Development of a Low Gravity Simulator for Impact Phenomena

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25610135
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Solid earth and planetary physics
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Arakawa Masahiko 神戸大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (10222738)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 微小重力 / 衝突励起振動 / 貫入抵抗 / レゴリス層 / クレーター / 衝突実験 / 加速度計 / 粉粒体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied the feasibility of development of a Low Gravity Simulator for Impact Phenomena (LoGSIP) in the laboratory; the LoGSIP would be used for the study on the physical properties of granular matters under the low gravity condition simulating a regolith layer of asteroid surface. Then, we developed the method to measure the dynamical resistance force generated from granular matters using the impactor equipped with an accelerometer, and more we developed the method to measure the impact vibration and the excavation process during the crater formation process using the accelerometers set on a target surface and a high speed photography. As a result of these developments, we obtained the basic dynamical properties of granular matters at 1G, and assessed the feasibility of the implementation of these methods to the LoGSIP.

Free Research Field

惑星科学