LLNL Simulates Nuclear Deflection of Asteroid With Short Warning

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ran 1,500 one-dimensional and several 3D simulations of a nuclear standoff burst against an asteroid about 525 feet across. The x-ray energy vaporizes surface material, and the resulting momentum either deflects or disrupts the object. The study appeared in The Planetary Science Journal.

• Simulated a nuclear detonation above an asteroid roughly 525 feet in diameter
• Ran 1,500 1D simulations, then 3D models in the Spheral and Ares codes
• A nuclear device delivers more energy than a kinetic impactor, aiding short-warning scenarios
• In the longest run, fragments exceeded the asteroid's escape velocity