The study was led by Sabina Raducan of the University of Bern, International Space Science Institute (ISSI) and VUB Brussels University: “Run on a High Performance Computing Cluster at the University of Bern, our Bern Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, SPH, impact code works by recreating bodies of interest into millions of adhering particles whose interplay is governed by various programmable variables, including gravity levels, material strength and cohesion.

“In this case we created a detailed shape model of Deimos out of SPH particles, having filled in the southern depression to leave it ready for the impactor to strike. Then we ran about a hundred simulations – each one taking about a week at a time to complete – to experiment with various impactor masses and angles of approach.”