Energy and mass distributions of impact ejecta blankets on the moon and MercuryThe paper applies previously calculated impact-induced flow fields (O'Keefe and Ahrens, 1977) resulting from interaction of 5-cm radius gabbroic anorthosite impactor with a half-space of the same material, at various velocities, to obtain mass and energy ejecta distributions. Whereas earlier results described the ejecta distribution from a 15 km/s impact of an iron object on the moon in terms of mass vs. distance, the present results describe, at a given distance from the impact, the energy content as a function of depth, i.e., the thermal structure of ejecta blankets. Pertinent computational methods are included, and several tables and plots supplement the text.
Document ID
19790055298
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Ahrens, T. J. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Okeefe, J. D. (California Institute of Technology Pasadena, Calif., United States)