This repository contains a demonstration version of the disk finding algorithm used in Timpe et al. (2023). This disk finder is intended for use with smooth-particle hydrodynamics simulations of pairwise collisions between planetary-size objects (i.e., "giant impacts"). The disk finder should only be run on a post-impact snapshot for which sufficient time has passed following the impact, thereby allowing the system to reach relative equilibrium. In Timpe et al. (2023), for example, an initial check is done prior to invoking the disk finder that ensures that the collision outcome was a merger (i.e., only one major post-impact body remains) and the post-impact state is relatively quiescent. Note that while the disk finder is relatively fast for resolutions up to a few hundred thousand particles, it will slow down as the number of particles increases.
Title: A Systematic Survey of Moon-Forming Giant Impacts I: Non-rotating bodies
Authors: Miles Timpe, Christian Reinhardt, Thomas Meier, Joachim Stadel, Ben Moore
Corresponding author: Miles Timpe mtimpe@proton.me
Affiliation: Insitute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland
This repository contains the code for the disk finding algorithm, as well as an example of a post-impact collision snapshot and a Jupyter notebook to run the disk finder on this example.
The Jupyter notebook demonstration is available in the disk_finder_tutorial.ipynb file. The astrophysical constants used in the code and notebook can be found in constants.py and the supporting functions in utils.py. Note that the disk finder requires several standard Python libraries, as well as the pynbody library, which can be found here: https://pynbody.github.io/pynbody
If you use this disk finding algorithm in your work, please cite the associated publication:
Timpe, M., Reinhardt, C., Meier, T., Stadel, J., & Moore, B. "A Systematic Survey of Moon-Forming Giant Impacts I: Non-rotating bodies", 2023, Astrophysical Journal.