2019 Spring: PTYS 595B Special Topics in Planetary Science (Section 2)

PTYS 595B (002), 3 units, Planet-Forming Collisions. The terrestrial planets grew in a series of massive late-stage collisions. Unlike impact cratering there is no impact locus when the colliding bodies are similar-sized, and the process is governed by angular momentum and self-gravity as much as by shocks and equations of state. The first half of the course will be lecture-based providing an essential background leading up to the major current science questions, and the second half will be focused on research projects culminating in final presentations.