Submission Date

5-4-2026

Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Department

Physics & Astronomy

Adviser

Kassandra Martin-Wells

Committee Member

Kassandra Martin-Wells

Committee Member

Thomas Carroll

Committee Member

Johanna Mellis

Department Chair

Thomas Carroll

Project Description

Impact cratering is a fundamental physical process governed by extreme pressures and energy partitioning across three stages: Contact and Compression, Excavation, and Modification. While analytical 1D models provide a theoretical baseline, the complex ejecta dynamics involved in secondary crater formation require high-resolution 3D hydrocode simulations. This study develops a semi-automated classification pipeline to systematically identify secondary craters based on morphological traits such as d/D ratio and planform symmetry. The pipeline will be tested using a dataset centered on the rays of Tycho, a well-preserved Copernican-era crater. By providing a method to distinguish secondary populations from primary background craters, this work establishes a framework for building constraints for numerical models and refining lunar chronologies.

Comments

Research funded by the NASA Research Initiation Award (RIA). Grant Number: 80NSSCZK0799

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