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The origin of the Uranian satellite system remains uncertain. The four major satellites have nearly circular, coplanar orbits, and the ratio of the satellite system to planetary mass resembles Jupiter’s satellite system, suggesting the Uranian system was similarly formed within a disk produced by gas coaccretion. However, Uranus is a retrograde rotator with a high obliquity. The satellites orbit in its highly tilted equatorial plane in the same sense as the planet’s retrograde rotation, a configuration that cannot be explained by coaccretion alone. In this work, we investigate the first stages of the coaccretion + giant-impact scenario proposed by Morbidelli et al. (2012) for the origin of the Uranian system. In this model, a satellite system formed by coaccretion is destabilized by a giant impact that tilts the planet. The primordial satellites collide and disrupt, creating an outer debris disk that can reorient to the planet’s new equatorial plane and accrete into Uranus’ four major satellites. The needed reorientation out to distances comparable to outermost Oberon requires that the impact creates an inner disk with ≥1% of Uranus’ mass. We here simulate giant impacts that appropriately tilt the planet and leave the system with an angular momentum comparable to that of the current system. We find that such impacts do not produce inner debris disks massive enough to realign the outer debris disk to the post-impact equatorial plane. Although our results are inconsistent with the apparent requirements of a coaccretion + giant-impact model, we suggest alternatives that merit further exploration.

Current lunar origin scenarios suggest that Earth's Moon may have resulted from the merger of two (or more) smaller moonlets. Dynamical studies of multiple moons find that these satellite systems are not stable, resulting in moonlet collision or loss of one or more of the moonlets. We perform Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic (SPH) impact simulations of two orbiting moonlets inside the planetary gravitational potential and find that the classical outcome of two bodies impacting in free space is altered as erosive mass loss is more significant with decreasing distance to the planet. Depending on the conditions of accretion, each moonlet could have a distinct isotopic signature, therefore, we assess the initial mixing during their merger, in order to estimate whether future measurements of surface variations could distinguish between lunar origin scenarios (single vs. multiple moonlets). We find that for comparable-size impacting bodies in the accretionary regime, surface mixing is efficient, but in the hit-and-run regime, only a small amount of material is transferred between the bodies. However, sequences of hit-and-run impacts are expected, which will enhance the surface mixing. Overall, our results show that large scale heterogeneities can arise only from the merger of drastically different component masses. Surfaces of moons resulting from the merger of comparable-sized components have little material heterogeneities, and such impacts are preferred, as the relatively massive impactor generates more melt, extending the lunar magma ocean phase., accepted for publication. 17 pages, 9 Figures

Forming the Moon by a high-angular momentum impact may explain the Earth-Moon isotopic similarities, however, the post-impact angular momentum needs to be reduced by a factor of 2 or more to the current value (1 L_EM) after the Moon forms. Capture into the evection resonance, occurring when the lunar perigee precession period equals one year, could remove the angular momentum excess. However the appropriate angular momentum removal appears sensitive to the tidal model and chosen tidal parameters. In this work, we use a constant-time delay tidal model to explore the Moon's orbital evolution through evection. We find that exit from formal evection occurs early and that subsequently, the Moon enters a quasi-resonance regime, in which evection still regulates the lunar eccentricity even though the resonance angle is no longer librating. Although not in resonance proper, during quasi-resonance angular momentum is continuously removed from the Earth-Moon system and transferred to Earth's heliocentric orbit. The final angular momentum, set by the timing of quasi-resonance escape, is a function of the ratio of tidal strength in the Moon and Earth and the absolute rate of tidal dissipation in the Earth. We consider a physically-motivated model for tidal dissipation in the Earth as the mantle cools from a molten to a partially molten state. We find that as the mantle solidifies, increased terrestrial dissipation drives the Moon out of quasi-resonance. For post-impact systems that contain >2 L_EM, final angular momentum values after quasi-resonance escape remain significantly higher than the current Earth-Moon value., accepted to JGR-Planets

A high-angular momentum giant impact with the Earth can produce a Moon with a silicate isotopic composition nearly identical to that of Earth’s mantle, consistent with observations of terrestrial and lunar rocks. However, such an event requires subsequent angular momentum removal for consistency with the current Earth-Moon system. The early Moon may have been captured into the evection resonance, occurring when the lunar perigee precession period equals 1 year. It has been proposed that after a high- angular momentum giant impact, evection removed the angular momentum excess from the Earth-Moon pair and transferred it to Earth’s orbit about the Sun. However, prior N-body integrations suggest this result depends on the tidal model and chosen tidal parameters. Here, we examine the Moon’s encounter with evection using a complementary analytic description and the Mignard tidal model. While the Moon is in resonance, the lunar longitude of perigee librates, and if tidal evolution excites the libration amplitude sufficiently, escape from resonance occurs. The angular momentum drain produced by formal evection depends on how long the resonance is maintained. We estimate that resonant escape occurs early, leading to only a small reduction (~ few to 10%) in the Earth-Moon system angular momentum. Moon formation from a high-angular momentum impact would then require other angular momentum removal mechanisms beyond standard libration in evection, as have been suggested previously., Plain Language Summary A canonical giant impact with the Earth by a Mars-sized impactor can produce the Moon and the current Earth-Moon angular momentum. However, such an impact would produce a planet and protolunar disk with very different proportions of impactor-derived material, likely leading to Earth-Moon compositional differences that are inconsistent with observed Earth-Moon isotopic similarities. Alternatively, a high-angular momentum impact could form a disk with a silicate composition similar to that of the Earth, but with a postimpact angular momentum much higher than in the current Earth-Moon system. As the early Moon tidally receded from the Earth, its perigee precession period lengthened. When this period equaled 1 year, the Moon may have been captured into the evection resonance with the Sun. It has been proposed that evection removed the angular momentum excess from the Earth- Moon pair, but the appropriate degree of angular momentum removal appears sensitive to tidal models. In this work, we use an analytical model to examine the Moon’s evolution in evection and find that escape from formal resonance occurs early, with limited angular momentum reduction. Thus, in order for a high-angular momentum giant impact to be consistent with the current Earth-Moon system, additional mechanisms that do not involve standard resonance occupancy appear required.

The hypothesis of lunar origin by a single giant impact can explain some aspects of the Earth-Moon system. However, it is difficult to reconcile giant impact models with the compositional similarity of the Earth and Moon without violating angular momentum constraints. Furthermore, successful giant impact scenarios require very specific conditions such that they have a low probability of occurring. Here we present numerical simulations suggesting that the Moon could instead be the product of a succession of a variety of smaller collisions. In this scenario, each collision forms a debris disk around the proto-Earth that then accretes to form a moonlet. The moonlets tidally advance outward, and may coalesce to form the Moon. We find that sub-lunar moonlets are a common result of impacts expected onto the proto-Earth in the early solar system and find that the planetary rotation is limited by impact angular momentum drain. We conclude that, assuming efficient merger of moonlets, a multiple impact scenario can account for the formation of the Earth-Moon system with its present properties.