Skip to main content
Log in

Impact Vaporization and Ionization of Cosmic Dust Particles

  • Published:
Astrophysics and Space Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We report on theoretical efforts to understand the process of vaporization and ion formation upon hypervelocity impact of small cosmic dust particles on a solid surface. Such collisions occur at the surface of solid bodies within the planetary system, which do not have an atmosphere as well as in various actual and upcoming space missions for in-situ measurements of interplanetary, interstellar and cometary dust. The investigation uses Godunov's method to simulate the impact. For the very high velocitites investigated, the impacting dust particle as well as parts of the target vaporize and some of the vapor cloud may change to partially ionized. Numerical results of the impact process are communicated for an 80 kms-1impact of a slightly porous SiO2 particle on a compact SiO2surface. Values of the amount of vapor and liquid excavated from the target are given. Ionization rates are calculated for the example investigated and an estimate is given how this extrapolates to the highest conceivable velocities in the planetary system (above 100 km s-1).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, C.E., Trucano, T.G. and Mullin, S.A.: 1990, Debris cloud dynamics, Int.J.Impact Engng 9 (1), 89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anisimov, S.I., Imas, Ya.A., Romanov, G.S. and Khodyko, Yu.V.: 1971, Effects of high-power radiation on metals, Nauka Publishing House, Moscow, 1970 (transl.: U.S. Departm. of Commerce, Natl. Tech. Inf. Service JPRS53241, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Baranov, V.B. and Malama, Yu.G.: 1993, Model of the solar wind interaction with the local interstellar medium. Numerical solution of the self-consistent problem, J.Geophys.Res. 98 (A9), 15157–15163.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brownlee, D.E.: 1985, Cosmic dust: Collection and research, Ann.Rev.Earth Planet.Sci. 13, 147.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Colella, P. and Glaz, H.M.: 1985, Efficient solution algorithm for the Riemann problem for real gases, J.Comput.Phys. 59, 264.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Drapatz, S. and Michel, K.W.: 1974, Theory of shock wave ionization upon high-velocity impact of micrometeorites, Z.Naturforschung 29 (a), 870.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Godunov, S.K., Zabrodin, V.A., Ivanov, M.L., Kraiko, A.N. and Prokopov, G.P.: 1976, Numerical Solution of Multidimensional Problems of Gasdynamics, Nauka, Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grün, E., Zook, H.A., Baguhl, M., Balogh, A., Bame, S.J., Fechtig, H., Forsyth, R., Hanner, M.S., Horanyi, M., Kissel, J., Lindblad, B.A., Linkert, D., Linkert, G., Mann, I., McDonnell, J.A.M., Morfill, G.E., Phillips, J.L., Polanskey, C., Schwehm, G., Siddique, N., Staubach, P., Svetska, J. and Taylor, A.: 1993, Discovery of Jovian dust streams and interstellar grains by the ULYSSES spacecraft, Nature 362, 428.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hornung, K. and Kissel, J.: 1994, On shock wave impact ionization of dust particles, Astron.Astrophys. 291, 324.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hornung, K., Malama, Yu.G. and Thoma, K.: 1996, Modeling of the very high velocity impact process with respect to in-situ ionization measurements, Adv.Space Res. 17 (12), 77.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hornung, K. and Michel, K.W.: 1972, Equation of state data of solids from shock vaporization, J.Chem.Phys. 56, 2072.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalitkin, N.N. and Kuz'mina, L.V.: 1975, Tables of thermodynamic functions of a substance at high concentration of energy, preprint No. 35, Inst.Prik.Mat.Akad.Nauk SSSR, Moscow, 1975 (in Russian).

  • Kissel, J.: 1993, Mass spectrometric in-situ analysis of solid state extraterrestrial samples, in: C.M. Pieters and P.A.J. Englert (eds.), Remote geochemical analysis: Elemental and mineralogical composition, Cambridge University Press N.Y., p. 557.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knabe, W. and Krueger, F.R.: 1982, Ion formation from Alkali Iodide solids by swift dust particle impact, Z.Naturforschung 37 (a), 1335.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, F.R.: 1996, Ion formation by high-and medium velocity dust impacts from laboratory measurements and Halley results, Adv.Space Res. 17 (12), 71.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Krüger, H., Krivov, A.V., Hamilton, D.P. and Grün, E.: 1999, Detection of an impact-generated dust cloud around Ganymede, Nature 399, 558, 10 June 1999.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Malama, Yu.G.: 1982, Numerical simulation of high-velocity impact on a semi-infinite target, Fluid Dyn. 17, 262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malama, Yu.G.: 1984, Numerical modelling of the high-velocity impact for different relationships between the impactor and target densities, Combustion, Explosion and Shock Waves 20, 465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Keefe, J.D. and Ahrens. Th.J.: 1987, Impact on the earth, ocean and atmosphere, Int.J.Impact Engng 5, 13.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Raizer, Yu.P.: 1959, Residual ionization of a gas expanding in vacuum, JETP 37, 580.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ree, F.H.: 1976, Equation of state of the silicon dioxide system, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Report UCRL-52153.

  • Roe, P.L.: 1981, Approximate Riemann solvers, parameter vectors and difference schemes, J.Comput.Phys. 43, 357.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sagdeev, R.Z., Evlanov, E.N., Fomenkova, M.N., Prilutskii, O.F. and Zubkov, B.V.: 1989, Small-size dust particles near Halley's Comet, Adv.Space Res. 9,3 (3), 263.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Utterback, N.G. and Kissel, J.: 1990, Atogram dust cloud a million kilometers from Comet Halley, Astron.J. 100 (4), 1315.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hornung, K., Malama, Y.G. & Kestenboim, K.S. Impact Vaporization and Ionization of Cosmic Dust Particles. Astrophysics and Space Science 274, 355–363 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026553502542

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026553502542

Keywords

Navigation