Asteroid diversion considerations and comparisons of diversion techniques
Abstract
The threat of asteroid impacts on Earth poses a low-probability but high consequence risk, with possible outcomes ranging from regional to global catastrophe. However, unique amongst such global threats we have the capability of averting such disasters. Diversion approaches by either kinetic impactor or nuclear energy deposition are the two most practical technologies for mitigating hazardous near Earth asteroids. One of the greatest challenges in understanding our options is the uncertain response of asteroids to such impulsive techniques, due both to our lack of knowledge of the composition and structure of these objects as well as their highly varied nature. Predicting whether we will simply divert or break up a given object is a crucial: the weak self-gravity and inferred weak structure of typical asteroids present the strong possibility the body will fragment for modest impulses. Predictive modeling of failure and fragmentation is one important tool for such studies. In this paper we apply advances in modeling failure and fracture using Adaptive Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ASPH) to understand mega-cratering on asteroids as a validation exercise, and show examples of diverting the near Earth asteroid Bennu using both a kinetic impactor and ablative blow-off due to nuclear energy deposition.
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1201661
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Procedia Engineering
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 103; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 1877-7058
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; asteroid; hazard mitigation; simulations; failure and fracture modeling
Citation Formats
Owen, J. Michael, Miller, Paul, Rovny, Jared, Wasem, Joe, Howley, Kirsten, and Herbold, Eric B. Asteroid diversion considerations and comparisons of diversion techniques. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.04.061.
Owen, J. Michael, Miller, Paul, Rovny, Jared, Wasem, Joe, Howley, Kirsten, & Herbold, Eric B. Asteroid diversion considerations and comparisons of diversion techniques. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.04.061
Owen, J. Michael, Miller, Paul, Rovny, Jared, Wasem, Joe, Howley, Kirsten, and Herbold, Eric B. Tue .
"Asteroid diversion considerations and comparisons of diversion techniques". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.04.061. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1201661.
@article{osti_1201661,
title = {Asteroid diversion considerations and comparisons of diversion techniques},
author = {Owen, J. Michael and Miller, Paul and Rovny, Jared and Wasem, Joe and Howley, Kirsten and Herbold, Eric B.},
abstractNote = {The threat of asteroid impacts on Earth poses a low-probability but high consequence risk, with possible outcomes ranging from regional to global catastrophe. However, unique amongst such global threats we have the capability of averting such disasters. Diversion approaches by either kinetic impactor or nuclear energy deposition are the two most practical technologies for mitigating hazardous near Earth asteroids. One of the greatest challenges in understanding our options is the uncertain response of asteroids to such impulsive techniques, due both to our lack of knowledge of the composition and structure of these objects as well as their highly varied nature. Predicting whether we will simply divert or break up a given object is a crucial: the weak self-gravity and inferred weak structure of typical asteroids present the strong possibility the body will fragment for modest impulses. Predictive modeling of failure and fragmentation is one important tool for such studies. In this paper we apply advances in modeling failure and fracture using Adaptive Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ASPH) to understand mega-cratering on asteroids as a validation exercise, and show examples of diverting the near Earth asteroid Bennu using both a kinetic impactor and ablative blow-off due to nuclear energy deposition.},
doi = {10.1016/j.proeng.2015.04.061},
journal = {Procedia Engineering},
number = C,
volume = 103,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
Other availability
Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science
Web of Science
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.
Works referenced in this record:
Impact Simulations with Fracture. I. Method and Tests
journal, January 1994
- Benz, W.; Asphaug, E.
- Icarus, Vol. 107, Issue 1
Blow-off momentum from melt and vapor in nuclear deflection scenarios
journal, October 2014
- Howley, Kirsten; Managan, Robert; Wasem, Joseph
- Acta Astronautica, Vol. 103
Simulations of brittle solids using smooth particle hydrodynamics
journal, May 1995
- Benz, W.; Asphaug, E.
- Computer Physics Communications, Vol. 87, Issue 1-2
The Stickney Impact of Phobos: A Dynamical Model
journal, January 1993
- Asphaug, E.; Melosh, H. J.
- Icarus, Vol. 101, Issue 1
Impact Simulations with Fracture. I. Method and Tests
journal, January 1994
- Benz, W.; Asphaug, E.
- Icarus, Vol. 107, Issue 1
Simulations of brittle solids using smooth particle hydrodynamics
journal, May 1995
- Benz, W.; Asphaug, E.
- Computer Physics Communications, Vol. 87, Issue 1-2
Continuum modelling of explosive fracture in oil shale
journal, June 1980
- Grady, D. E.; Kipp, M. E.
- International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, Vol. 17, Issue 3
SPH elastic dynamics
journal, October 2001
- Gray, J. P.; Monaghan, J. J.; Swift, R. P.
- Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 190, Issue 49-50
On the scaling of crater dimensions: 2. Impact processes
journal, January 1982
- Holsapple, K. A.; Schmidt, R. M.
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 87, Issue B3
Blow-off momentum from melt and vapor in nuclear deflection scenarios
journal, October 2014
- Howley, Kirsten; Managan, Robert; Wasem, Joseph
- Acta Astronautica, Vol. 103
Smoothed particle hydrodynamics
journal, July 2005
- Monaghan, J. J.
- Reports on Progress in Physics, Vol. 68, Issue 8
Adaptive Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics: Methodology. II.
journal, June 1998
- Owen, J. Michael; Villumsen, Jens V.; Shapiro, Paul R.
- The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, Vol. 116, Issue 2
A compatibly differenced total energy conserving form of SPH: A COMPATIBLY DIFFERENCED TOTAL ENERGY CONSERVING FORM OF SPH
journal, April 2014
- Michael Owen, J.
- International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, Vol. 75, Issue 11
Some recent advances in the scaling of impact and explosion cratering
journal, January 1987
- Schmidt, Robert M.; Housen, Kevin R.
- International Journal of Impact Engineering, Vol. 5, Issue 1-4
Ejecta Emplacement on the Martian Satellites
journal, January 1998
- Thomas, P. C.
- Icarus, Vol. 131, Issue 1
Phobos control point network, rotation, and shape
journal, June 2010
- Willner, K.; Oberst, J.; Hussmann, H.
- Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 294, Issue 3-4
A strain-based porosity model for use in hydrocode simulations of impacts and implications for transient crater growth in porous targets
journal, February 2006
- Wünnemann, K.; Collins, G. S.; Melosh, H. J.
- Icarus, Vol. 180, Issue 2
Works referencing / citing this record:
Benchmarking impact hydrocodes in the strength regime: Implications for modeling deflection by a kinetic impactor
journal, March 2020
- Stickle, Angela M.; Bruck Syal, Megan; Cheng, Andy F.
- Icarus, Vol. 338