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For some orbital phase of the moon to permit an impact, the comet's planetocentric hyperbolic Kepler orbit must at least cross the moon's circular orbit. At the limiting case $a_m$ is the comet's periapsis, so the radial velocity in part (iv) vanishes. ConsequentlyThis is gravitational focusing by the planet; an actual collision additionally requires the moon to occupy the crossing point at the right time.

Let the belt contain $n(D)dD=C{D}^{-\alpha }dD$ bodies. Its total mass fixesFor equal mass density, an impactor of diameter $D$ supplies specific impact energyThus catastrophic disruption requires $D\ge D_{\mathrm{cc}}=X_c{D}_t$, whereThe impactor number density per diameter is $C{D}^{-\alpha }/V$. Neglecting gravitational focusing, the geometric collision cross-section is $\pi (D_t+D{)}^2/4$, so the exact catastrophic planetesimal collision rate in this model isEquivalently, with $A=\pi C{v}_{\mathrm{rel}}/(4V)$,If $D_{\min }\ll X_c{D}_t\ll D_t\ll D_{\max }$, the steep distribution makes impactors just above $X_c{D}_t$ dominate and their collision cross-section is approximately $\pi D_t^2/4$. HenceThis approximation also assumes a common $v_{\mathrm{rel}}$ and size-independent catastrophic disruption threshold $Q_D^{\ast }$.

Tidal capture converts sufficient relative orbital energy into internal tidal heating to leave two initially unbound galaxies on a bound orbit. For identical spherical galaxies of mass $m_g$, a distant rapid flyby of impact parameter $p$ and relative speed $v$ gives the approximate capture condition $pv<[(32/3)G^2{m}_g^2⟨r^2⟩{]}^{1/4}$. This requires the impulse approximation and weak gravitational focusing; it is not a general criterion for subsequent coalescence.