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Let $L_k={\dot{m}}_k^{-c}$ be the mass processed by catastrophic impacts in logarithmic bin $k$. Steady mass conservation requires the same downward mass flux across every interior size threshold. A scale-independent fragment redistribution function makes the transfer kernel depend only on the number of logarithmic bin steps. Consequently a self-similar interior steady collisional cascade has $L_k=L$, independent of size: a constant processed mass per bin supplies the constant flux, with the same kernel-dependent proportionality at every bin. This is the constant mass flux in a collisional cascade result, away from injection and removal cutoffs. Size-independent fragmentation does not eliminate boundary waves at the very ends of a finite distribution.

For equal-density planetesimals, body mass is proportional to $D^3$ and a fixed logarithmic bin contains a number proportional to $Dn(D)$. The mass per logarithmic size bin is therefore $m_{\log }\propto D^{4-\alpha }$. With the given catastrophic planetesimal collision rate, $Q_D^{\ast }\propto D^b$ givesConstant mass flux in a collisional cascade sets the exponent to zero, yielding the strength-dependent steady collisional-cascade slopeThe time to change an order-one fraction of a bin's mass is $m_k/(m_k{R}_k)=1/R_k$. Its collisional-cascade relaxation time is thus $t_c(D)\sim 1/R(D,Q_D^{\ast })$. The contemporaneous projectile population must be used when a different part of the distribution has already evolved.

For the primordial differential-number index ${\alpha }_0=7/2$, the collisional-cascade relaxation time isIt has asymptotic logarithmic slope $1/12$ in the strength regime and $7/4$ in the gravity regime. It increases monotonically: its logarithmic derivative is $1/2+(5/6)d\log Q_D^{\ast }/d\log D$, ranging from $1/12$ to $7/4$. In particular the minimum of the catastrophic disruption threshold at $D_w$ is not a minimum of the collision time. The strength-gravity disruption transition obeysSmall sizes start evolving first. Before $t\sim t_{c0}(D_{\min })$, the whole distribution is nearly primordial. At intermediate times, a transition diameter $D_t$ with $t_c(D_t)\sim t$ separates processed small sizes from mostly primordial larger sizes. The steady strength-regime index is ${\alpha }_s=41/11$, while the gravity-regime index is ${\alpha }_g=3$. Thus a plot of mass per logarithmic size bin has slopes $3/11$ and $1$ in the two evolved regimes, compared with the primordial slope $1/2$. Once $D_t\gg D_w$, both steady slopes appear below the remaining primordial tail. The transition moves to larger sizes, and the normalization eventually decays as the largest bodies are depleted. Sharp joined power laws are a schematic description; detailed kernels produce smooth transitions and possible waves.

For the uniform depletion, the binary-collision evolution operator $F$ is quadratic in all bin masses: $F(cm)=c^{2}F(m)$. Let $m(t)$ be the undepleted trajectory and suppose $m_d(T)=m(T)/f$. Differentiating verifies the exact scaling within this fixed-kernel collision model,Immediately after depletion the shape is unchanged and the catastrophic planetesimal collision rates are reduced by $f$. Further evolution therefore proceeds $f$ times more slowly on the original trajectory. The processed-to-primordial transition initially remains at $D_t$, then advances on the stretched collision clock.

A collision-only model starting with the smaller initial normalization $m(0)/f$ has trajectory $\tilde{m}(u)=m(u/f)/f$. Matching the observed depleted distribution requires $u/f=T+(t-T)/f$. Hence the collisional age after uniform dynamical depletion isThe lower observed normalization would make it appear that slow collisions had taken much longer to produce the existing break. Shape and normalization alone cannot determine $f$ without independent information about age, initial mass, or depletion history.

Finally, count all impacts exceeding the strength threshold $Q_s=Q_a{D}^{-1/2}$, including impacts which also disperse the target. This is the source's inclusive rubblising convention; a bound-remnant rubblising collision alone would exclude the dispersing impacts. In the evolved gravity-regime projectile approximation, ${\alpha }_g=3$, so the given threshold-rate law gives the rubblising-to-dispersal collision-rate ratioAt the collisional front $D_t$, the age is of order one catastrophic collision time. Thus the expected number of strength-shattering impacts has the large-$D_t/D_w$ scalingThis is the requested scaling. It is not an exact unit-coefficient identity from the stated assumptions: using the true minimum diameter gives $R_{\mathrm{rub}}/R_{\mathrm{cc}}\simeq 3^{-2/3}(D_t/D_w{)}^{4/3}$. The actual cumulative number is ${\int }_0^T{R}_{\mathrm{rub}}(D_t,t)dt$, not automatically $T{R}_{\mathrm{rub}}(D_t,T)$, and its coefficient depends on evolution of the projectile population. The $4/3$ estimate also assumes the relevant projectiles sample the gravity-regime slope; sampling the strength or primordial slope changes the exponent. The steady-cascade framework and evolving transitions are developed by Wyatt, Clarke and Booth.

Combining constant mass flux in a collisional cascade with the rate in part (iv) givesSet the exponent to zero and multiply by three:or $21+b+p-\alpha (6+b-2p)=0$. Therefore the velocity-dependent collisional cascade hasFor $b=p=0$, this recovers the Dohnanyi collisional cascade slope $\alpha =7/2$. The denominator must be nonzero, and the resulting slope and destructive cutoff must satisfy the assumptions used for the collision-rate integral. A size-dependent vertical belt thickness would supply an additional volume factor and change this result.

For equal logarithmic width $d\log D$, the number of bodies is $n(D)Dd\log D$. Their mass is thereforeThe mass removed by catastrophic planetesimal collisions per logarithmic bin per unit time scales asAssume a steady collisional cascade with supply only at the large end, loss only at the small end, negligible reassembly or cratering contributions, and self-similar fragmentation that transfers mass through comparable logarithmic intervals. Mass conservation requires the downward mass flux across every intermediate size boundary to be the same; otherwise mass would accumulate or deplete there. Under the scale-invariant bin-transfer assumption, this is proportional by a size-independent factor to ${\dot{M}}_{\mathrm{loss}}$, soThis is constant mass flux in a collisional cascade. Steady state alone fixes the net flux, while the identification with the destruction rate of each bin additionally uses the stated fragmentation assumptions.

With size-independent collision speed and catastrophic disruption threshold $Q_D^{\ast }\propto D^b$, the catastrophic planetesimal collision rate scales as $R\propto D^{3-\alpha +b(1-\alpha )/3}$. Multiplying by mass per logarithmic size bin gives processed mass proportional to $D^{7-2\alpha +b(1-\alpha )/3}$. Constant mass flux in a collisional cascade sets the exponent to zero, yielding the displayed differential-number index when $b\ne -6$. This is the zero-velocity-exponent case of a velocity-dependent collisional cascade.

For catastrophic disruption threshold $Q_D^{\ast }=Q_b{D}^b$, encounter speed $v_{\mathrm{rel}}=v_p{D}^p$, fixed belt volume, and small impactors, the catastrophic projectile diameter scales as $D_{\mathrm{cc}}\propto D^{1+(b-2p)/3}$. If $\alpha >1$, small destructive impactors dominate the catastrophic planetesimal collision rate, givingMass per logarithmic bin scales as $D^{4-\alpha }$. Constant mass flux in a collisional cascade then givesSize-independent speed and strength recover the Dohnanyi collisional cascade slope $7/2$. A size-dependent belt thickness changes this derivation. The broader coupled size-and-velocity problem is studied by Pan and Schlichting.