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The Role of Multiple Giant Impacts in the Formation of the Earth–Moon System

  • Authors: Robert I. Citron, Hagai B. Perets, and Oded Aharonson

2018 The Astrophysical Journal 862 5.

  • Provider: AAS Journals

Caption: Figure 3.

An additional example of a simulation that resulted in a merger. Evolution over time is shown for (a) semimajor axis, (b) period ratio, (c) eccentricity, and (d) inclination. The initial mass of the inner (blue) and outer (green) moonlets is 0.23 and 0.36 Ml, respectively. The rotational period and obliquity of the proto-Earth is shown in orange in subplots (a) and (d). In this simulation, the system passes through multiple resonances that result in close encounters, before a final merger at ∼95 Myr.

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