用于小行星偏转的离子束引导器
Ion Beam Shepherd for Asteroid Deflection
摘要：
我们提出了一个新的概念，给予一个持续的推力，威胁地球的小行星从一个悬停的航天器，而不需要物理连接，也没有与小行星的引力相互作用。这一概念涉及一个离子推进器，放置在几个小行星直径的距离上，引导一股准中性等离子体流撞击小行星表面，产生净转移动量。由于所传递的力与小行星的质量和大小无关，该方法允许用比具有同等偏转能力的重力牵引航天器轻得多的航天器偏转千米以下的小行星。这一发现可能使低成本的小行星偏转任务在未来几年成为可能。
英文摘要：
We present a novel concept to impart a continuous thrust to an Earth threatening asteroid from a hovering spacecraft without need for physical attachment nor gravitational interaction with the asteroid. The concept involves an ion thruster placed at a distance of a few asteroid diameters directing a stream of quasi-neutral plasma against the asteroid surface resulting into a net transferred momentum. As the transmitted force is independent of the asteroid mass and size the method allows deflecting subkilometer asteroids with a spacecraft much lighter when compared to a gravity tractor spacecraft of equal deflection capability. The finding could make low-cost asteroid deflection missions possible in the coming years.
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