Scientists have revealed what impact a nuclear explosion can do to an asteroid

Mondo Science Updated on 2024-01-30

Although, this has always been the most popular subject in disaster movies, in the real world, blocking an incoming asteroid with a nuclear ** is considered a very bad idea.

A nuclear bomb may destroy a smaller asteroid, but destroying a larger asteroid with a nuclear bomb will only blow it to pieces. These debris can still threaten our planet and may even make things worse by having multiple effects on Earth.

But is it really a bad idea to use nuclear ** for an upcoming asteroid?If the right technique is used, the nucleus** may be used as an asteroid deflection device.

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have now created a modeling tool that simulates what would happen if a nuclear device detonated on the surface of an asteroid. This tool helps to improve the understanding of how nuclear radiation interacts with the surface of asteroids and to study the dynamics of shock waves that may affect the asteroid's interior.

This technique is called "nuclear ablation", and the radiation vaporizes a portion of the asteroid's surface, producing thrust and velocity changes in response.

The model can combine a wide range of initial conditions to simulate a wide range of asteroids that we have recently been able to study up close, from solid rocks to gravel piles. These simulations give planetary scientists more insights and more options for knowing when space rocks will hit Earth one day.

Mary Burkey, a researcher at LLNL, said: "If we had enough warning time, we could launch a nuclear device and send it millions of miles away to an asteroid that is approaching Earth." ”

Then, we'll detonate this device, either deflect the asteroid, keep it intact, but provide a controlled thrust to keep it away from Earth, or we can destroy the asteroid and break it up into fast-moving pieces and miss Earth. ”

Thanks to the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, scientists have learned how to redirect a dangerous asteroid. The DART mission is to deliberately crash a kinetic impactor into an asteroid in order to change its orbit. The new model, known as the X-ray energy deposition model, provides researchers with the tools to build on the insights gained on DART while exploring how nuclear ablation could be a viable alternative to dynamic impact missions.

Speaking at a press conference at LLNL, Mary Burkey said that nuclear devices have the highest energy-to-density ratio per unit mass of any human technology, which could make them a valuable tool for mitigating asteroid threats.

But, as the team writes in the Journal of Planetary Science, "The effectiveness of a potential nuclear deflection or destruction mission depends on accurate multiphysics simulations of the deposition of X-ray energy from equipment onto asteroids, and the resulting ablation of material." ”

According to the team, the physics associated in these simulations require a variety of different complex physics packages, which span many orders of magnitude and are very computationally demanding. Mary Burkey and her colleagues set the goal of developing an efficient and accurate method to simulate the nuclear deflection of an asteroid's range of physical properties.

Mary Burkey says their high-fidelity simulations can track photons penetrating the surface of asteroid-like materials such as rock, iron and ice, while taking into account more complex processes, such as radiation.

The model also takes into account a wide variety of asteroids. This comprehensive approach, they say, makes the model applicable to a wide range of potential asteroid scenarios.

Megan Bruck Sial, head of the planetary defense program at LL, explained that if a true planetary defense emergency arises, this high-fidelity simulation modelling will provide decision-makers with actionable, risk-informed information that could prevent asteroid impacts, protect critical infrastructure and save lives.

"While the likelihood of a large asteroid impact in our lifetime is low, the potential consequences could be devastating," Brooke Siaar said. ”

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