Ejecta from Impacts: New Experiments and Insight from Missions

The ejection of mass during an impact event is a shock-driven process that shapes the distribution of materials on planetary surfaces.   In particular, the velocity and mass distribution of material launched from an impact controls the ballistic emplacement and appearance of ejecta patterns, and is especially important for interpretation of impact mission data.  This talk will present results from new temporally-resolved impact experiments conducted at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range, and will discuss applications to cratering on planetary surfaces and impact missions.

Speaker: Brendan Hermalyn, SETI