Title: SPH calculations of Mars-scale collisions: the role of the Equation of State, material rheologies, and numerical effects,
Abstract: We model large-scale ($\approx$2000km) impacts on a Mars-like planet using a
Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code. The effects of material strength and of
using different Equations of State on the post-impact material and temperature
distributions are investigated. The properties of the ejected material in terms
of escaping and disc mass are analysed as well. We also study potential
numerical effects in the context of density discontinuities and rigid body
rotation. We find that in the large-scale collision regime considered here
(with impact velocities of 4km/s), the effect of material strength is
substantial for the post-impact distribution of the temperature and the
impactor material, while the influence of the Equation of State is more subtle
and present only at very high temperatures.