, and duration in agreement with the observed properties of X-ray flares in GRB afterglows.

Observational Evidence for High Neutronization in Supernova Remnants: Implications for Type Ia Supernova Progenitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martínez-Rodríguez, Héctor; Badenes, Carles; Andrews, Brett

The physical process whereby a carbon–oxygen white dwarf explodes as a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) remains highly uncertain. The degree of neutronization in SN Ia ejecta holds clues to this process because it depends on the mass and the metallicity of the stellar progenitor, and on the thermodynamic history prior to the explosion. We report on a new method to determine ejecta neutronization using Ca and S lines in the X-ray spectra of Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs). Applying this method to Suzaku data of Tycho, Kepler , 3C 397, and G337.2−0.7 in the Milky Way, and N103B inmore » the Large Magellanic Cloud, we find that the neutronization of the ejecta in N103B is comparable to that of Tycho and Kepler , which suggests that progenitor metallicity is not the only source of neutronization in SNe Ia. We then use a grid of SN Ia explosion models to infer the metallicities of the stellar progenitors of our SNRs. The implied metallicities of 3C 397, G337.2−0.7, and N103B are major outliers compared to the local stellar metallicity distribution functions, indicating that progenitor metallicity can be ruled out as the origin of neutronization for these SNRs. Although the relationship between ejecta neutronization and equivalent progenitor metallicity is subject to uncertainties stemming from the {sup 12}C + {sup 16}O reaction rate, which affects the Ca/S mass ratio, our main results are not sensitive to these details.« less

Well-Preserved Impact Ejecta and Impact Melt-Rich Deposits in Terra Sabaea

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-12

This image of a well-preserved unnamed elliptical crater in Terra Sabaea, is illustrative of the complexity of ejecta deposits forming as a by-product of the impact process that shapes much of the surface of Mars. Here we see a portion of the western ejecta deposits emanating from a 10-kilometer impact crater that occurs within the wall of a larger, 60-kilometer-wide crater. In the central part is a lobe-shaped portion of the ejecta blanket from the smaller crater. The crater is elliptical not because of an angled (oblique) impact, but because it occurred on the steep slopes of the wall of a larger crater. This caused it to be truncated along the slope and elongated perpendicular to the slope. As a result, any impact melt from the smaller crater would have preferentially deposited down slope and towards the floor of the larger crater (towards the west). Within this deposit, we can see fine-scale morphological features in the form of a dense network of small ridges and pits. These crater-related pitted materials are consistent with volatile-rich impact melt-bearing deposits seen in some of the best-preserved craters on Mars (e.g., Zumba, Zunil, etc.). These deposits formed immediately after the impact event, and their discernible presence relate to the preservation state of the crater. This image is an attempt to visualize the complex formation and emplacement history of these enigmatic deposits formed by this elliptical crater and to understand its degradation history. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13078

Ganymede Impact Crater Morphology as Revealed by Galileo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weitz, C. M.; Head, J. W.; Pappalardo, R.; Chapman, C.; Greeley, R.; Helfenstein, P.; Neukum, G.; Galileo SSI Team

1997-07-01

We have used the Galileo G1, G2, G7, and G8 images to study the morpholo- gy and degradation of impact craters on Ganymede. Results from the G1 and G2 data showed three types of degradation states: pristine, partially degraded, and heavily degraded. With the more recent G7 and G8 images, there are now several other distinct crater morphologies that we have identified. Enki Catena is about 120 km in length and consists of 13 attached impact craters. The six craters in the chain that impacted onto the bright terrain have visible bright ejecta while those that impacted onto the dark terrain have barely visible ejecta. Kittu crater is about 15 km in diameter and it has a bright central peak surrounded by a bright floor and hummocky wall material. The crater rim in the north is linear in appearance at the location that corresponds to the boundary between the groove terrain and the adjacent dark terrain, indicating structural control by the underlying topography. The dark rays that are easily seen in the Voyager images are barely visible in the Galileo image. Neith crater has a central fractured dome surrounded by a jagged central ring, smoother outer ejecta facies, and less prominent outer rings. Achelous crater and its neighbor, which were imaged at low sun angle to show topography, have smooth floors and subdued pedestal ejecta. Nicholson Regio has tectonically disrupted craters on the groove and fractured terrains while the surrounding smoother dark terrain has numerous degrad- ed craters that may indicate burial by resurfacing or by regolith development.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uhm, Z. Lucas; Zhang Bing; Hascoeet, Romain

We perform a detailed study on the dynamics of a relativistic blast wave with the presence of a long-lived reverse shock (RS). Although a short-lived RS has been widely considered, the RS is believed to be long-lived as a consequence of a stratification expected on the ejecta Lorentz factors. The existence of a long-lived RS causes the forward shock (FS) dynamics to deviate from a self-similar Blandford-McKee solution. Employing the ''mechanical model'' that correctly incorporates the energy conservation, we present an accurate solution for both the FS and RS dynamics. We conduct a sophisticated calculation of the afterglow emission. Adoptingmore » a Lagrangian description of the blast wave, we keep track of an adiabatic evolution of numerous shells between the FS and RS. An evolution of the electron spectrum is also followed individually for every shell. We then find the FS and RS light curves by integrating over the entire FS and RS shocked regions, respectively. Exploring a total of 20 different ejecta stratifications, we explain in detail how a stratified ejecta affects its blast wave dynamics and afterglow light curves. We show that, while the FS light curves are not sensitive to the ejecta stratifications, the RS light curves exhibit much richer features, including steep declines, plateaus, bumps, re-brightenings, and a variety of temporal decay indices. These distinctive RS features may be observable if the RS has higher values of the microphysics parameters than the FS. We discuss possible applications of our results in understanding the gamma-ray burst afterglow data.« less

HCN production from impact ejecta on the early Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkos, Devon; Pikus, Aaron; Alexeenko, Alina; Melosh, H. J.

2016-11-01

Major impact events have drastically altered the evolution of life on Earth. The reentry of ejecta formed from these events can trigger widespread chemical changes to the atmosphere on a global scale. This mechanism was proposed as a source of HCN during the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago. Significant concentrations of HCN in surface water could directly lead to adenine formation, a precursor for RNA. This work uses the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method to examine the production of CN and HCN due to the reentry of impact ejecta. We use the Statistical Modeling in Low-Density Environment (SMILE) code, which utilizes the Total Collisional Energy (TCE) model for reactions. The collisions are described by the Variable Soft Sphere (VSS) and Larsen-Borgnakke (LB) models. We compare this nonequilibrium production to equilibrium concentrations from bulk atmospheric heating. The equilibrium HCN yield for a 1023 J impact is 7.0×104 moles, corresponding to a 2.5×1014 molecules per m2 surface deposition. We find that additional CN and HCN is produced under thermochemical nonequilibrium, particularly at higher altitudes. The total nonequilibrium yield for a 1023 J impact is 1.2×106 moles of HCN, a value 17 times the equilibrium result. This corresponds to a surface deposition of 1.4×1015 molecules per m2. This increase in production indicates that thermochemical nonequilibrium effects play a strong role in HCN from impact ejecta, and must be considered when investigating impacts as a plausible mechanism for significant adenine production during the LHB.

HCN Production via Impact Ejecta Reentry During the Late Heavy Bombardment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkos, Devon; Pikus, Aaron; Alexeenko, Alina; Melosh, H. Jay

2018-04-01

Major impact events have shaped the Earth as we know it. The Late Heavy Bombardment is of particular interest because it immediately precedes the first evidence of life. The reentry of impact ejecta creates numerous chemical by-products, including biotic precursors such as HCN. This work examines the production of HCN during the Late Heavy Bombardment in more detail. We stochastically simulate the range of impacts on the early Earth and use models developed from existing studies to predict the corresponding ejecta properties. Using multiphase flow methods and finite-rate equilibrium chemistry, we then find the HCN production due to the resulting atmospheric heating. We use Direct Simulation Monte Carlo to develop a correction factor to account for increased yields due to thermochemical nonequilibrium. We then model 1-D atmospheric turbulent diffusion to find the time accurate transport of HCN to lower altitudes and ultimately surface water. Existing works estimate the necessary HCN molarity threshold to promote polymerization that is 0.01 M. For a mixing depth of 100 m, we find that the Late Heavy Bombardment will produce at least one impact event above this threshold with probability 24.1% for an oxidized atmosphere and 56.3% for a partially reduced atmosphere. For a mixing depth of 10 m, the probability is 79.5% for an oxidized atmosphere and 96.9% for a partially reduced atmosphere. Therefore, Late Heavy Bombardment impact ejecta is likely an HCN source sufficient for polymerization in shallow bodies of water, particularly if the atmosphere were in a partially reduced state.

Thermal infrared data analyses of Meteor Crater, Arizona: Implications for Mars spaceborne data from the Thermal Emission Imaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Shawn P.; Ramsey, Michael S.

2006-02-01

Thermal infrared (TIR) data from the Earth-orbiting Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument are used to identify the lithologic distribution of the Meteor Crater ejecta blanket. Thermal emission laboratory spectra were obtained for collected samples, and spectral deconvolution was performed on ASTER emissivity data using both image and sample end-members. Comparison of the spaceborne ASTER data to the airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data was used to validate the ASTER end-member analyses. The ASTER image end-member analysis agrees well with past studies considering the effects of resolution degradation. The work at Meteor Crater has direct bearing on the interpretation of Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) data currently being returned from Mars. ASTER and THEMIS have similar spatial and spectral resolutions, and Meteor Crater serves as an analog for similar-sized impact sites on Mars. These small impact craters have not been studied in detail owing to the low spatial resolution of past orbiting TIR instruments. Using the same methodology as that applied to Meteor Crater, THEMIS TIR data of a provisionally named Winslow Crater (~1 km) impact crater in Syrtis Major are analyzed. The crater rim and ejecta blanket were found to contain larger block sizes and a lower albedo than the surrounding ejecta-free plain, indicating a young impact age. The composition of the rim, ejecta, and surrounding plain is determined to be dominated by basalt; however, potential stratigraphy has also been identified. Results of this work could be extended to future investigations using THEMIS data.

An explanation of the formation of the peculiar periphery of Tycho's supernova remnant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Jun; Yu, Huan; Zhang, Li

2018-02-01

Tycho's supernova remnant (SNR) has a periphery that clearly deviates from a spherical shape, based on X-ray and radio observations. The forward shock from the south-east to the north of the remnant has a deformed outline with a depression in the east, although in the west it is generally round and smooth. Moreover, at some locations in the shell, the supernova ejecta is located close to the forward shock, resulting in protrusions. Using 3D hydrodynamical simulations, we studied the dynamical evolution of the supernova ejecta in an inhomogeneous medium and the formation process of the profile of the forward shock. In order to reproduce the peculiar periphery of the remnant, we propose a model in which the supernova ejecta has evolved in a cavity blown by a latitude-dependent outflow. The results indicate that the depression to the east and the protrusion to the south-east on the observed periphery of the remnant can be generally reproduced if we assume a wind bubble driven by an anisotropic wind with a mass-loss rate of ˜10-7 M⊙ yr-1, a pole velocity of ˜100 km s-1, a duration of ˜105 yr prior to the supernova explosion, and a spatial velocity of ˜30 km s-1 of the progenitor with respect to the circumstellar medium. In conclusion, an explanation of the peculiar shape of the periphery of Tycho's SNR is that the supernova ejecta evolved in the cavity driven by a latitude-dependent wind.

Geomorphic clues to the Martian volatile inventory. 1: Flow ejecta blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieri, D.; Baloga, S.; Norris, M.

1984-01-01

There are classes of landforms whose presence on Mars is strongly suggestive, if not confirmatory, of the participation of volatiles, presumably water, in its geomorphic development: (1) valley networks, (2) outflow channels, (3) landslides, and (4) flow-ejecta blankets. The first two may represent landforms generated by the movement of volatiles from sources, while the latter two probably represent the dissipation of energy generated by forcing inputs (e.g., kinetic energy and gravity) modulated by volatiles. In many areas on Mars, all four processes have acted on the same lithologic materials and were influenced by the composition of those units, and possibility by the climatic regime at the time of their formation. One of the approaches discussed to this specific problem of landform genesis, and to the general problem of the present and past states of martian volatiles, is to attempt to constrain the distribution, amount, and history of available volatiles by using possible evidence of volatile participation expressed in the morphology of other related landforms (e.g., flow-ejecta blankets and landslides) coupled with physical models for landform genesis.

Venus - Impact Crater 'Jeanne

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This Magellan full-resolution image shows Jeanne crater, a 19.5 kilometer (12 mile) diameter impact crater. Jeanne crater is located at 40.0 degrees north latitude and 331.4 degrees longitude. The distinctive triangular shape of the ejecta indicates that the impacting body probably hit obliquely, traveling from southwest to northeast. The crater is surrounded by dark material of two types. The dark area on the southwest side of the crater is covered by smooth (radar-dark) lava flows which have a strongly digitate contact with surrounding brighter flows. The very dark area on the northeast side of the crater is probably covered by smooth material such as fine-grained sediment. This dark halo is asymmetric, mimicking the asymmetric shape of the ejecta blanket. The dark halo may have been caused by an atmospheric shock or pressure wave produced by the incoming body. Jeanne crater also displays several outflow lobes on the northwest side. These flow-like features may have formed by fine-grained ejecta transported by a hot, turbulent flow created by the arrival of the impacting object. Alternatively, they may have formed by flow of impact melt.

Geologic setting of Boulder 1, Station 2, Apollo 17 landing site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfe, E.W.

1975-01-01

Boulder 1 at Station 2 is one of three boulders sampled by Apollo 17 at the base of the South Massif, which rises 2.3 km above the floor of a linear valley interpreted as a graben formed by deformation related to the southern Serenitatis impact. The boulders probably rolled from the upper part of the massif after emplacement of the light mantle. Orbital gravity data and photogeologic reinterpretation suggest that the Apollo 17 area is located approximately on the third ring of the southern Serenitatis basin, approximately 1.25 times larger than the analogous but fresher Orientale basin structure. The massif exposures are interpreted to represent the upper part of thick ejecta deposited by the southern Serenitatis impact near the rim of the transient cavity. Basin ring structure and the radial grabens that give the massifs definition were imposed on this ejecta at a slightly later stage in the basin-forming process. There is no clear-cut compositional, textural, or photogeologic evidence that Imbrium ejecta was collected at the Apollo 17 site. ?? 1975 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht-Holland.

TESTING MODELS FOR THE SHALLOW DECAY PHASE OF GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS WITH POLARIZATION OBSERVATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lan, Mi-Xiang; Dai, Zi-Gao; Wu, Xue-Feng, E-mail: dzg@nju.edu.cn

2016-08-01

The X-ray afterglows of almost one-half of gamma-ray bursts have been discovered by the Swift satellite to have a shallow decay phase of which the origin remains mysterious. Two main models have been proposed to explain this phase: relativistic wind bubbles (RWBs) and structured ejecta, which could originate from millisecond magnetars and rapidly rotating black holes, respectively. Based on these models, we investigate polarization evolution in the shallow decay phase of X-ray and optical afterglows. We find that in the RWB model, a significant bump of the polarization degree evolution curve appears during the shallow decay phase of both opticalmore » and X-ray afterglows, while the polarization position angle abruptly changes its direction by 90°. In the structured ejecta model, however, the polarization degree does not evolve significantly during the shallow decay phase of afterglows whether the magnetic field configuration in the ejecta is random or globally large-scale. Therefore, we conclude that these two models for the shallow decay phase and relevant central engines would be testable with future polarization observations.« less

Geomorphic clues to the Martian volatile inventory. 1: Flow ejecta blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieri, D.; Baloga, S.; Norris, M.

1984-04-01

There are classes of landforms whose presence on Mars is strongly suggestive, if not confirmatory, of the participation of volatiles, presumably water, in its geomorphic development: (1) valley networks, (2) outflow channels, (3) landslides, and (4) flow-ejecta blankets. The first two may represent landforms generated by the movement of volatiles from sources, while the latter two probably represent the dissipation of energy generated by forcing inputs (e.g., kinetic energy and gravity) modulated by volatiles. In many areas on Mars, all four processes have acted on the same lithologic materials and were influenced by the composition of those units, and possibility by the climatic regime at the time of their formation. One of the approaches discussed to this specific problem of landform genesis, and to the general problem of the present and past states of martian volatiles, is to attempt to constrain the distribution, amount, and history of available volatiles by using possible evidence of volatile participation expressed in the morphology of other related landforms (e.g., flow-ejecta blankets and landslides) coupled with physical models for landform genesis.

Ejecta transport, breakup and conversion

DOE PAGES

Buttler, William Tillman; Lamoreaux, Steven Keith; Schulze, Roland K.; ...

2017-04-26

Here, we report experimental results from an initial study of reactive and nonreactive metal fragments—ejecta—transporting in vacuum, and in reactive and nonreactive gases. We postulate that reactive metal fragments ejected into a reactive gas, such as H 2, will break up into smaller fragments in situations where they are otherwise hydrodynamically stable in a nonreactive gas such as He. To evaluate the hypothesis we machined periodic perturbations onto thin Ce and Zn coupons and then explosively shocked them to eject hot, micron-scale fragments from the perturbations. The ejecta masses were diagnosed with piezoelectric pressure transducers, and their transport in Hmore » 2 and He was imaged with visible and infrared (IR) cameras. Because Ce + H 2 → CeH 2 + ΔH, where ΔH is the enthalpy of formation, an observed increase of the relative IR (radiance) temperature TR between the Ce–H 2 and Ce–He gas systems can be used to estimate the amount of Ce that converts to CeH 2. As a result, the experiments sought to determine whether dynamic chemical effects should be included in ejecta-transport models.« less

Persistent X-Ray Emission from ASASSN-15lh: Massive Ejecta and Pre-SLSN Dense Wind?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yan; Li, Zhuo

2018-06-01

The persistent soft X-ray emission from the location of the most luminous supernova (SN) so far, ASASSN-15lh (or SN 2015L), with L∼ {10}42 {erg} {{{s}}}-1, is puzzling. We show that it can be explained by radiation from electrons accelerated by the SN shock inverse-Compton scattering the intense UV photons. The non-detection in radio requires strong free–free absorption in the dense medium. In these interpretations, the circumstellar medium is derived to be a wind (n ∝ R ‑2) with mass-loss rate of \\dot{{M}}≳ 3× {10}-3{{M}}ȯ ({{v}}{{w}}/{10}3 {{k}}{{m}} {{{s}}}-1) {{{y}}{{r}}}-1, and the initial velocity of the bulk SN ejecta is ≲ 0.02c. These constraints imply a massive ejecta mass of ≳ 60({E}0/2× {10}52 {erg}){M}ȯ in ASASSN-15lh, and a strong wind ejected by the progenitor star within ∼ 8{({v}{{w}}/{10}3{km}{{{s}}}-1)}-1 yr before explosion.

X-Ray Measured Dynamics of Tycho's Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsuda, Satoru; Petre, Robert; Hughes, John; Hwang, Una; Yamaguchi, Hiroya; Hayato, Asami; Mori, Koji; Tsunemi, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

We present X-ray proper-motion measurements of the forward shock and reverse-shocked ejecta in Tycho's supernova remnant, based on three sets of archival Chandra data taken in 2000, 2003, and 2007. We find that the proper motion of the edge of the remnant (i.e., the forward shock and protruding ejecta knots) varies from 0.''20 yr-1 (expansion index m = 0.33, where R = tm ) to 0.''40 yr-1 (m = 0.65) with azimuthal angle in 2000-2007 measurements, and 0.''14 yr-1 (m = 0.26) to 0.''40 yr-1 (m = 0.65) in 2003-2007 measurements. The azimuthal variation of the proper motion and the average expansion index of [approx]0.5 are consistent with those derived from radio observations. We also find proper motion and expansion index of the reverse-shocked ejecta to be 0.''21-0.''31 yr-1 and 0.43-0.64, respectively. From a comparison of the measured m-value with Type Ia supernova evolutionary models, we find a pre-shock ambient density around the remnant of [less, similar]0.2 cm-3.

Shape of boulders ejected from small lunar impact craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuan; Basilevsky, A. T.; Xie, Minggang; Ip, Wing-Huen

2017-10-01

The shape of ejecta boulders from 7 lunar impact craters <1 km in diameter of known absolute age was measured to explore whether it correlates with the crater age and the boulder size. The boulders were mapped and then measured by rectangular fitting and the shape was represented by the axial ratio or aspect ratio (A) of the rectangle. The main conclusions from the analysis of our measurement results are: 1) the percentages of the number of boulders of studied craters decrease with the increase of the axial ratio. Most (∼90%) of the boulders have the axial ratio in the range of 1-2; no boulder with axial ratio larger than 4 was found. 2) the axial ratios of mare ejecta boulders decrease with their exposure time, whereas that for highland ones show unchanged trend. This difference may be probably due to target properties. 3) The shape of ejecta boulders are influenced by mechanical strength of bedrocks and space erosion. 4) surface peak stresses caused by thermal fatigue maybe play a significant erosion role in the shape of boulders of various diameter.

A Comparative Study between a Failed and a Successful Eruption Initiated from the Same Polarity Inversion Line in AR 11387

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lijuan; Wang, Yuming; Zhou, Zhenjun; Dissauer, Karin; Temmer, Manuela; Cui, Jun

2018-05-01

In this paper, we analyzed a failed and a successful eruption that initiated from the same polarity inversion line within NOAA AR 11387 on 2011 December 25. They both started from a reconnection between sheared arcades, with distinct pre-eruption conditions and eruption details: before the failed one, the magnetic fields of the core region had a weaker non-potentiality; the external fields had a similar critical height for torus instability, and a similar local torus-stable region, but a larger magnetic flux ratio (of low corona and near-surface region) compared to the successful one. During the failed eruption, a smaller Lorentz force impulse was exerted on the outward ejecta; the ejecta had a much slower rising speed. Factors that might lead to the initiation of the failed eruption are identified: (1) a weaker non-potentiality of the core region, and a smaller Lorentz force impulse gave the ejecta a small momentum; (2) the large flux ratio, and the local torus-stable region in the corona provided strong confinements that made the erupting structure regain an equilibrium state.

The Surface of Deimos: Contribution of Materials and Processes to Its Unique Appearance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, P. C.; Adinolfi, D.; Helfenstein, P.; Simonelli, D.; Veverka, J.

1996-10-01

Among the well-imaged small satellites and asteroids, Deimos displays a unique surface: very smooth with global-scale albedo features. We have examined the disk-resolved photometry of Deimos using Viking Orbiter images for clues to its distinctive appearance. Hapke parameters were fit to characterize the phase behavior and to compute normal reflectance. The opposition surge amplitude (B0) is smaller for Deimos than for Phobos. Outside the range of the opposition effect the two martian satellites have similarly shaped phase curves, but Deimos is about 20-30% brighter than Phobos from 10°-80° phase. The calculated mean normal reflectance of Deimos (λeff= 0.54 μm) is 0.068 ± 0.007. The brighter and darker areas on Deimos exhibit constant contrast between 0.6° and 81° phase; this characteristic allows a calculation of the range of normal reflectances over most of its surface, nearly all of which values are between 0.06 and 0.09. The trailing side of Deimos has a larger relative distribution of the brighter material, and is on average about 10% brighter than the leading side. The mean normal reflectance cannot be formally distinguished from that of Phobos (0.071 ± 0.012; Simonelli, D. P., M. Wisz, A. Switala, D. Adinolfi, J. Veverka, P. C. Thomas, and P. Helfenstein 1996. Submitted toIcarus). Although the statistical distribution of normal reflectances on the two satellites is similar, the geography of the albedo variations is very different. Deimos has gradational changes in albedo downslope from ridge crests, primarily manifested in long albedo “streamers.” On Phobos there is a more patchy global distribution of albedos, apparently related to ejecta from the large crater Stickney. Because of the similarity of mean density, spectral properties, mean normal reflectance, the range of normal reflectance, and phase function outside the opposition effect, Deimos appears to be made of materials with compositions very similar to those on Phobos, although the apparent wider distribution of ejecta on Deimos has been cited as indicating a greater role for strength scaling in cratering on Deimos (Lee, S. W., P. Thomas, and J. Veverka 1986.Icarus68, 77-86). Simple modeling of the formation of the albedo patterns by gardening, creep, and “weathering” of bright material from crater rims suggests that impact gardening contributes very little to the motion of the material downslope, and that vertical mixing and/or “weathering” must be important in addition to an unspecified creep process. The distinction of Deimos is primarily in the smooth surface that allows a particularly large scale of downslope movement of regolith on very gentle slopes. This smoothness is most easily explained by the effects from impact formation of a 10-km concavity at high southern latitudes in the latter half of Deimos' surface history. This impact scar is relatively much larger than is the crater Stickney on Phobos. The effects of this large impact probably include blanketing by an average of nearly 200 m of ejecta, but also may include seismic erasing of craters similar to that proposed for Ida by Asphauget al. (Asphaug, E., J. M. Moore, D. Morrison, W. Benz, and R. A. Sullivan 1996.Icarus120, 158-184).

Rays of Creusa

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-20

When viewed from a distance with the sun directly behind NASA Cassini, the larger, brighter craters really stand out on moons like Dione. Among these larger craters, some leave bright ray patterns across the moon. The rayed crater seen here on Dione (698 miles, or 1,123 kilometers across) is named Creusa. The rays are brighter material blasted out by the impact that formed the crater. Scientists can use the patterns of ejecta (like these rays), to help determine the order of geological events on a moon's surface by examining which features lie on top of other features. This view looks toward the Saturn-facing side of Dione. North on Dione is up and rotated 31 degrees to the right. The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Nov. 26, 2016 using a spectral filter which preferentially admits wavelengths of near-infrared light centered at 727 nanometers. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 350,000 miles (560,000 kilometers) from Dione. Image scale is 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) per pixel. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20521

Dynamic comparisons of piezoelectric ejecta diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, W. T.; Zellner, M. B.; Olson, R. T.; Rigg, P. A.; Hixson, R. S.; Hammerberg, J. E.; Obst, A. W.; Payton, J. R.; Iverson, A.; Young, J.

2007-03-01

We investigate the quantitative reliability and precision of three different piezoelectric technologies for measuring ejected areal mass from shocked surfaces. Specifically we performed ejecta measurements on Sn shocked at two pressures, P ≈215 and 235 kbar. The shock in the Sn was created by launching a impactor with a powder gun. We self-compare and cross-compare these measurements to assess the ability of these probes to precisely determine the areal mass ejected from a shocked surface. We demonstrate the precision of each technology to be good, with variabilities on the order of ±10%. We also discuss their relative accuracy.

Elevation and igneous crater modification on Venus: Implications for magmatic volatile content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichman, R. W.

1993-01-01

Although most impact craters on Venus preserve nearly pristine crater rim and ejecta features, a small number of craters have been identified showing clear evidence of either igneous intrusion emplacement (floor-fracturing) beneath the crater floor or of volcanically embayed exterior ejecta deposits. Since the volcanically embayed craters consistently occur at higher elevations than the identified floor-fractured craters, this report proposes that igneous crater modification on Venus is elevation dependent. This report describes how regional variations in magmatic neutral buoyancy could produce such elevation dependent crater modification and considers the implications for typical magmatic volatile contents on Venus.

Jetting from impact of a spherical drop with a deep layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; Toole, Jameson; Fazzaa, Kamel; Deegan, Robert; Deegan Group Team; X-Ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source Collaboration

2011-11-01

We performed an experimental study of jets during the impact of a spherical drop with a deep layer of same liquid. Using high speed optical and X-ray imaging, we observe two types of jets: the so-called ejecta sheet which emerges almost immediately after impact and the lamella which emerges later. For high Reynolds number the two jets are distinct, while for low Reynolds number the two jets combine into a single continuous jet. We also measured the emergence time, speed, and position of the ejecta sheet and found simple scaling relations for these quantities.

Method to separate and determine the amount of ejecta produced in a second-shock material-fragmentation event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, W. T.; Hixson, R. S.; King, N. S. P.; Olson, R. T.; Rigg, P. A.; Zellner, M. B.; Routley, N.; Rimmer, A.

2007-04-01

The authors consider a mathematical method to separate and determine the amount of ejecta produced in a second-shock material-fragmentation process. The technique is theoretical and assumes that a material undergoing a shock release at a vacuum interface ejects particulate material or fragments as the initial shock unloads and reflects at the vacuum-surface interface. In this case it is thought that the reflected shock may reflect again at the source of the shock and return to the vacuum-surface interface and eject another amount of fragments or particulate material.

Rock elastic properties and near-surface structure at Taurus-Littrow. [strain measurement of lunar basalt and breccia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trice, R.; Warren, N.; Anderson, O. L.

1974-01-01

Linear strain measurements are presented for two lunar basalts, 14310,82 and 71055,15 and one breccia, 15498,23 to 5 kb hydrostatic pressure. Compressional and shear acoustic velocities to 5 kb are also presented for the basalts, 14310,82 and 71055,15. These elastic properties, along with geological, seismological and rock mechanics considerations are consistent with a model of the structure of the Taurus-Littrow valley as follows, a thin surface regolith overlying a fractured mixture of basalt flows and ejecta material which in turn overlies a coherent breccia of highland ejecta debris.

DETECTION OF BROAD Hα EMISSION LINES IN THE LATE-TIME SPECTRA OF A HYDROGEN-POOR SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yan, Lin; Masci, F.; Quimby, R.

2015-12-01

iPTF13ehe is a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) at z = 0.3434, with a slow-evolving light curve and spectral features similar to SN2007bi. It rises in 83–148 days to reach a peak bolometric luminosity of ∼1.3 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}, then decays slowly at 0.015 mag day{sup −1}. The measured ejecta velocity is ∼ 13,000 km s{sup −1}. The inferred explosion characteristics, such as the ejecta mass (70–220 M{sub ⊙}), and the total radiative and kinetic energy (E{sub rad} ∼ 10{sup 51} erg, E{sub kin} ∼ 2 × 10{sup 53} erg), are typical of slow-evolving H-poor SLSN events. However,more » the late-time spectrum taken at +251 days (rest, post-peak) reveals a Balmer Hα emission feature with broad and narrow components, which has never been detected before among other H-poor SLSNe. The broad component has a velocity width of ∼4500 km s{sup −1} and a ∼300 km s{sup −1} blueward shift relative to the narrow component. We interpret this broad Hα emission with a luminosity of ∼2 × 10{sup 41} erg s{sup −1} as resulting from the interaction between the supernova ejecta and a discrete H-rich shell, located at a distance of ∼4 × 10{sup 16} cm from the explosion site. This interaction causes the rest-frame r-band LC to brighten at late times. The fact that the late-time spectra are not completely absorbed by the shock-ionized H-shell implies that its Thomson scattering optical depth is likely ≤1, thus setting upper limits on the shell mass ≤30 M{sub ⊙}. Of the existing models, a Pulsational Pair Instability supernova model can naturally explain the observed 30 M{sub ⊙} H-shell, ejected from a progenitor star with an initial mass of (95–150) M{sub ⊙} about 40 years ago. We estimate that at least ∼15% of all SLSNe-I may have late-time Balmer emission lines.« less

The effects of interplanetary dust impacts on the accumulation of volatiles in the lunar permanently shadowed regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horanyi, Mihaly; Szalay, Jamey

2017-10-01

The lunar regolith has been formed, and remains continually reworked, by the intermitten impacts of comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the continual bombardment by interplanetary dust particles (IDP). Thick atmospheres protect Venus, Earth, and Mars, ablating the incoming IDPs into “shooting stars” that rarely reach the surface. However, the surfaces of airless bodies near 1 AU are directly exposed to the high-speed (>> 1 km/s) IDP impacts. The Moon is expected to be bombarded by 5x103 kg/day of IDPs arriving with a characteristic speed of ~ 20 km/s. The IDP sources impacting the Moon at high latitudes remain largely uncharacterized due to the lack of optical and radar observations in the polar regions on Earth. These high latitude sources have very large impact speeds in the range of 30 < v < 50 km/ hence they are expected to have a significant effect on the lunar surface, including the removal and burial of volatile deposits in the lunar polar regions.Water is thought to be continually delivered to the Moon through geological timescales by water-bearing comets and asteroids, and produced continuously in situ by the impacts of solar wind protons of oxygen rich minerals exposed on the surface. IDPs are an unlikely source of water due to their long UV exposure in the inner solar system, but their high-speed impacts can mobilize secondary ejecta dust particles, atoms and molecules, some with high-enough speed to escape the Moon. Other surface processes that can lead to mobilization, transport and loss of water molecules and other volatiles include solar heating, photochemical processes, and solar wind sputtering. Since none of these are at work in permanently shadowed regions (PSR), dust impacts remain the dominant process to dictate the evolution of volatiles in PSRs. The competing effects of dust impacts are: a) ejecta production leading to loss out of a PSR; b) gardening and overturning the regolith; and c) the possible accumulation of impact ejecta, leading to the burial of the volatiles. This talk will summarize the expected effects of dust impacts on volatile accumulation in the lunar PSRs based on theoretical models, recent laboratory results, and observations by the LADEE spacecraft.

The compositionally zoned eruption of 1912 in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai National Park, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, W.

1983-01-01

On June 6-8, 1912, ??? 15 km3 of magma erupted from the Novarupta caldera at the head of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS), producing ??? 20 km3 of air-fall tephra and 11-15 km3 of ash-flow tuff within ??? 60 hours. Three discrete periods of ash-fall at Kodiak correlate, respectively, with Plinian tephra layers designated A, CD, and FG by Curtis (1968) in the VTTS. The ash-flow sequence overlapped with but outlasted pumice fall A, terminating within 20 hours of the initial outbreak and prior to pumice fall C. Layers E and H consist mostly of vitric dust that settled during lulls, and Layer B is the feather edge of the ash flow. The fall units filled and obscured the caldera, but arcuate and radial fissures outline a 6-km2 depression. The Novarupta lava dome and its ejecta ring were emplaced later within the depression. At Mt. Katmai, 10 km east of the 1912 vent, a 600-m-deep caldera of similar area also collapsed at about this time, probably owing to hydraulic connection with the venting magma system; but all known ejecta are thought to have erupted at Novarupta. Mingling of three distinctive magmas during the eruption produced an abundance of banded pumice, and mechanical mixing of chilled ejecta resulted in deposits with a wide range of bulk composition. Pumice in the initial fall unit (A) is 100% rhyolite, but fall units atop the ash flow are > 98% dacite; black andesitic scoria is common only in the ash flows and in near-vent air-fall tephra. Pumice counts show the first half of the ash-flow deposit to be 91-98% rhyolite, but progressive increases of dacite and andesite eventually reduced the rhyolitic component to 20 km to the lowermost VTTS, and deposited 1-8 m of debris there. Rhyolitic ejecta contain only 1-2% phenocrysts but andesite and dacite have 30-45%. Quartz is present and augite absent only in the rhyolite, but all ejecta contain plagioclase, orthopyroxene, titanomagnetite, ilmenite, apatite, and pyrrhotite; rare olivine occurs in the andesite. The zoning ranges of phenocrysts in the rhyolitic and intermediate ejecta do not overlap. New chemical data show the bulk SiO2 range to be: rhyolite 77 ?? 0.6, dacite 66-64.5, and andesite 61.5-58.5%. The dacitic and andesitic ejecta contrast in color and density, and it is not certain whether they form a compositional continuum. Analyses reported by Fenner within the 66-76% SiO2 range were of banded pumice and lava and of bulk tephra that mechanically fractionated and mixed during flight. Despite the gap of 10% SiO2, Fe-Ti-oxide temperatures show a continuous range from rhyolite (805-850??C) through dacite (855-955??C) to andesite (955-990??C). Thermal continuity and isotopic and trace-element data suggest that all were derived from a single magmatic system, whether or not they were physically contiguous before eruption. If the rhyolitic liquid separated from dacitic magma, extraction was so efficient that no dacitic phenocrysts were retained and no bulk compositions in the range 66-76% SiO2 were created; if it were a partial me

Impact melt-bearing breccias of the Mistastin Lake impact structure: A unique planetary analogue for ground-truthing proximal ejecta emplacement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mader, M. M.; Osinski, G. R.

2013-12-01

Impact craters are the dominant geological landform on rocky planetary surfaces; however, relationships between specific craters and their ejecta are typically poorly constrained. With limited planetary samples, scientists look to terrestrial craters as analogues. Impact ejecta is defined here as any target material, regardless of its physical state, that is transported beyond the rim of the transient cavity [1]. The original transient cavity reaches its maximum size during the excavation stage of crater formation, before rim collapse begins in the modification stage [2]. In complex craters, during the modification stage, rocks around the periphery of the bowl-shaped transient crater collapse downward and inward to form a series of terraces along the outer margin of the crater structure [3]. Proximal impact ejecta, can therefore be found on the terraces of the modified rim of a complex crater, interior to the final crater rim [1]. Although typically poorly preserved on Earth due to post-impact erosional processes, impact ejecta have been identified in the terraced rim region of the Mistastin Lake impact structure, located in northern Labrador, Canada (55°53'N; 63°18'W) [4]. The Mistastin Lake impact structure is an intermediate-size, complex crater (28 km apparent crater diameter) formed by a meteorite impact ~36 Ma in crystalline target rocks. The original crater has been differentially eroded; however, a terraced rim and distinct central uplift are still observed [5]. The inner portion of the structure is covered by the Mistastin Lake and the surrounding area is locally covered by soil/glacial deposits and vegetation. Locally, allochthonous impactites overlying fractured target rocks are exposed along the lakeshore and along banks of radially cutting streams. They define a consistent stratigraphy, including, from bottom to top: monomict, lithic breccias, allochthonous polymict lithic breccias, and allochthonous impact melt rocks. Mistastin impact breccias range in matrix content, melt-fragment concentration, and contact relationships with adjacent impactites. Initial findings suggest differing origins for impact melt-bearing breccias from a single impact event. Three examples are highlighted: 1) Impact melt-bearing breccias, on an inner terrace, formed in boundary zones where hot impact melt flowed over cooler, ballistically emplaced polymict impact breccias. 2) Locally, a dyke of impact melt-bearing breccia suggests that this unit originated as hot lithic flow that moved laterally along the ground and then intruded as a fracture fill into target rocks. 3) A m-scale lens of melt-bearing breccia within the middle of a thick, 80m impact melt rock unit situated on an inner terrace, suggests that this lens may have originated from the crater floor and been incorporated into the melt pond during emplacement (i.e. movement of the melt from the crater floor to terrace shelf). In summary, the Mistastin Lake impact structure displays a multiple layered ejecta sequence that is consistent with, and requires, a multi-stage ejecta emplacement model as proposed by [1]. References: [1] Osinski et al. (2011) EPSL (310:167-181. [2] Melosh (1989) Oxford Univ. 245 pp. [3] French B. M. (1998) LPI Contribution 954,120pp. [4] Mader et al. (2011) 42nd LPSC, No.1608. [5] Mader et al. (2013) 43rd LPSC, No. 2517.

Shallow-seated explosions in the construction of the Motukorea tuff ring (Auckland, New Zealand): Evidence from lithic and sedimentary characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agustín-Flores, Javier; Németh, Károly; Cronin, Shane J.; Lindsay, Jan M.; Kereszturi, Gábor

2015-10-01

At least 52 eruption centres are scattered within the 360 km2 Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF). Motukorea, now an island in the Waitemata Harbour, is one of 39 AVF volcanoes that experienced a phreatomagmatic explosive phase, before a magmatic phase. The volcano erupted through a 200-300 m-thick, consolidated, mudstone/sandstone sequence of the Miocene Waitemata Group, which overlies the Waipapa Terrane greywacke basement. Detailed field descriptions of the sedimentary characteristics of the early phreatomagmatic deposits were carried out, along with examination of lithics. The ejecta ring deposit comprises 55 to 60 vol.% lithics, of which Waitemata Group fragments constitute approximately 90 vol.%, whereas < 10 vol.% are Waipapa fragments, suggesting a dominance of shallow fragmentation. The sedimentary characteristics of the stratigraphic sequence at Motukorea suggest a dominance of wet surges at the beginning of the eruption with progression into drier sequences upwards. This is reflected in increasing inter-bedded juvenile-pyroclast-dominated fall deposits up-sequence. These characteristics are attributed to the changing hydrogeological conditions within the diatreme and the host rocks. These findings shed light on the eruption dynamics of phreatomagmatic eruptions through consolidated rocks in the AVF and enable the depiction of a scenario of future eruptions within the field in similar substrates.