Succeeded in developing a system to conduct high-velocity impact experiments under low gravity –Investigation of the effects of gravity and target cohesion on crater diameter–

July. 19, 2023 | GATEWAY to Academic Articles

KIUCHI Masato / Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ritsumeikan University

Impact craters on the surface of asteroids provide information about their surface properties and evolutionary processes. Although impact phenomena can be affected by surface gravity of asteroids, there are few experiments investigating the effect of gravity on crater size.

In the present study, we developed a system to conduct high-velocity impact experiments under low gravity at the Hypervelocity Impact Facility on the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). We conducted high-velocity impact experiments at 1 G and at simulated low gravity on dry particle layers with different physical properties. The crater diameter for targets with particle diameters of several hundred micrometers depended on the gravitational acceleration. However, the crater diameters for targets with particle sizes of ~40 μm showed little or no difference between 1 G and low gravity and depended on the cohesion of the target. We obtained the condition for the transition between the gravity- and strength-dominated regimes.

Setup for impact experiments under low-gravity conditions. (a) Image of setup assembled in vacuum chamber. (b) Schematic of setup.
Setup for impact experiments under low-gravity conditions.
(a) Image of setup assembled in vacuum chamber. (b) Schematic of setup.
Setup for impact experiments under low-gravity conditions.
(a) Image of setup assembled in vacuum chamber. (b) Schematic of setup.

Research Summary

Information

Journal Title Icarus
Full title of the paper Impact experiments on granular materials under low gravity: Effects of cohesive strength, internal friction, and porosity of particle layers on crater size
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115685
Publish date July 5, 2023
Author(s) Masato Kiuchi1, Takaya Okamoto2, Yuuya Nagaashi3, Yukari Yamaguchi4, Sunao Hasegawa5, Akiko M. Nakamura4
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 2Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, 3Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 4Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 5Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, Japan
ISAS or JAXA member(s) among author(s) HASEGAWA Sunao (Inter-Univ. Research and Facility Management Group, ISAS)

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Author

KIUCHI Masato
Ph.D. (Kobe University). After working as a researcher at ISAS/JAXA, he is currently working as an assistant professor at Ritsumeikan University.