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Related Concept Videos

Types of Collisions - II01:19

Types of Collisions - II

When two or more objects collide with each other, they can stick together to form one single composite object (after collision). The total mass of the object after the collision is the sum of the masses of the original objects, and it moves with a velocity dictated by the conservation of momentum. Although the system's total momentum remains constant, the kinetic energy decreases, and thus such a collision is an inelastic collision. Most of the collisions between objects in daily life are...
Elastic Collisions: Introduction01:00

Elastic Collisions: Introduction

An elastic collision is one that conserves both internal kinetic energy and momentum. Internal kinetic energy is the sum of the kinetic energies of the objects in a system. Truly elastic collisions can only be achieved with subatomic particles, such as electrons striking nuclei. Macroscopic collisions can be very nearly, but not quite, elastic, as some kinetic energy is always converted into other forms of energy such as heat transfer due to friction and sound. An example of a nearly...
Elastic Collisions: Case Study01:15

Elastic Collisions: Case Study

Elastic collision of a system demands conservation of both momentum and kinetic energy. To solve problems involving one-dimensional elastic collisions between two objects, the equations for conservation of momentum and conservation of internal kinetic energy can be used. For the two objects, the sum of momentum before the collision equals the total momentum after the collision. An elastic collision conserves internal kinetic energy, and so the sum of kinetic energies before the collision equals...
Impact01:30

Impact

Impact occurs when two bodies collide, leading to the application of impulsive forces between them. Analyzing impact mechanics involves considering two colliding particles moving along a line known as the line of impact, which passes through their centers and is perpendicular to the contact plane.
When particles with different initial velocities collide, they induce deformation by applying equal and opposite impulses. At the point of maximum deformation, the particles move together with...
Momentum And Radiation Pressure01:20

Momentum And Radiation Pressure

An object absorbing an electromagnetic wave would experience a force in the direction of propagation of the wave. This force occurs because electromagnetic waves contain and transport momentum. The force accounts for the wave's radiation pressure exerted on the object. Maxwell's prediction was confirmed in 1903 by Nichols and Hull by precisely measuring radiation pressures with a torsion balance. The measuring instrument had mirrors suspended from a fiber kept inside a glass container. Nichols...
Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - I01:20

Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - I

Rockets range in size from small fireworks that ordinary people use to the enormous Saturn V that once propelled massive payloads toward the Moon. The propulsion of all rockets, jet engines, deflating balloons, and even squids and octopuses are explained by the same physical principle: Newton's third law of motion. The matter is forcefully ejected from a system, producing an equal and opposite reaction on what remains.
The motion of a rocket in space changes its velocity (and hence its...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System
09:44

Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System

Published on: June 5, 2014

The dynamic ejecta of compact object mergers and eccentric collisions.

Stephan Rosswog1

  • 1The Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, AlbaNova, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. stephan.rosswog@astro.su.se

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|May 1, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Compact object mergers eject neutron-rich matter, crucial for heavy element production. Simulations show these mergers are a primary source of

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Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System
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Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System

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07:54

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas

Published on: April 3, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Astrophysics
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Cosmology

Background:

  • Compact object mergers, like neutron star mergers, are theorized to produce gamma-ray bursts and eject neutron-rich matter.
  • Different ejection mechanisms (dynamical, neutrino-driven winds, accretion disk winds) result in ejecta with distinct physical properties.
  • Understanding these ejecta is key to explaining nucleosynthesis and electromagnetic transients observed in astrophysical events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the properties of dynamically ejected material from compact object mergers.
  • To determine the contribution of these mergers to the production of heavy r-process elements.
  • To analyze the implications of different merger scenarios (e.g., neutron star-black hole collisions) on galactic nucleosynthesis.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted over 30 hydrodynamical simulations of gravitational wave-driven mergers and parabolic encounters.
  • Focused on analyzing the amount, velocity, and neutron richness of the ejected material.
  • Compared simulation results with observed abundance patterns of heavy r-process isotopes.

Main Results:

  • Mergers eject approximately 1% of a solar mass of extremely neutron-rich material.
  • Asymmetric systems eject more material at higher velocities, contributing significantly to r-process nucleosynthesis.
  • The ejecta's abundance patterns are consistent with neutron star mergers being a major source of heavy (A>130) r-process isotopes.
  • Parabolic collisions, particularly neutron star-black hole mergers, eject larger mass amounts, potentially overproducing galactic r-process matter if frequent.

Conclusions:

  • Neutron star mergers are a significant source of heavy r-process elements, particularly those with A>130.
  • The characteristics of ejected material vary with merger type and system asymmetry.
  • Further study of electromagnetic transients, such as macronovae, powered by radioactive decay in ejecta is warranted.