* Astronomy

Title: Impact crater formation: a simple application of solid state physics
Authors: V.Celebonovic, J.Souchay

This contribution is a first step aiming to address a general question: what can be concluded on impact craters which exist on various planetary system objects, by combining astronomical data and known theoretical results from solid state physics. Assuming that the material of the target body is of crystalline structure, it is shown that a simple calculation gives the possibility of estimating the speed of the impactor responsible for the creation of a crater. A test value, calculated using observed data on the composition of some asteroids, gives a value of the speed in good agreement with results of celestial mechanics.

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