The new paper on modelling asteroid ejecta clouds published in Icarus by Mirko Trisolini, Camilla Colombo and Yuichi Tsuda is out! In this work, we propose a new statistical formulation to model ejecta generated by artificial impacts onto asteroid surfaces. The work focuses on a novel framework with which we can have a modular description of the ejecta cloud: by using different probability distributions we can reconstruct the overall behaviour of the ejecta plume for a better understanding of its motion. In addition, we can improve the robustness of our analysis by treating the ejecta as a probability density function.
The highlights of the paper are:
- Development of an ejecta cloud distribution-based model
- Characterisation of asteroid ejecta fate via a representative fragments sampling
- Sensitivity analysis of ejecta fate to modelling techniques and assumptions
The paper is available OpenAccess HERE.