Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the tidal disruption of comets

Details Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the tidal disruption of comets Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the tidal disruption of comets

Mar 1994

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994lpi....25..101b&link_type=abstract

In Lunar and Planetary Inst., The Twenty-Fifth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 1: A-G p 101-102 (SEE N94-35395 11-9

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Cometary Collisions, Fracturing, Mathematical Models, Poisson Ratio, Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet, Astronomical Models, Elastic Bodies, Jupiter (Planet), Weibull Density Functions

Scientific paper

The break-up of Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 into multiple pieces following its grazing encounter with Jupiter in July 1992 can be used to study tidally-induced fracture in comets. This spectacular event allows us not only to set limits on the size, strength and density of Shoemaker-Levy 9 itself, but provides invaluable guidance to numerical modeling of such encounters. In an extensive treatment of tidal breakup which assumed self-gravitating, homogeneous, perfectly elastic bodies, Dobrovolskis derived simple analytical expressions for the tidally-induced surface and central stresses. Both can be cast in such a way that Poisson's ratio is the only material dependent constant entering these expressions. Whether both surface and central failure must be initiated as a criterion for breakup, or either one of them is sufficient, remains a subject of disagreement. To resolve this debate, we model the details of cometary breakup using a three-dimensional Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) code modified to simulate fracture in small solid objects. At lower stresses associated with brittle failure, we use a rate-dependent strength based on the nucleation of incipient flaws whose number density is given by a Weibull distribution.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the tidal disruption of comets does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the tidal disruption of comets, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the tidal disruption of comets will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1872139