Improved asteroid deflection model runs faster, reveals more doomsday worries
Researchers at Sandia, led by physicist Nathan Moore, combined two existing simulation codes (ALEGRA and SPARTA) to create more efficient asteroid deflection models. Previous calculations were time-consuming and relied on simplifications like modeling asteroids as spheres. The improved method enables researchers to explore multiple scenarios and asteroid configurations more quickly, revealing additional complexities in deflection strategies.
Key points
- New modeling combines ALEGRA and SPARTA simulation codes for faster calculations
- Enables exploration of varied scenarios without computational constraints
- Demonstrates importance of asteroid shape and orientation in deflection planning
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