A NEW CHRONOLOGY FOR THE MOON AND MERCURY

2009/03/30 by Simone Marchi, S. Marchi, S. Mottola +7 · 193 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Chronology #Flux (metallurgy) #Mercury (programming language) #Planetary Science and Exploration #Solar System #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #Surface exposure dating #astro-ph.EP

paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/6/4936

published in The Astronomical Journal 137(6), 4936-4948 (Institute of Physics) · 27 pages, 13 figures, 1 table; accepted by AJ

arxiv created 2009/03/30 · openalex publication_date 2009/05/04 · arxiv updated 2015/05/13 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new method for dating the surface of the Moon, obtained by modeling the incoming flux of impactors and converting it into a size distribution of resulting craters. We compare the results from this model with the standard chronology for the Moon showing their similarities and discrepancies. In particular, we find indications of a nonconstant impactor flux in the last 500 Myr and also discuss the implications of our findings for the Late Heavy Bombardment hypothesis. We also show the potential of our model for accurate dating of other inner solar system bodies, by applying it to Mercury.

Citations

• Origin and Evolution of Near-Earth Objects
• An asteroid breakup 160 Myr ago as the probable source of the K/T impactor
• Origin of the cataclysmic Late Heavy Bombardment period of the terrestrial planets
• Understanding the Distribution of Near-Earth Asteroids
• Support for the Lunar Cataclysm Hypothesis from Lunar Meteorite Impact Melt Ages
• Express delivery of fossil meteorites from the inner asteroid belt to Sweden
• Linking the collisional history of the main asteroid belt to its dynamical excitation and depletion
• The fossilized size distribution of the main asteroid belt
• Possible long-term decline in impact rates

Cited by

• The steady state population of Earth's minimoons of lunar provenance
• The onset of the lunar cataclysm as recorded in its ancient crater populations
• The cratering history of asteroid (21) Lutetia
• Icy Satellites of Saturn: Impact Cratering and Age Determination
• Reconstructing the late-accretion history of the Moon
• Size-Frequency Distribution of Terrestrial Leftover Planetesimals and S-complex Implanted Asteroids