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Universe
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Small Bodies in the Solar System
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Small Bodies in the Solar System

A special issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997). This special issue belongs to the section "Solar and Stellar Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 August 2022) | Viewed by 15669

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elizabeth A. Silber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Geophysics, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87123, USA
2. The Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
Interests: space physics; meteor science; infrasound; impact cratering; small bodies in the solar system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Gritsevich

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI), Geodeetinrinne 2, FI-02430 Masala, Finland
2. Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
3. Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia
Interests: mathematical modeling; experimental physics; the solar system; NEOs; meteors
Prof. Dr. Josep Maria Trigo-Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, Catalonia, Spain
Interests: cosmochemistry; primordial materials preserved in primitive meteorites; photometry and spectroscopy of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids; celestial mechanics and dynamics of meteoroid orbits

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Approximately 105 tons of extra-terrestrial material, also known as meteoroids, enter the Earth’s atmosphere annually. Impacts release tremendous amounts of energy that could have profound effects on both the surface and interior of the target body, as well as its atmosphere, if one is present. While meteoroids (and asteroids) might produce craters on airless bodies, planetary atmospheres act as a cushion and a conduit for a series of physical phenomena to occur, including shockwaves. Additionally, while a typical meteoroid may affect the chemistry of the localized region of atmosphere, giant impacts have the potential to induce long-term chemical modification of atmosphere. On Earth, the effects produced by large meteoroids as they penetrate the atmosphere could pose a significant hazard to humans and infrastructure. Interest in meteor studies has flourished recently, mainly due to a large bolide that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, providing a sobering reality of the destructive potential of such impacts. The advent of more sophisticated observational techniques and numerical models has facilitated advancements in the domain of meteor science. We welcome contributions on the topic of meteoroid interactions with planetary atmospheres, with implications for planetary defence and space mission planning.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Silber
Dr. Maria Gritsevich
Prof. Dr. Josep Maria Trigo-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Universe is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • meteoroids
  • asteroids
  • comets
  • astrobiology
  • planetary atmospheres
  • impact hazard
  • space missions

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

27 pages, 1824 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Consequences of Asteroid Impacts into the Ocean: A Portuguese Case Study
by Renato H. Morais, Luís F. F. M. Santos, André R. R. Silva and Rui Melicio
Universe 2022, 8(5), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe8050279 - 10 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2887
Abstract
Asteroid impacts are a proven global threat, meaning that any location on Earth might be a subject to their consequences. Such collisions are not likely in any person’s lifetime, but their aftermath could be catastrophic. As Earth’s surface is mostly water, a water [...] Read more.
Asteroid impacts are a proven global threat, meaning that any location on Earth might be a subject to their consequences. Such collisions are not likely in any person’s lifetime, but their aftermath could be catastrophic. As Earth’s surface is mostly water, a water impact is more probable than a ground impact, and tsunami waves could pose a significant threat. This study expands the knowledge about asteroid impacts in the ocean and their regional environmental consequences. Three asteroids were assumed to impact the Earth: (1) the Apophis asteroid, a 370 m wide asteroid, (2) a 204 m in diameter asteroid representative of the average impactor on the near-Earth objects, and (3) a 5 km in diameter asteroid. We evaluated the consequences of all impacts for a specific case study, where the chosen impact location was the midpoint between Portugal’s mainland, Azores, and Madeira Islands. The cratering process, generated seismic shaking, overpressure, ejected material, induced thermal radiation, and tsunami waves were assessed, along with the global effects. The overpressure mainly causes structural damage. The thermal radiation can be devastating but has a short reach. The tsunami is undoubtedly the most far-reaching and threatening effect of an asteroid impact in the ocean. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Bodies in the Solar System)
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13 pages, 5837 KiB  
Article
Can Asteroid Belts Exist in the Luyten’s System?
by Mattia Galiazzo, Elizabeth A. Silber and Rudolf Dvorak
Universe 2022, 8(3), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe8030190 - 19 Mar 2022
Viewed by 2300
Abstract
The extra-solar planetary system Luyten is relatively close (12.3 light years) to our Sun. The Luyten’s red dwarf star is orbited by four planets, two of them Earth-like (in mass) and in 4:1 resonance. Extra-solar systems might contain asteroid belts such as ours. [...] Read more.
The extra-solar planetary system Luyten is relatively close (12.3 light years) to our Sun. The Luyten’s red dwarf star is orbited by four planets, two of them Earth-like (in mass) and in 4:1 resonance. Extra-solar systems might contain asteroid belts such as ours. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether it is possible to have a stable population of minor bodies and compare them to those in our system. The study of extra-solar systems is crucial for understanding the evolution of planetary systems in general. Here, we investigate the stability of two possible asteroid populations in the Luyten’s system: the main asteroid belt between the two inner and two outer planets, and an outer asteroid belt, situated beyond the planets. We also explore the likelihood of observing an asteroid or a dwarf planet in this system. Our study suggests that the existence of asteroid belts is possible, notably the main belt at 0.09–0.53 au from the star and an outer belt (with the inner boundary at 0.85 au and the outer boundary at ∼66,000 au). The average Yarkovsky drift for the Luyten’s main asteroid belt is ∼0.5×10−4 au/Myr for km-size objects. The Luyten’s system might host extra-solar minor bodies, some of which could be capable of entering our own system. Presently, no asteroids can be detected in the Luyten’s system, not even a Ceres-sized body, because the detection signal using the radial velocity method is at least two orders of magnitude less than that required for discerning such objects. The detection probability of an asteroid in the Luyten belt similar to Ceres is about 1.3%, which is less than the probability of finding Luyten B (∼3%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Bodies in the Solar System)
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17 pages, 17041 KiB  
Article
Near-Earth Asteroid Capture via Using Lunar Flyby plus Earth Aerobraking
by Yirui Wang and Mingtao Li
Universe 2021, 7(9), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe7090316 - 27 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2439
Abstract
Capturing Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) in the Earth-Moon system is a potential method of future space exploration and resource utilization. In order to make the captured NEA easily rendezvoused by spacecrafts, it is expected to capture the asteroid in a low-energy and low-inclination orbit. [...] Read more.
Capturing Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) in the Earth-Moon system is a potential method of future space exploration and resource utilization. In order to make the captured NEA easily rendezvoused by spacecrafts, it is expected to capture the asteroid in a low-energy and low-inclination orbit. Lunar flyby and Earth aerobraking have been proved to be effective energy-saving methods in asteroid retrieval missions. Based on the Earth aerobraking capture strategy, if a lunar flyby process is performed before the asteroid enters the atmosphere, the thermal ablation of the asteroid in the atmosphere is expected to be alleviated. This paper proposes a lunar flyby plus Earth aerobraking method to capture an NEA. Using Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) as the target orbit, the efficiency of three different capture strategies (direct capture strategy, Earth aerobraking capture strategy and lunar flyby plus Earth aerobraking capture strategy) are compared. Compared to the Earth aerobraking capture strategy, simulation results show that the main advantage of the lunar flyby plus Earth aerobraking capture strategy is that the mass loss ratio can be reduced (15 real asteroids are used as examples and mass loss ratio can be reduced by 0.98–3.39%). For example, for an asteroid with a diameter of 5 m, the mass is about 170.17 tons (with a density of 2.6g/cm3), reducing the mass loss ratio by 1% means that 1701.7 kg of the asteroid materials can be saved. Meanwhile, if the asteroid has a suitable phase for lunar flyby, while reducing the mass loss ratio, the fuel consumption can also be reduced. Furthermore, the conditions that do not require maneuvering between the lunar flyby and Earth aerobraking are preliminarily discussed. During the preliminary design stage of asteroid retrieval missions, compared with the Earth aerobraking capture strategy, lunar flyby plus Earth aerobraking capture strategy provides a potentially effective option for reducing the mass loss and the fuel consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Bodies in the Solar System)
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20 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
New Tools for the Optimized Follow-Up of Imminent Impactors
by Maddalena Mochi and Giacomo Tommei
Universe 2021, 7(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe7010010 - 7 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3247
Abstract
The solar system is populated with, other than planets, a wide variety of minor bodies, the majority of which are represented by asteroids. Most of their orbits are comprised of those between Mars and Jupiter, thus forming a population named Main Belt. However, [...] Read more.
The solar system is populated with, other than planets, a wide variety of minor bodies, the majority of which are represented by asteroids. Most of their orbits are comprised of those between Mars and Jupiter, thus forming a population named Main Belt. However, some asteroids can run on trajectories that come close to, or even intersect, the orbit of the Earth. These objects are known as Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) or Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and may entail a risk of collision with our planet. Predicting the occurrence of such collisions as early as possible is the task of Impact Monitoring (IM). Dedicated algorithms are in charge of orbit determination and risk assessment for any detected NEO, but their efficiency is limited in cases in which the object has been observed for a short period of time, as is the case with newly discovered asteroids and, more worryingly, imminent impactors: objects due to hit the Earth, detected only a few days or hours in advance of impacts. This timespan might be too short to take any effective safety countermeasure. For this reason, a necessary improvement of current observation capabilities is underway through the construction of dedicated telescopes, e.g., the NEO Survey Telescope (NEOSTEL), also known as “Fly-Eye”. Thanks to these developments, the number of discovered NEOs and, consequently, imminent impactors detected per year, is expected to increase, thus requiring an improvement of the methods and algorithms used to handle such cases. In this paper we present two new tools, based on the Admissible Region (AR) concept, dedicated to the observers, aiming to facilitate the planning of follow-up observations of NEOs by rapidly assessing the possibility of them being imminent impactors and the remaining visibility time from any given station. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Bodies in the Solar System)
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Review

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28 pages, 4693 KiB  
Review
On the Impact Monitoring of Near-Earth Objects: Mathematical Tools, Algorithms, and Challenges for the Future
by Giacomo Tommei
Universe 2021, 7(4), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe7040103 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3558
Abstract
The Impact Monitoring (IM) of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is a young field of research, considering that 22 years ago precise algorithms to compute an impact probability with the Earth did not exist. On the other hand, the year 2020 just passed saw the [...] Read more.
The Impact Monitoring (IM) of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is a young field of research, considering that 22 years ago precise algorithms to compute an impact probability with the Earth did not exist. On the other hand, the year 2020 just passed saw the increase of IM operational systems: in addition to the two historical systems, CLOMON2 (University of Pisa/SpaceDyS) and Sentry (JPL/NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA) started its own system AstOD. Moreover, in the last five years three systems for the detection of imminent impactors (small asteroidal objects detected a few days before the possible impact with the Earth) have been developed: SCOUT (at JPL/NASA), NEORANGER (at University of Helsinki) and NEOScan (at University of Pisa/SpaceDyS). The IM science, in addition to being useful for the planetary protection, is a very fascinating field of research because it involves astronomy, physics, mathematics and computer science. In this paper I am going to review the mathematical tools and algorithms of the IM science, highlighting the historical evolution and the challenges to be faced in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Bodies in the Solar System)
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