Research Advances in the Giant Impact Hypothesis of Moon Formation

Abstract

The Moon’s origin is a long-debated scientific question, and its unique characteristics have led to the widespread acceptance of the giant impact hypothesis as the dominant theory explaining how the Moon formed. According to the canonical impact model, an impactor about the size of Mars collided with Earth, leading to the formation of a debris disk primarily composed of material from the impactor, within which the Moon subsequently formed. However, the canonical impact model faces an important challenge in accounting for the remarkably similar isotopic anomalies across various isotope systems observed in both Earth and the Moon, referred to as the “isotope crisis”. To address this quandary, a range of new computational models depicting the giant impact has been proposed. Nevertheless, the inquiry into the Moon’s origin is still far from a conclusive resolution. Consequently, acquiring additional experimental and exploratory data becomes imperative. Furthermore, delving deeper into the limitations and mechanisms of numerical models is crucial, offering the potential for an enhanced understanding of Earth and Moon’s evolution. This paper provides an extensive evaluation of the primary computational models associated with the giant impact theory. It explores the advancements made in research related to this theory and analyzes its merits and limitations.