5 Conclusion
In this work, we demonstrate that the iSALE and CTH shock-physics codes are an applicable tool to model impacts into Fe-Ni objects for what concerns crater morphology. To improve our understanding of cratering in Fe-Ni alloy compositions that overlap that of iron meteorites (a possible major component of Psyche), we have performed 18 iSALE and 2 CTH simulations based on the set-up of hypervelocity impact experiments performed at the NASA AMES Vertical Gun Range in Marchi et al (2020). Observation and analysis show that the strength of Fe-Ni and iron meteorite targets is dependent on target temperature. Moreover, crater morphologies of these materials are characterized by sharp, raised rims and deep cavities — these observations are in agreement with the output of our numerical simulations. We find that both iSALE and CTH reproduce crater sizes and depth to within 15% for Fe-Ni materials and are adequate tools for studying crater morphology in Fe-Ni targets. These tools provide a good base for simulating large-scale collisions on Psyche, provided the relevant material parameters (including temperature and dependence) are used.