Impact cratering and break up of the small bodies of the Solar System

We consider the largest impact craters observed on small satellites and asteroids and the impact disruption of such bodies. Observational data are considered from 21 impact-like structures on 13 satellites and 8 asteroids (target body radii in the range 0.7–265 km). If the radius of the target body is R and the diameter of the largest crater observed on this body D, the ratio D / R is then the main observational parameter of interest. This is found on the observed bodies and compared to data obtained in the laboratory. Taking the largest observed value for D / R as a proxy for the ratio D c / R (where D c is the diameter of the largest crater that can be formed on a body without shattering it) it was found that for the observed icy satellites D c , icy ≈ 1.2 R and for the asteroids and the rocky satellites D c , rocky ≈ 1.6 R . In laboratory experiments with ice targets at impactor speeds of 1 to 3 km s−1 we obtained D c , icy ≈ 1.64 R .