Durham: Revealing the Atmospheric Impact of Planetary Collisions

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Durham: Revealing the Atmospheric Impact of Planetary Collisions

Post by bystander » Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:57 pm

Revealing the Atmospheric Impact of Planetary Collisions
Durham University, UK | 2020 Jul 14
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The Atmospheric Impact of Gigantic Planetary Collisions ~ Durham University
Giant impacts have a wide range of consequences for young planets and their atmospheres, according to research led by our scientists.

These huge collisions dominate the late stages of planet formation.

Using 3D supercomputer simulations the researchers have found a way of revealing how much atmosphere is lost during these events.

Their simulations show how Earth-like planets with thin atmospheres might have evolved in an early solar system depending on how they were impacted by other objects.

They ran more than 100 detailed simulations of different giant impacts, altering the speed and angle of the impact on each occasion.

They found that grazing impacts – like the one thought to have formed our Moon 4.5 billion years ago – led to much less atmospheric loss than a direct hit.

Head on collisions and higher speeds led to much greater erosion, sometimes obliterating the atmosphere completely along with some of the mantle, the layer that sits under a planet’s crust. ...

Atmospheric Erosion by Giant Impacts onto Terrestrial Planets ~ J. A. Kegerreis et al
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Re: Durham: Revealing the Atmospheric Impact of Planetary Collisions

Post by Ann » Thu Jul 16, 2020 5:44 pm

So proto-Earth lost its atmosphere during its collision with Theia, and then newly formed Earth regained atmosphere somehow.

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Re: Durham: Revealing the Atmospheric Impact of Planetary Collisions

Post by bystander » Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:17 pm

Ann wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 5:44 pm
So proto-Earth lost its atmosphere during its collision with Theia, and then newly formed Earth regained atmosphere somehow.

I don't think that's what they found ...
Durham University wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:57 pm ...
They found that grazing impacts – like the one thought to have formed our Moon 4.5 billion years ago – led to much less atmospheric loss than a direct hit. ...
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alive to the gentle breeze of communication, and please stop being such a jerk.
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Durham: Investigating the Impact of Planet Collisions

Post by bystander » Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:58 pm

Investigating the Impact of Planet Collisions
Durham University, UK | 2020 Sep 30
224-782x440[1].jpg
Our astronomers ran hundreds of simulations to see the effect of different
impacts on rocky planets with thin atmospheres. Credit: Jacob Kegerreis

Did you know that Earth could have lost anywhere between 10 and 60 per cent of its atmosphere in the collision that is thought to have formed the Moon?

New research led by our astronomers shows how the extent of atmospheric loss depends upon the type of giant impact with Earth.

They ran more than 300 supercomputer simulations to study the consequences of different huge collisions on rocky planets with thin atmospheres.

This has led them to develop a new way of predicting atmospheric loss from any collision across a wide range of rocky planet impacts.

This could be used by scientists who are investigating the Moon’s origins or other giant impacts.

Our researchers also found that slow giant impacts between young planets and massive objects could add significant atmosphere to a planet if the impactor also has its own atmosphere. ...

Atmospheric Erosion by Giant Impacts onto Terrestrial Planets:
A Scaling Law for any Speed, Angle, Mass, and Density
~ Jacob A. Kegerreis et al
Know the quiet place within your heart and touch the rainbow of possibility; be
alive to the gentle breeze of communication, and please stop being such a jerk.
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