Impact-Induced Vaporization During Accretion of Planetary Bodies

Abstract Giant impacts dominate the late stages of accretion of rocky planets [1, 2, 3]. They contribute to the heating, melting, and sometimes vaporization of the impacted bod- ies [4, 5, 6]. Due to fractionation during melting and vaporization, planet-building impacts can significantly change the composition and geochemical signatures of rocky objects [7, 8]. Using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, we analyze the shock behavior of complex realistic silicate systems, representative of both rocky bod- ies. We introduce a novel criterion for vapor formation that uses entropy calculations to determine the minimum impact velocity required to pass the threshold for vapor production. Our simulations reveal that sufficient velocities for vapor formation — 7.1 km/s for chondritic bodies and 6.1 km/s for terrestrial bodies — are reached in 54% and 60% of impacts, respectively, during the late stages of accretion [1]. Fur- thermore, these outcomes should be nuanced by factors such as the impact angle and the mass of the impacting bodies, which further influence the vaporization dynamics and the resultant material distribution. Our findings indicate that vaporization was a common occurrence during accretion and likely played a crucial role in shaping the early environments and material properties of terrestrial planets.