Collisional properties of ice spheres at low impact velocities

The results of experimental studies on the impact properties of water ice are discussed. Stable temperatures of 85 K and pressures as low as 10 to the -5th Torr were achieved using a new apparatus consisting of a compound disk pendulum and a stainless steel, temperature-controlled cryostat. The coefficient of restitution as a function of velocity was obtained for ice spheres with four different radii of curvature and with a variety of surface conditions. These data can be well fitted by an exponetial law epsilon of given form for most measurements. Surface conditions can drastically alter the resulting value of epsilon, however. In particular, the presence of frost or a roughened contact surface can lower epsilon at a given velocity by 10-30 percent from that of a smooth sphere. It is shown how the presence of frost can change the velocity behavior of epsilon from an exponential to a power-law form. The applications of the results to the dynamics of Saturn's rings are discussed.