Constraints on the pre-impact orbits of Solar System giant impactors

Abstract

We provide a fast method for computing constraints on impactor pre-impact orbits, applying this to the late giant impacts in the Solar System. These constraints can be used to make quick, broad comparisons of different collision scenarios, identifying some immediately as low-probability events, and narrowing the parameter space in which to target follow-up studies with expensive N-body simulations. We benchmark our parameter space predictions, finding good agreement with existing N-body studies for the Moon. We suggest that high-velocity impact scenarios in the inner Solar System, including all currently proposed single impact scenarios for the formation of Mercury, should be disfavoured. This leaves a multiple hit-and-run scenario as the most probable currently proposed for the formation of Mercury.

arXiv comment13 pages, 9 figures, accepted in MNRAS

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Cited by in corpus (20)

• Solar System Physics for Exoplanet Research
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• The Fundamental Connections Between the Solar System and Exoplanetary Science
• Dynamical Constraints on Mercury's Collisional Origin
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• Fate of the runner in hit-and-run collisions
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• Collision Chains among the Terrestrial Planets. II. An Asymmetry between Earth and Venus
• Explaining Mercury via a single giant impact is highly unlikely
• Can a jumping-Jupiter trigger the Moon's formation impact?
• Rethinking the role of the giant planet instability in terrestrial planet formation models
• Mercury's formation within the Early Instability Scenario
• Can narrow disks in the inner solar system explain the four terrestrial planets?