Laboratory Investigations of the Temperature Dependence of Hypervelocity Impact Cratering in Ice

Laboratory investigations by hypervelocity impact cratering in water ices are usually carried out at temperatures of approximate 250-265 K. However, icy surfaces in the Solar System are typically at lower temperatures. Accordingly a study of the temperature dependence of cratering in water ice has been carried out using a two-stage light gas gun firing mm-sized projectile at 5 - 6 km s(-1). The temperature of the water ice targets has been varied in the range 152-253 K. The variation in depth, diameter and volume of the resulting craters is presented as a function of temperature. (C) 2001 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.