Optimization of the Leading Penetrator for the HAIV/NIAC Mission Concept

Abstract:

The mitigation of potentially hazardous objects (PHOs) can be accomplished by a variety of methods including kinetic impactors, gravity tractors and several nuclear explosion options. Depending on the available lead time prior to Earth impact, non-nuclear options can be very effective at altering a PHO’s orbit. However if the warning time is short nuclear options are generally deemed most effective at mitigating the hazard. The NAIC mission concept for a nuclear mission has been presented at several meetings, including the last PDC 2015.

We use the adaptive mesh radiation-hydrocode RAGE [Gittings et al., Computational Science and Discovery, 1, 015005] to perform detailed simulations of this HAIV mission concept. We use the RAGE code to simulate the crater formation by the kinetic impactor as well as the explosion and energy coupling from the follower nuclear explosive device (NED) timed to detonate below the original surface to enhance the energy coupling.

The RAGE code has been well validated for a wide variety of applications. In this study, we show how an improved “penetrator” shaped leader can greatly enhance the depth of burial of the following NED. In this work we have started to optimize the leading impactor into a penetrator that will create a much deeper crater into which the NED will explode. The more deeply buried NED will couple energy to the asteroid much more efficiently than a surface burst. Better coupling to the asteroid has several implications: 1) for smaller asteroids lower yield NEDs could be employed; or 2) for much larger asteroids this mission concept could provide an acceptable asteroid disruption with systems available today. References

[1] Gittings, Weaver et al “The RAGE radiation-hydrodynamics Code,” Comp. Sci. Disc. 1 (2008) 015005 November 21, 2008