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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

LDEF post-retrieval evaluation of exobiology interests

Cursory examination of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) shows the existence of thousands of impact craters of which less than 1/3 exceed 0.3 mm in diameter; the largest crater is 5.5 mm. Few craters show oblique impact morphology and, surprisingly, only a low number of craters have recognizable impact debris. Study of this debris could be of interest to exobiology in terms of C content and carbonaceous materials. All craters greater that 0.3 mm have been imaged and recorded into a data base by the preliminary examination team. Various portions of the LDEF surfaces are contaminated by outgassed materials from experimenters trays, in addition to the LDEF autocontamination and impact with orbital debris not of extraterrestrial origin. Because interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) nominally impacted the LDEF at velocities greater than 3 km/s, the potential for intact survival of carbonaceous compounds is mostly unknown for hypervelocity impacts. Calculations show that for solid phthalic acid (a test impactor), molecular dissociation would not necessarily occur below 3 km/s, if all of the impact energy was directed at breaking molecular bonds, which is not the case. Hypervelocity impact experiments (LDEF analogs) were performed using the Ames Vertical Gun Facility. Grains of phthalic acid and the Murchison meteorite (grain diameter = 0.2 for both) were fired into an Al plate at 2.1 and 4.1 km/s respectively. The results of the study are presented, and it is concluded that meaningful biogenic elemental and compound information can be obtained from IDP impacts on the LDEF.

Bunch, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Tectonic resurfacing of Venus

Impact crater distributions and morphologies have traditionally played an important role in unraveling the geologic histories of terrestrial objects, and Venus has proved no exception. The key observations are: mean crater retention age about 500 Ma; apparently random spatial distribution; modest proportion (17 percent) of modified craters; and preferential association of modified craters with areas of low crater density. The simplest interpretation of these data alone is that Venus experienced global resurfacing (assumed to be largely volcanic) prior to 500 Ma, after which time resurfacing rates decreased dramatically. This scenario does not totally exclude present geological activity: some resurfacing and crater obliteration is occurring on part of the planet, but at rates much smaller than on Earth. An alternative endmember model holds that resurfacing is also spatially randomly distributed. Resurfacing of about 1 sq km/yr eliminates craters such that a typical portion of the surface has an age of 500 Ma, but actual ages range from zero to about 1000 Ma. Monte Carlo simulation indicates that the typical resurfacing 'patch' cannot exceed about 500 km in diameter without producing a crater distribution more heterogeneous than observed. Volcanic or tectonic processes within these patches must be locally intense to be able to obliterate craters completely and leave few modified. In this abstract, we describe how global geologic mapping may be used to test resurfacing hypotheses. We present preliminary evidence that the dominant mode of resurfacing on Venus is tectonism, not volcanism, and that this process must be ongoing today. Lastly, we outline a conceptual model in which to understand the relationship between global tectonics and crater distribution and preservation.

Malin, Michael C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

West Clearwater, Quebec impact structure. I - Field geology, structure and bulk chemistry. II - Petrology

A field study at the 30-km-diameter West Clearwater impact crater was carried out during the summer of 1977 to identify the nature of the flow of impact melt and less shocked debris during the excavation stage of the cratering process. The present paper investigates: (1) comparisons with other impact craters and lunar samples; (2) generation and emplacement mechanisms of impact melts and associated clastic debris; and (3) the geometry of the transient cavity and the pristine morphology of the crater.

Simonds, C. H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Some comparisons of impact craters on Mercury and the moon

Although the general morphologies of fresh mercurian and lunar craters are remarkably similar, comparisons of ejecta deposits, interior structures, and changes in morphology with size reveal important differences between the two populations of craters. The differences are attributable to the different gravity fields in which the craters were formed and have significant implications for the interpretation of cratering processes and their effects on all planetary bodies.

Gault, D. E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dimorphos’s Material Properties and Estimates of Crater Size from the DART Impact

On 2022 September 26, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft intentionally collided with Dimorphos, the moon of the binary asteroid system 65803 Didymos. This collision provided the first full-scale test of a kinetic impactor for planetary defense. Images from DART’s DRACO camera revealed Dimorphos to be an oblate spheroid covered in boulders of varying sizes and shapes. Very little was known about Dimorphos prior to DART’s impact, including its shape, structure, and material properties. Approach observations and those following the DART impact have provided crucial knowledge that narrows the parameter space relevant to modeling the impact into Dimorphos. Here we present the results of a suite of hydrocode simulations of the DART impact on Dimorphos. Despite remaining uncertainties, initial models of DART’s kinetic impact provide important information about the results of DART (e.g., potential crater size and morphology, ejecta mass) and the properties of Dimorphos. Simulations here suggest that Dimorphos has near-surface strength ranging from a few Pascals to tens of kPa, which corresponds to crater sizes of ~40–60 m. Simulated crater sizes provide a crucial comparison metric for the European Space Agency Hera mission when it arrives at the Didymos system. Hera’s measurement of crater size in combination with measurement of Dimorphos’s mass will allow us to assess our simulations and provide the information needed to make the DART impact experiment both the first test of a planetary defense mitigation mission and the first full-scale planetary defense simulation validation exercise.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1972

Ranger and other impact craters photographed by Apollo 16, part J

The Apollo 16 crew photographed an unusual variety of impact craters, including the two craters produced by the impacts of Ranger 7 and 9 spacecraft, small craters produced by boulders as they bounced downslope, craters with marked bilateral symmetry, and primary craters with a wide range of morphologies and sizes. Ranger impact craters and examples of other craters are briefly discussed. This photography has supplied important new data on craters in the lunar surface. Continued study of these craters and use of the metrical capabilities of the metric and panoramic camera photography will yield additional scientific results on lunar craters.

Moore, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Distant Secondary Craters and Age Constraints on Young Martian Terrains

Are small (less than approx. 1 km diameter) craters on Mars and the Moon dominated by primary impacts, by secondary impacts of much larger primary craters, or are both primaries and secondaries significant? This question is critical to age constraints for young terrains and for older terrains covering small areas, where only small craters are superimposed on the unit. If the martian rayed crater Zunil is representative of large impact events on Mars, then the density of secondaries should exceed the density of primaries at diameters a factor of ~1000 smaller than that of the largest contributing primary crater. On the basis of morphology and depth/diameter measurements, most small craters on Mars could be secondaries. Two additional observations (discussed below) suggest that the production functions of Hartmann and Neukum predict too many primary craters smaller than a few hundred meters in diameter. Fewer small, high-velocity impacts may explain why there appears to be little impact regolith over Amazonian terrains. Martian terrains dated by small craters could be older than reported in recent publications.

McEwen, A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Floor-fractured lunar craters

Observational data concerning floor-fractured craters on the lunar near and far sides are examined, including the morphologic classification of the craters, their spatial and size distributions, and their floor, peak, and rim elevations relative to the maria. Six morphologic classes and two subclasses are delineated on the basis of fracture pattern, crater floor depth, and floor type. These data are used to reconstruct a history of crater modification which accounts for the large differences in affected crater size and age, the small peak-rim elevation differences, remnant central peaks within mare-flooded craters and ringed plains, ridged and flat-topped rim profiles of heavily modified craters and ringed plains, as well as the absence of positive gravity anomalies in most floor-fractured craters and some large mare-filled craters. The results indicate that: (1) impact craters became centers of intrusions and volcanism generally related to periods of basin inundation by mare basalts; (2) some light-plains units in the highlands may be due to both impact ejecta and extrusions of light-colored lava or ash; (3) floor-fractured craters may have become important volcanic vents that contributed to the inundation of the lunar surface by mare basalts; and (4) the lunar highlands probably did not fully escape the epochs of mare flooding.

Schultz, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Martian double ring basins - New observations

A description is presented of 18 Martian basins which were newly discovered on Viking photographs. A study of the basins reveals that diameter dependent differences in the morphology of Martian basins are more complex than previously realized. Basins have been classified according to ring morphology, and a diameter dependent sequence apparently exists. The obtained morphology sequence does not conform to the progression observed on the moon, Mercury, and earth. The small Martian basins are 50 to 100 km smaller than any basin on Mercury and the moon, supporting the view that they are unique to Mars. On earth there are significant terrain influences on crater and basin morphology that encourage the speculation that localized unique characteristics of the Martian crust led to basin formation at diameters where craters would normally be formed.

Wood, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Channels and valley networks

Attention is given to Martian channels and valley networks, since they have become a principal element of evidence to the effect that the Martian atmosphere evolved from an early volatile-rich state to its present condition. The outflow channels are relatively young, later Hesperian or Amazonian in age. They formed by immense outbursts of fluid from subsurface sources. Complexity in outflow-channel morphology was generated by varying amounts of sediment and ice in the aqueous-fluid flow systems. The overall cataclysmic-flood morphology may thus be locally transitional to morphologies generated by ice and debris flowage. Although local areas of valley networks, such as on Alba Patera, formed coevally with outflow channel activity, regionally extensive networks dominate in the heavily cratered terrains. The morphology of many valleys suggests genesis by ground-water sapping; for some valleys, surface runoff may have been more important.

Baker, Victor R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Multiringed impact craters on Venus - An overview from Arecibo and Venera images and initial Magellan data

Fifteen peak-ring craters, defined by a distinct outer rim and an inner ring of concentrically-arranged peaks, have been revealed by the examination of Arecibo and Venera 15/16 radar images of Venus. The overall morphology of these craters is similar to that of peak-ring craters on the other terrestrial planets, but the craters are of much smaller diameters. Nevertheless, the effective viscosities are low enough at depth to allow inward asthenospheric flow.

Alexopoulos, Jim S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

High-explosive cratering analogs for bowl-shaped, central uplift, and multiring impact craters

The paper describes six experimental explosion craters in terms of their basic morphology, subsurface structural deformation, and surrounding ejecta blanket. These craters exhibit one or more of the following features: bowl shapes with underlying breccia lens, central uplifts, multirings, terraced walls, rim strata, zones of concentric rim deformation, inner continuous ground cover of ejecta blankets formed by overturned flaps, secondary cratering, and fused alluvium. These craters were formed by large shock wave energy transfers at or near zero heights-of-burst, and it is possible that impact craters with analogous morphologic and structural features may have formed under similar surface energy transfer conditions.

Roddy, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Damage areas due to impact craters on LDEF aluminum panels

Because of its exposure time and total exposed surface area, the LDEF provides a unique opportunity to analyze the effects of the natural and man-made particle populations in low earth orbit (LEO). This study concentrated on collecting and analyzing measurements of impact craters from seven painted aluminum surfaces at different locations on the satellite. These data are being used to: (1) update the current theoretical micrometeoroid and debris models for LEO; (2) characterize the effects of the LEO micrometeoroid and debris environment of satellite components and designs; (3) help assess the probability of collision between spacecraft in LEO and already resident debris and the survivability of those spacecraft that must travel through, or reside in, LEO; and (4) help define and evaluate future debris mitigation and disposal methods. Measurements were collected from one aluminum experiment tray cover (Bay C-12), two aluminum grapple plates (Bays C-01, C-10), and four aluminum experiment sun-shields (Bay E-09), all of which were coated with thermal paint. These measurements were taken at the Facility for Optical Interpretation of Large Surfaces (FOILS) Lab at JSC. Virtually all features greater than 0.2 mm in diameter possessed a spall zone in which all of the paint was removed from the aluminum surface, and which varied in size from 2-5 crater diameters. The actual craters vary from central pits without raised rims to morphologies more typical of craters formed in aluminum under hypervelocity impact conditions for larger features. Most craters exhibit a shock zone that varies in size from approximately 1-20 crater diameters. In general, only the outermost layer of paint was affected by this impact-related phenomenon, with several impacts possessing ridge-like structures encircling the area in which this outer-most paint layer was removed. Overall, there were no noticeable penetrations or bulges on the underside of the trays. One tray from the E-09 bay exhibited a spallation zone on the backside, approximately equal in size to that on the front side. Results from this study demonstrate that the impact damaged areas extend far beyond the actual craters in coated or painted surfaces. While the cratering damaged much greater than 1 percent of the total surface area, the total impact damage area exceeded 3 percent.

Coombs, Cassandra R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Geology of Lofn Crater, Callisto

Lofn crater is a 180-km-diameter impact structure in the southern cratered plains of Callisto and is among the youngest features seen on the surface. The Lofn area was imaged by the Galileo spacecraft at regional-scale resolutions (875 m/pixel), which enable the general geology to be investigated. The morphology of Lofn crater suggests that (1) it is a class of impact structure intermediate between complex craters and palimpsests or (2) it formed by the impact of a projectile which fragmented before reaching the surface, resulting in a shallow crater (even for Callisto). The asymmetric pattern of the rim and ejecta deposits suggests that the impactor entered at a low angle from the northwest. The albedo and other characteristics of the ejecta deposits from Lofn also provide insight into the properties of the icy lithosphere and subsurface configuration at the time of impact. The "target" for the Lofn impact is inferred to have included layered materials associated with the Adlinda multiring structure northwest of Loh and ejecta deposits from the Heimdall crater area to the southeast. The Lofn impact might have penetrated through these materials into a viscous substrate of ductile ice or possibly liquid water. This interpretation is consistent with models of the current interior of Callisto based on geophysical information obtained from the Galileo spacecraft.

Greeley, Ronald↗
NASA NTRS2004

Ejecta Generation and Redistribution on 433 Eros: Modeling Ejecta Launch Conditions

The NEAR-Shoemaker mission to asteroid 433 Eros presents an unprecedented opportunity to gain fundamental new knowledge about the processes governing regolith formation and redistribution on small bodies. NEAR-Shoemaker’s high-resolution imaging of the surface of Eros makes the asteroid a valuable and heretofore unparalleled laboratory for the detailed study of impact ejecta reaccretion and regolith redistribution on low-gravity (of order 10 -3 g) objects. Regolith is produced on asteroids by impact cratering, and the existence of regolith on the smallest solar system bodies supports the view that some of the ejecta from impact events on such objects may be retained. Impact craters and retained ejecta on low-gravity objects like Eros represent valuable natural laboratories for evaluating various models of impact cratering processes, since they may present crater structures or ejecta features that either do not form or are hidden on higher-gravity bodies like the Moon. Further, quantifying the extent to which impact processes generate and redistribute regoliths on small body surfaces (excavation depths, retained fraction, turnover timescales, etc.) is pivotal to the issue of how to relate meteoritical samples to their asteroidal parent bodies when surficial processes ( i.e., “space weathering”) may disguise or cover up underlying material and confound the ability of remote sensing techniques to provide reliable mineralogical assays of the parent objects. The rich variety of data on Eros’ regolith properties and distribution returned by NEAR-Shoemaker now require detailed analysis in order to take full advantage of the clues these observations offer for elucidating details of the impact cratering process on small bodies. Complicating simple interpretations of crater and ejecta morphology are dynamical effects on ejecta emplacement resulting from Eros’ irregular shape, rapid (5.27 hr) rotation, and low gravity. Figure 1 shows the very different ejecta deposit morphology that can result if the effects of rotation alone are neglected. Considering the additional complicating factors of Eros’ irregular shape and complex gravitational field, simple calculations of the extent and thickness of ejecta blankets and the spatial distribution of ejecta blocks from basic crater scaling laws or numerical hydrocodes alone do not suffice. In order to fully interpret the suite of NEAR-Shoemaker observations of regolith features across the surface of Eros and to evaluate various impact models for specific craters on the asteroid, detailed dynamical modeling of the deposition of crater ejecta from those craters is required . Here, I describe some modifications and improvements to the dynamical model being used for these studies.

D D Durda↗
NASA NTRS1982

Volumetric analysis of complex lunar craters - Implications for basin ring formation

The crater to basin transition in complex lunar craters is characterized by combining morphological and volumetric analyses of their central peaks with subsurface data from terrestrial complex impact structures which suggest that the amount of uplifted material, as judged from its depth of origin, continues to increase with increasing rim diameter. This latter phenomenon implies that a redistribution of uplifted material away from a centralized peak may occur in the larger craters. The morphological and volumetric changes described occur over a rim diameter range of 51-80 km, which is considerably lower than the previously proposed range for the crater to basin transition of 140-175 km. Evidence is given in support of a crater to basin transition which begins at 51-80 km, and is characterized by a relative reduction in central peak volume and a development of rings of floor roughening which may be precursors of peak ring development.

Hale, W. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Formation of complex impact craters - Evidence from Mars and other planets

An analysis of the depth vs diameter data of Arthur (1980), is given along with geomorphic data for 73 Martian craters. The implications for the formation of complex impact craters on solid planets is discussed. The analysis integrates detailed morphological observations on planetary craters with geologic data from terrestrial meteorite and explosion craters. The simple to complex transition for impact craters on Mars appears at diameters in the range of 3 to 8 km. Five features appear sequentially with increasing crater size, flat floors, central peaks and shallower depths, scalloped rims, and terraced walls. This order suggests that a shallow depth of excavation and a rebound mechanism have produced the central peaks, not centripetal collapse and deep sliding. Simple craters are relatively uniform in shape from planet to planet, but complex craters vary considerably. Both the average onset diameter for complex impact craters on Mars and the average depth of complex craters vary inversely with gravitational acceleration on four planets.

Pike, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Cometary Dust Characteristics: Comparison of Stardust Craters with Laboratory Impacts

Aluminium foils exposed to impact during the passage of the Stardust spacecraft through the coma of comet Wild 2 have preserved a record of a wide range of dust particle sizes. The encounter velocity and dust incidence direction are well constrained and can be simulated by laboratory shots. A crater size calibration programme based upon buckshot firings of tightly constrained sizes (monodispersive) of glass, polymer and metal beads has yielded a suite of scaling factors for interpretation of the original impacting grain dimensions. We have now extended our study to include recognition of particle density for better matching of crater to impactor diameter. A novel application of stereometric crater shape measurement, using paired scanning electron microscope (SEM) images has shown that impactors of differing density yield different crater depth/diameter ratios. Comparison of the three-dimensional gross morphology of our experimental craters with those from Stardust reveals that most of the larger Stardust impacts were produced by grains of low internal porosity.

Kearsley, A. T.↗