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Atomic Energy, Vol. 116, No. 1, May, 2014 (Russian Original Vol. 116, No. 1, January, 2014)
The possibility of using nuclear explosions to prevent dangerous space objects, specifically, the asteroid Apophis, from colliding with our planet is evaluated. Two variants are considered: delivery of an impulse capable of deflecting the trajectory to a safe distance from Earth or fragmentation by means of a powerful explosion into fragments small enough not to cause a catastrophe during an encounter with Earth. The dynamics of the destruction of the asteroid is examined. The fragment size distribution after a nuclear explosion with a definite energy release is presented. It is concluded that to prevent a dangerous collision between our planet and the asteroid Apophis the nuclear explosions must be applied well ahead of time.
The asteroids Apophis (diameter 340 m, mass 50106 tons) and 2012 DA14 (diameter 60 m) present the greatest danger to the Earth in the next two decades. A series of observations made it possible to determine the preliminary orbits. The calculations showed that Apophis will pass by the Earth at a critical distance in April 2029. It will approach the Earth again in 2036. The probability of a collision will be very high if in the first approach in 2029 the asteroid is located precisely at the distance 30404.5 km from our planet, i.e., in the gravitational trap 7001500 m in size, comparable to the size of the asteroid itself.
The unique orbit of the asteroid 2012 DA14, which repeats the trajectory of the Earths motion, made it possible to call the object a conventional satellite of the Earth. On February 2013, the day an asteroid fell near Chelyabinsk, DA14 passed at a distance very close to the Earth 26000 miles, i.e., below the orbit of geostationary satellites, as a result of which there is a nonzero probability of it colliding with the Earth.
The present article focuses mainly on eliminating the danger of the asteroid Apophis colliding with the Earth. The prevention of asteroid collisions with the Earth can be presented in two variants:1) the asteroids orbit is known, a collision with it is predicted beforehand, and there is a possibility of taking action in time to intercept the asteroid, i.e., eliminating the danger;2)...