Abstract
We present the results of experiments on impact craters formed by dropping a steel ball vertically into a container of small glass beads. As the energy of impact increases, we observe a progression of crater morphologies analogous to that seen in craters on the moon. We find that both the diameter and the depth of the craters are proportional to the power of the energy. The ratio of crater diameter to rim-to-floor depth is constant for low-energy impacts, but increases at higher energy, similar to what is observed for lunar craters.
- Received 17 February 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.104301
©2003 American Physical Society