Geomechanical models of impact cratering: Puchezh-Katunki structure

Impact cratering is a complex natural phenomenon that involves various physical and mechanical processes. Simulating these processes may be improved using the data obtained during the deep drilling at the central mound of the Puchezh-Katunki impact structure. A research deep drillhole (named Vorotilovskaya) has been drilled in the Puchezh-Katunki impact structure (European Russia, 57 deg 06 min N, 43 deg 35 min E). The age of the structure is estimated at about 180 to 200 m.y. The initial rim crater diameter is estimated at about 40 km. The central uplift is composed of large blocks of crystalline basement rocks. Preliminary study of the core shows that crystalline rocks are shock metamorphosed by shock pressure from 45 GPa near the surface to 15-20 GPa at a depth of about 5 km. The drill core allows the possibility of investigating many previously poorly studied cratering processes in the central part of the impact structure. As a first step one can use the estimates of energy for the homogeneous rock target. The diameter of the crater rim may be estimated as 40 km. The models elaborated earlier show that such a crater may be formed after collapse of a transient cavity with a radius of 10 km. The most probable range of impact velocities from 11.2 to 30 km/s may be inferred for the asteroidal impactor. For the density of a projectile of 2 g/cu cm the energy of the impact is estimated as 1E28 to 3E28 erg. In the case of vertical impact, the diameter of an asteroidal projectile is from 1.5 to 3 km for the velocity range from 11 to 30 km/s. For the most probable impact angle of 45 deg, the estimated diameter of an asteroid is slightly larger: from 2 to 4 km. Numerical simulation of the transient crater collapse has been done using several models of rock rheology during collapse. Results show that the column at the final position beneath the central mound is about 5 km in length. This value is close to the shock-pressure decay observed along the drill core. Further improvement of the model needs to take into account the blocky structure of target rocks revealed by drilling

Estimation of the Shear Viscosity from 3FD Simulations of Au+Au Collisions at sNN=\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 3.3--39 GeV

An effective shear viscosity in central Au+Au collisions is estimated in the range of incident energies 3.3 GeV $\le \sqrt{s_{NN}}\le$ 39 GeV. The simulations are performed within a three-fluid model employing three different equations of state with and without the deconfinement transition. In order to estimate this effective viscosity, we consider the entropy produced in the 3FD simulations as if it is generated within the conventional one-fluid viscous hydrodynamics. It is found that the effective viscosity within different considered scenarios is very similar at the expansion stage of the collision: as a function of temperature ($T$) the viscosity-to-entropy ratio behaves as $\eta/s \sim 1/T^4$; as a function of net-baryon density ($n_B$), $\eta/s \sim 1/s$, i.e. it is mainly determined by the density dependence of the entropy density. The above dependencies take place along the dynamical trajectories of Au+Au collisions. At the final stages of the expansion the $\eta/s$ values are ranged from $\sim$0.05 at highest considered energies to $\sim$0.5 at the lowest ones.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Eur. Phys. Journ.

Light fragment production at CERN Super Proton Synchrotron

Recent data on the deutron and $^3$He production in central Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) energies measured by the NA49 collaboration are analyzed within the model of the three-fluid dynamics (3FD) complemented by the coalescence model for the light-fragment production. The simulations are performed with different equations of state---with and without deconfinement transition. It is found that scenarios with the deconfinement transition are preferable for reproduction rapidity distributions of deuterons and $^3$He, the corresponding results well agree with the experimental data. At the same time the calculated transverse-mass spectra of $^3$He at midrapidity do not that nice agree with the experimental data. The latter apparently indicates that coalescence coefficients should be temperature and/or momentum dependent.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, version accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

Entropy Production and Effective Viscosity in Heavy-Ion Collisions

Entropy production and an effective viscosity in central Au+Au collisions are estimated in a wide range of incident energies 3.3 GeV $\le \sqrt{s_{NN}}\le$ 39 GeV. The simulations are performed within a three-fluid model employing three different equations of state with and without deconfinement transition, which are equally good in reproduction of the momentum-integrated elliptic flow of charged particles in the considered energy range. It is found that more that 80\% entropy is prodused during a short early collision stage which lasts $\sim$1 fm/c at highest considered energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}}\ge$ 20 GeV. The estimated values of the viscosity-to-entropy ratio ($\eta/s$) are approximately the same in all considered scenarios. At final stages of the system expansion they range from $\sim$0.05 at highest considered energies to $\sim$0.5 lowest ones. It is found that the $\eta/s$ ratio decreases with the temperature ($T$) rise approximately as $\sim 1/T^4$ and exhibits a rather weak dependence on the net-baryon density.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures. Version accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal

Soliton-Magnon Scattering in Two-Dimensional Isotropic Ferromagnets

It is studied the scattering of magnons by the 2d topological Belavin-Polyakov soliton in isotropic ferromagnet. Analytical solutions of the scattering problem are constructed: (i) exactly for any magnon wave vectors for the partial wave with the azimuthal number m=1 (translational mode), and (ii) in the long- and short-wave limits for the rest modes. The magnon mode frequencies are found for the finite size magnets. An effective equation of the soliton motion is constructed. The magnon density of states, connected with the soliton-magnon interaction, is found in a long-wave approximation.Comment: 4 pages, REVTe