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NASA NTRS2003

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Impact Cratering

This document discusses the following topics: High Resolution Digital Elevation Models of Pristine Explosion Craters; Crater Degradation in the Martian Highlands: Morphometric Analysis of the Sinus Sabaeus Region and Simulation Modeling Suggest Fluvial Processes; Analysis of Impact Crater Preservation on Mars Using THEMIS Data; Atmospheric Entry Studies and the Smallest Impact Craters on Mars; Updating the Crater Count Chronology System for Mars; Control of Impact Crater-related Fracture Systems on the Subsurface Hydrology and Ground Collapse; Quantitative Analyses of Terrestrial Crater Deposits: Constraining Formation and Sediment Transport Processes on Mars; and Predicted Effects of Surface Processes on Martian Impact Crater Depth/Diameter Relationships

Stephen J Mackwell↗
NASA NTRS2004

Distribution of Large Visible and Buried Impact Basins on Mars: Comparison with Free-Air Gravity, Crustal Thickness and Magnetization Models

A comparison of the distribution of visible and buried impact basins (Quasi-Circular Depressions or QCDs) on Mars > 200 km in diameter with free air gravity, crustal thickness and magnetization models shows some QCDs have coincident gravity anomalies but most do not. Very few QCDs have closely coincident magnetization anomalies, and only the oldest of the very large impact basins have strong magnetic anomalies within their main rings. Crustal thickness data show a large number of Circular Thinned Areas (CTAs). Some of these correspond to known impact basins, while others may represent buried impact basins not always recognized as QCDs in topography data alone. If true, the buried lowlands may be even older than we have previously estimated.

Frey, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Tethers as Debris: Simulating Impacts of Kevlar Tethers on Shuttle Tiles

In a previous paper I examined the effects of impacts of polymer tethers on aluminum plates using the SPHC hydrodynamic code. In this paper I apply tether models to a new target - models of Space Shuttle tiles developed during the STS 107 accident investigation. In this three-dimensional simulation, a short tether fragment strikes a single tile supported on an aluminum backing plate. A tile of the LI-900 material is modeled. Penetration and damage to the tile and the backwall are characterized for three normal impact velocities. The tether is modeled as a bundle of eight 1-mm strands, with the bundle having dimensions 2-mm x 4-mm x 20-cm. The bulk material properties used are those of Kevlar(TradeMark) 49, for which a Mie-Gruneisen multiphase equation of state (eos) is used. In addition, the strength model is applied in a linear sense, such that tensile loads along the strand length are supported, but there is no strength in the lateral directions. Tile models include the various layers making up the tile structure. The outermost layer is a relatively dense borosilicate glass, known as RCG, 0.5-mm thick. The RCG layer is present on the top and four sides of the tile. Below this coating is the bulk of the tile, 1.8- in thick, made of LI-900, a product consisting of rigidized fiberous silica with a density of 9 lWft3. Below the main insulating layer is a bottom layer of the same material that has been treated to increase its density by approximately 69% to improve its strength. This densified layer is bonded to a Strain Isolation Pad (SIP), modeled as a refractory felt fabric. The SIP is bonded to an aluminum 2024 wall 0.1-in thick. The tile and backwall materials use a Me-Gruneisen multiphase eos, with the exception of the SIP felt, which uses a fabric equation of state. Fabrics must be crushed to the full bulk material density before bulk material properties and a Mie-Gruneisen eos are applied. Tether fragment impact speeds of 3,7, and 10 km/s are simulated, with impact velocities normal to the tile face. Damage results are presented in tabular format.

Evans, Steven W.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Production of Star-Grazing and Star-Impacting Planetestimals via Orbital Migration of Extrasolar Planets

During the orbital migration of a giant extrasolar planet via ejection of planetesimals (as studied by Murray et al. in 1998), inner mean-motion resonances can be strong enough to cause planetesimals to graze or impact the star. We integrate numerically the motions of particles which pass through the 3:1 or 4:1 mean-motion resonances of a migrating Jupiter-mass planet. We find that many particles can be trapped in the 3:1 or 4:1 resonances and pumped to high enough eccentricities that they impact the star. This implies that for a planet migrating a substantial fraction of its semimajor axis, a fraction of its mass in planetesimals could impact the star. This process may be capable of enriching the metallicity of the star at a time when the star is no longer fully convective. Upon close approaches to the star, the surfaces of these planetesimals will be sublimated. Orbital migration should cause continuing production of evaporating bodies, suggesting that this process should be detectable with searches for transient absorption lines in young stars. The remainder of the particles will not impact the star but can be ejected subsequently by the planet as it migrates further inward. This allows the planet to migrate a substantial fraction of its initial semimajor axis by ejecting planetesimals.

Quillen, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Martian North Polar Impacts and Volcanoes: Feature Discrimination and Comparisons to Global Trends

The recent Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey Missions have greatly improved our available data for the north polar region of Mars. Pre- MGS and MO studies proposed possible volcanic features, and have revealed numerous volcanoes and impact craters in a range of weathering states that were poorly visible or not visible in prior data sets. This new data has helped in the reassessment of the polar deposits. From images or shaded Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography grids alone, it has proved to be difficult to differentiate cratered cones of probable volcanic origins from impact craters that appear to have been filled. It is important that the distinction is made if possible, as the relative ages of the polar deposits hinge on small numbers of craters, and the local volcanic regime originally only proposed small numbers of volcanoes. Therefore, we have expanded prior work on detailed topographic parameter measurements and modeling for the polar volcanic landforms and mapped and measured all of the probable volcanic and impact features for the north polar region as well as other midlatitude fields, and suggest that: 1) The polar volcanic edifices are significantly different topographically from midlatitude edifices, and have steeper slopes and larger craters as a group; 2) The impact craters are actually distinct from the volcanoes in terms of the feature volume that is cavity compared to feature volume that is positive relief; 3) There are actually several distinct types of volcanic edifices present; 4) These types tend to be spatially grouped by edifice. This is a contrast to many of the other small volcanic fields around Mars, where small edifices tend to be mixed types within a field.

Sakimoto, E. H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

An abiotic origin for hydrocarbons in the Allan Hills 84001 martian meteorite through cooling of magmatic and impact-generated gases

Thermodynamic calculations of metastable equilibria were used to evaluate the potential for abiotic synthesis of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the martian meteorite Allan Hills (ALH) 84001. The calculations show that PAHs and normal alkanes could form metastably from CO, CO2, and H2 below approximately 250-300 degrees C during rapid cooling of trapped magmatic or impact-generated gases. Depending on temperature, bulk composition, and oxidation-reduction conditions, PAHs and normal alkanes can form simultaneously or separately. Moreover, PAHs can form at lower H/C ratios, higher CO/CO2 ratios, and higher temperatures than normal alkanes. Dry conditions with H/C ratios less than approximately 0.01-0.001 together with high CO/CO2 ratios also favor the formation of unalkylated PAHs. The observed abundance of PAHs, their low alkylation, and a variable but high aromatic to aliphatic ratio in ALH 84001 all correspond to low H/C and high CO/CO2 ratios in magmatic and impact gases and can be used to deduce spatial variations of these ratios. Some hydrocarbons could have been formed from trapped magmatic gases, especially if the cooling was fast enough to prevent reequilibration. We propose that subsequent impact heating(s) in ALH 84001 could have led to dissociation of ferrous carbonates to yield fine-grain magnetite, formation of a CO-rich local gas phase, reduction of water vapor to H2, reequilibration of the trapped magmatic gases, aromatization of hydrocarbons formed previously, and overprinting of the synthesis from magmatic gases, if any. Rapid cooling and high-temperature quenching of CO-, H2-rich impact gases could have led to magnetite-catalyzed hydrocarbon synthesis.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1994

Fullerenes in an impact crater on the LDEF spacecraft

The fullerenes C60 and C70 have been found to occur naturally on Earth and have also been invoked to explain features in the absorption spectra of interstellar clouds. But no definitive spectroscopic evidence exists for fullerenes in space and attempts to find fullerenes in carbonaceous chondrites have been unsuccessful. Here we report the observation of fullerenes associated with carbonaceous impact residue in a crater on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft. Laser ionization mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy indicate the presence of fullerenes in the crater and in adjacent ejecta. Man-made fullerenes survive experimental hypervelocity (approximately 6.1 km s-1) impacts into aluminium targets, suggesting that space fullerenes contained in a carbonaceous micrometeorite could have survived the LDEF impact at velocities towards the lower end of the natural particle encounter range (<13 km s-1). We also demonstrate that the fullerenes were unlikely to have formed as instrumental artefacts, nor are they present as contaminants. Although we cannot specify the origin of the fullerenes with certainty, the most plausible source is the chondritic impactor. If, alternatively, the impact produced the fullerenes in situ on LDEF, then this suggests a viable mechanism for fullerene production in space.

long duration↗
NASA NTRS1992

Proximal impact deposits at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Gulf of Mexico: a restudy of DSDP Leg 77 Sites 536 and 540

Restudy of Deep Sea Drilling Project Sites 536 and 540 in the southeast Gulf of Mexico gives evidence for a giant wave at Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary time. Five units are recognized: (1) Cenomanian limestone underlies a hiatus in which the five highest Cretaceous stages are missing, possibly because of catastrophic K-T erosion. (2) Pebbly mudstone, 45 m thick, represents a submarine landslide possibly of K-T age. (3) Current-bedded sandstone, more than 2.5 m thick, contains anomalous iridium, tektite glass, and shocked quartz; it is interpreted as ejecta from a nearby impact crater, reworked on the deep-sea floor by the resulting tsunami. (4) A 50-cm interval of calcareous mudstone containing small Cretaceous planktic foraminifera and the Ir peak is interpreted as the silt-size fraction of the Cretaceous material suspended by the impact-generated wave. (5) Calcareous mudstone with basal Tertiary forams and the uppermost tail of the Ir anomaly overlies the disturbed interval, dating the impact and wave event as K-T boundary age. Like Beloc in Haiti and Mimbral in Mexico, Sites 536 and 540 are consistent with a large K-T age impact at the nearby Chicxulub crater.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2004

Impact Constraints on the Age and Origin of the Crustal Dichotomy on Mars

MOLA data have revealed a large population of 'Quasi-Circular Depressions' (QCDs) with little or no visible expression in image data. These likely buried impact basins have important implications for the age of the lowland crust, how that compares with original highland crust, and when and how the crustal dichotomy may have formed. The buried lowlands are of Early Noachian age, likely slightly younger than the buried highlands but older than the exposed (visible) highland surface. A depopulation of large visible basins at diameters 800 to 1300 km suggests some global scale event early in martian history, maybe related to the formation of the lowlands and/or the development of Tharsis. A suggested early disappearance of the global magnetic field can be placed within a temporal sequence of formation of the very largest impact basins. The global field appears to have disappeared at about the time the lowlands formed. It seems likely the topographic crustal dichotomy was produced very early in martian history by processes which operated very quickly. This and the preservation of large relic impact basins in the northern hemisphere, which themselves can account for the lowland topography, suggest that large impacts played the major role in the origin Mars fundamental crustal feature.

Frey, Herbert V.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Hybrid Particle-Element Simulation of Impact on Composite Orbital Debris Shields

This report describes the development of new numerical methods and new constitutive models for the simulation of hypervelocity impact effects on spacecraft. The research has included parallel implementation of the numerical methods and material models developed under the project. Validation work has included both one dimensional simulations, for comparison with exact solutions, and three dimensional simulations of published hypervelocity impact experiments. The validated formulations have been applied to simulate impact effects in a velocity and kinetic energy regime outside the capabilities of current experimental methods. The research results presented here allow for the expanded use of numerical simulation, as a complement to experimental work, in future design of spacecraft for hypervelocity impact effects.

Fahrenthold, Eric P.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Impact Constraints on the Age and Origin of the Crustal Dichotomy on Mars

MOLA data have revealed a large population of "Quasi-Circular Depressions" (QCDs) with little or no visible expression in image data. These likely buried impact basins have important implications for the age of the lowland crust, how that compares with original highland crust, and when and how the crustal dichotomy may have formed. The buried lowlands are of Early Noachian age, likely slightly younger than the buried highlands but older than the exposed (visible) highland surface. A depopulation of large visible basins at diameters 800 to 1300 km suggests some global scale event early in martian history, maybe related to the formation of the lowlands andor the development of Tharsis. A suggested early disappearance of the global magnetic field can be placed within a temporal sequence of formation of the very largest impact basins. The global field appears to have disappeared at about the time the lowlands formed. It seems likely the topographic crustal dichotomy was produced very early in martian history by processes which operated very quickly. This and the preservation of large relic impact basins in the north- em hemisphere, which themselves can account for the lowland topography, suggest that large impacts played the major role in the origin Mars fundamental crustal feature.

Frey, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Impact of Variations on 1-D Flow in Gas Turbine Engines via Monte Carlo Simulations

The unsteady compressible inviscid flow is characterized by the conservations of mass, momentum, and energy; or simply the Euler equations. In this paper, a study of the subsonic one-dimensional Euler equations with local preconditioning is presented using a modal analysis approach. Specifically, this study investigates the behavior of airflow in a gas turbine engine using the specified conditions at the inflow and outflow boundaries of the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, to determine the impact of variations in pressure, velocity, temperature, and density at low Mach numbers. Two main questions motivate this research: 1) Is there any aerodynamic problem with the existing gas turbine engines that could impact aircraft performance? 2) If yes, what aspect of a gas turbine engine could be improved via design to alleviate that impact and to optimize aircraft performance? This paper presents an initial attempt to model the flow behavior in terms of their eigenfrequencies subject to the assumption of the uncertainty or variation (perturbation). The flow behavior is explored using simulation outputs from a customer-deck model obtained from Pratt & Whitney. Variations of the main variables (i.e., pressure, temperature, velocity, density) about their mean states at the inflow and outflow boundaries of the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine are modeled. Flow behavior is analyzed for the high-pressure compressor and combustion chamber utilizing the conditions on their left and right boundaries. In the same fashion, similar analyses are carried out for the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines. In each case, the eigenfrequencies that are obtained for different boundary conditions are examined closely based on their probabilistic distributions, a result of a Monte Carlo 10,000 sample simulation. Furthermore, the characteristic waves and wave response are analyzed and contrasted among different cases, with and without preconditioners. The results reveal the existence of flow instabilities due to the combined effect of variations and excessive pressures in the case of the combustion chamber and high-pressure turbine. Finally, a discussion is presented on potential impacts of the instabilities and what can be improved via design to alleviate them for a better aircraft performance.

Ngo, Khiem Viet↗
NASA NTRS2004

Self-Tuning Impact Damper for Rotating Blades

A self-tuning impact damper is disclosed that absorbs and dissipates vibration energy in the blades of rotors in compressors and/or turbines thereby dramatically extending their service life and operational readiness. The self-tuning impact damper uses the rotor speed to tune the resonant frequency of a rattling mass to an engine order excitation frequency. The rating mass dissipates energy through collisions between the rattling mass and the walls of a cavity of the self-tuning impact damper, as well as though friction between the rattling mass and the base of the cavity. In one embodiment, the self-tuning impact damper has a ball-in-trough configuration with tire ball serving as the rattling mass.

Kirsten P Duffy↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Empirical Analysis of Impact of Alliances on Airline Operations

Airline alliances are dominating the current air transport industry with the largest carriers of the world belonging to one of the four alliance groupings - "Wings", Star Alliance, one world, SkyTeam - which represent 56% of world Revenue Passenger Kilometers. Although much research has been carried out to evaluate the impact of alliance membership on performance of airlines, it would be of interest to ascertain the degree of impact perceived by participating airlines in alliances. It is the purpose of this paper to gather the opinion of all the airlines, belonging to the four global alliance groupings on the impact alliances have had on their traffic and on their performance in general To achieve this, a comprehensive survey of the alliance management departments of airlines participating in the four global strategic alliances was carried out. With this framework the survey has examined which type of cooperation among carriers (FFP, Code Share, Strategic Alliance without antitrust immunity, Strategic Alliance with antitrust immunity) has produced the most positive impact on traffic and which type of route (short haul, long haul, hub-hub, hub-non hub, non hub-non hub) has been mostly affected. In addition, the respondent airlines quantified the effect alliances have had on specific areas of their operation, such as load factors, traffic, costs, revenue and fares. Their responses have been analysed under each global alliances grouping, under airline and under geographic region to establish which group, type of carrier and geographic region has benefited most. The results show that each of the four global alliances groupings has experienced different results according to the type of collaboration agreed amongst their member airlines.

Iatrou, Kostas↗
NASA NTRS1996

Impact Properties of Metal Fan Containment Materials Being Evaluated for the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT)

Under the Enabling Propulsion Materials (EPM) program - a partnership between NASA, Pratt & Whitney, and GE Aircraft Engines - the Materials and Structures Divisions of the NASA Lewis Research Center are involved in developing a fan-containment system for the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). The program calls for a baseline system to be designed by the end of 1995, with subsequent testing of innovative concepts. Five metal candidate materials are currently being evaluated for the baseline system in the Structures Division's Ballistic Impact Facility. This facility was developed to provide the EPM program with cost-efficient and timely impact test data. At the facility, material specimens are impacted at speeds up to 350 m/sec by projectiles of various sizes and shapes to assess the specimens' ability to absorb energy and withstand impact. The tests can be conducted at either room or elevated temperatures. Posttest metallographic analysis is conducted to improve understanding of the failure modes. A dynamic finite element program is used to simulate the events and both guide the testing as well as aid in designing the fan-containment system.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2005

Impact Craters on Titan? Cassini RADAR View

Titan is a planet-size (diameter of 5,150 km) satellite of Saturn that is currently being investigated by the Cassini spacecraft. Thus far only one flyby (Oct. 26, 2004; Ta) has occurred when radar images were obtained. In February, 2005, and approximately 20 more times in the next four years, additional radar swaths will be acquired. Each full swath images about 1% of Titan s surface at 13.78 GHz (Ku-band) with a maximum resolution of 400 m. The Ta radar pass [1] demonstrated that Titan has a solid surface with multiple types of landforms. However, there is no compelling detection of impact craters in this first radar swath. Dione, Tethys and other satellites of Saturn are intensely cratered, there is no way that Titan could have escaped a similar impact cratering past; thus there must be ongoing dynamic surface processes that erase impact craters (and other landforms) on Titan. The surface of Titan must be very young and the resurfacing rate must be significantly higher than the impact cratering rate.

Wood, Charles A.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Effect of Impact Location on the Response of Shuttle Wing Leading Edge Panel 9

The objective of this paper is to compare the results of several simulations performed to determine the worst-case location for a foam impact on the Space Shuttle wing leading edge. The simulations were performed using the commercial non-linear transient dynamic finite element code, LS-DYNA. These simulations represent the first in a series of parametric studies performed to support the selection of the worst-case impact scenario. Panel 9 was selected for this study to enable comparisons with previous simulations performed during the Columbia Accident Investigation. The projectile for this study is a 5.5-in cube of typical external tank foam weighing 0.23 lb. Seven locations spanning the panel surface were impacted with the foam cube. For each of these cases, the foam was traveling at 1000 ft/s directly aft, along the orbiter X-axis. Results compared from the parametric studies included strains, contact forces, and material energies for various simulations. The results show that the worst case impact location was on the top surface, near the apex.

Lyle, Karen H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Effects of Various Heat Treatments on the Ballistic Impact Properties of Inconel 718 Investigated

Uncontained failures of aircraft engine fan blades are serious events that can cause equipment damage and loss of life. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification requires that all engines demonstrate the ability to contain a released fan blade with the engine running at full power. However, increased protection generally comes at the expense of weight. Proper choice of materials is therefore imperative to an optimized design. The process of choosing a good casing material is done primarily through trial and error. This costly procedure could be minimized if there was a better understanding of the relationships among static material properties, impact properties, and failure mechanisms. This work is part of a program being conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field to study these relationships. Ballistic impact tests were conducted on flat, square sheets of Inconel 718 that had been subjected to different heat treatments. Two heat treatments and the as-received condition were studied. In addition, results were compared with those from an earlier study involving a fourth heat treatment. The heat treatments were selected on the basis of their effects on the static tensile properties of the material. The impact specimens used in this study were 17.8-cm square panels that were centered and clamped over a 15.2-cm square hole in a 1.27-cm-thick steel plate. Three nominal plate thickness dimensions were studied, 1.0, 1.8, and 2.0 mm. For each thickness, all the specimens were taken from the same sheet of material. The projectile was a Ti-6Al-4V cylinder with a length of 25.4 mm, a diameter of 12.7 mm, and a mass ranging from 14.05 to 14.20 g. The projectiles were accelerated toward the specimens at normal incidence using a gas gun with a 2-m-long, 12.7-mm inner-diameter barrel. The ballistic limit for each heat treatment condition and thickness was determined by conducting a number of impact tests that bracketed as closely as possible the velocity required to penetrate the specimen.

Pereira, J. Michael↗