Laboratory Modeling of Meteorite Impact Craters by Z-pinch Plasma

ABSTRACT

Desai, et al. [1] simulated microparticle lunar impact craters using laser impacts. They produced crater diameters of several hundred μm in Al. Ford [2] made observations about lunar craters simulated by spark-machining on metal. These were also very small scale craters. This work expands the size of simulated impact craters from their sub-millimeter craters to craters over a centimeter and expands the type of crater material from metals to substances more likely to be found in large amounts on the surfaces of moons, asteroids and planets. The results support Desai’s and Ford’s suggestion that these analogs can contribute to the investigation of planetary events.