When worlds collide - Jetted vapor plumes and the moon's originIt is proposed that a collision between a Mars-sized planetesimal and the protoearth explains both the anomalously large angular momentum of the earth-moon system and the similarity between the moon's bulk composition and the earth's mantle. An approximate calculation was performed to obtain information on the highest speed, most highly shocked ejecta and the ejection pattern, speed, angles of launch, etc. as a function of the impact parameter and the ratio of the sizes of the colliding protoplanets. Computation results are in agreement with the megaimpact hypothesis.
Document ID
19870033370
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Melosh, H. J. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Sonett, C. P. (Arizona, University Tucson, United States)