A modeling tool developed by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory shows the progression an asteroid being broken up by a theoretical nuclear device detonated near the the surface of the near-Earth object.
Graphic illustration courtesy of Mary Burkey.
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed a modeling tool for assessing the potential use of a nuclear device to defend the planet against catastrophic asteroid impacts.
The research, published today in the Planetary Science Journal, introduces a novel approach to simulating the energy deposition from a nuclear device on an asteroid’s surface. This new tool improves our understanding of the nuclear deflection’s radiation interactions on the asteroid’s surface while opening the door to new research on the shockwave dynamics affecting the inner asteroid.
This model will allow researchers to build upon the insights gained from NASA’s recent Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, where, in September 2022, a kinetic impactor was deliberately crashed into an asteroid to alter its trajectory. However, with limitations in the mass that can be lifted to space, scientists continue to explore nuclear deflection as a viable alternative to kinetic impact missions.
Nuclear devices have the highest ratio of energy density per unit of mass of any human technology, making them an invaluable tool in mitigating asteroid threats, said LLNL physicist Mary Burkey, who led the research.
“If we have enough warning time, we could potentially launch a nuclear device, sending it millions of miles away to an asteroid that is headed toward Earth,” Burkey said. “We would then detonate the device and either deflect the asteroid, keeping it intact but providing a controlled push away from Earth, or we could disrupt the asteroid, breaking it up into small, fast-moving fragments that would also miss the planet.”
Accurate predictions for the effectiveness of nuclear deflection missions rely on sophisticated multiphysics simulations, Burkey said, explaining that LLNL simulation models cover a wide range of physical factors, which makes them complex and computationally demanding.
The paper introduces an efficient and accurate library of X-ray energy deposition functions, developed using the Kull radiation-hydrodynamics code. High-fidelity simulations tracked photons penetrating surfaces of asteroid-like materials such as rock, iron, and ice, while accounting for more complex processes, such as reradiation. The model also considers a diverse set of initial conditions, including different porosities, source spectra, radiation fluences, source durations, and angles of incidence. This comprehensive approach makes the model applicable to a wide range of potential asteroid scenarios.
Should a real planetary defense emergency arise, high-fidelity simulation modeling will be critical in providing decision-makers with actionable, risk-informed information that could prevent asteroid impact, protect essential infrastructure and save lives, explained Megan Bruck Syal, LLNL’s planetary defense project lead.
“While the probability of a large asteroid impact during our lifetime is low, the potential consequences could be devastating,” Bruck Syal said.
Original Article: New nuclear deflection simulations advance planetary defense against asteroid threats
More from: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Nuclear deflection
- The War Games of Israel and Iran
While Netanyahu and the Islamic Republic exchange ballistic “messages,” the question of Palestine demands the moral and strategic courage of actual statesmen.
- The Growing Incentive to Go Nuclear
From now on, any state with genuine fears for its own security is bound to consider building nuclear weapons. Over nearly eight decades after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, careful ...
- Iranian 'nuclear energy mountain' is 'fully safe' after Israeli strike: state media
Iranian nuclear sites are "fully safe" and have not been impacted by Israeli strikes, the country's regime says. Israel carried out limited strikes on areas of Iran early Friday in retaliation for ...
- Nuclear Energy Program
The Nuclear Energy Program at CSIS collaborates with industry, government, and the non-governmental sector to address the challenges facing the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including the challenges ...
- The Fantasy of Reviving Nuclear Energy
Ms. Cooke is a former editor of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly and the author of “In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age.” World leaders are not unaware of the nuclear industry ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Planetary defense
- NASA’s NEOWISE Extends Legacy With Decade of Near-Earth Object Data
Short for Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, NEOWISE is a key component of NASA’s planetary defense strategy, helping the agency refine the orbits of asteroids and comets while ...
- Preventing space contamination rises up the agenda
When samples are returned from space to Earth, similar methods are used to prevent backward contamination which could result in harmful consequences for our planet. The more likely it is that the ...
- European Space Agency set to launch probes at asteroid to test planetary defense system
The Hera mission will study the Dimorphos asteroid that was pushed off course by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022 ...
- Can we stop an asteroid from hitting Earth?
Kate The Chemist speaks with Nancy Chabot, one of the leaders behind NASA’s planetary defense missions, about destroying asteroids in space before they reach our atmosphere. Every day ...
- NASA’s NEOWISE Unveils Hidden Universe of Near-Earth Objects
As the infrared space telescope continues its long-duration survey of the universe, it is creating a unique resource for future astronomers to make new discoveries. NASA’s NEOWISE mission has released ...