Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Neutron Energy Effects On Asteroid Deflection, Lansing S. Horan Iv
Neutron Energy Effects On Asteroid Deflection, Lansing S. Horan Iv
Theses and Dissertations
In the future, a hazardous asteroid will find itself on a collision course with Earth. It is an inevitability; the question is not if, but when. For asteroids of moderate size or larger, a nuclear device is one of humanity's only technologies capable of mitigating this threat via deflection on a timescale of less than a decade. This work examined how changing the output neutron energy from a nuclear device detonation affects asteroid deflection. The notional asteroid target was 300 meters in diameter and composed of silicon dioxide at a bulk density of 1.855 g/cm3. To calculate the …
Analysis Of Neutron Effects For Asteroid Disruption, Aaron J. Ferguson
Analysis Of Neutron Effects For Asteroid Disruption, Aaron J. Ferguson
Theses and Dissertations
The use of nuclear weapons is one possible method for disrupting or deflecting an asteroid on a trajectory to impact the earth. A largely unexplored component of weapon yield in a disruption scenario is the impact of the neutron output. The results of MCNP-6 simulations are presented demonstrating the effect that incident neutron energy has on the total energy deposited in an asteroid, including that the efficiency of energy deposition in a material is inversely proportional to the incident neutron energy due to negative Q-value reactions. The effects of material composition on the total energy deposited as well as the …