[meteorite-list] "Slide Show" just posted by the University of Arizona

From: Dennis Miller <astroroks_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 09:51:55 -0500
Message-ID: <BAY167-W88E29ACF2607B8D6A5A60B1330_at_phx.gbl>

Wow! Makes me want to upgrade my thin section viewing equipment. Very nice

presentation.

Dennis Miller



> Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 04:28:11 -0700
> From: lebofsky at lpl.arizona.edu
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: [meteorite-list] "Slide Show" just posted by the University of Arizona
>
> Hello Everyone:
>
> University of Arizona News just posted the following slide show about
> meteorites featuring our own Dolores Hill!
>
> http://uanews.org/node/45837
>
> Enjoy.
>
> Larry Lebofsky
>
> >
> > Latest approach to dealing with asteroids...
> >
> > http://www.strath.ac.uk/press/newsreleases/headline_602313_en.html
> >
> > Of course, this could mean, no more meteorites...
> >
> >
> > Pioneering engineers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow are
> > developing an innovative technique based on lasers that could radically
> > change asteroid deflection technology.
> >
> >
> > The research has unearthed the possibility of using a swarm of relatively
> > small satellites flying in formation and cooperatively firing
> > solar-powered lasers onto an asteroid ??? this would overcome the
> > difficulties associated with current methods that are focused on large
> > unwieldy spacecraft.
> >
> >
> > Dr Massimiliano Vasile, of Strathclyde???s Department of Mechanical and
> > Aerospace Engineering, is leading the research. He said: ???The approach
> > we are developing would involve sending small satellites, capable of
> > flying in formation with the asteroid and firing their lasers targeting
> > the asteroid at close range.
> >
> > ???The use of high power lasers in space for civil and commercial
> > applications is in its infancy and one of the main challenges is to have
> > high power, high efficiency and high beam quality all at the same time.
> >
> > ???The additional problem with asteroid deflection is that when the laser
> > begins to break down the surface of the object, the plume of gas and
> > debris impinges the spacecraft and contaminates the laser. However, our
> > laboratory tests have proven that the level of contamination is less than
> > expected and the laser could continue to function for longer than
> > anticipated.???
> >
> > Just over 100 years ago a 2000-kilometer area of vegetation was destroyed
> > when an object believed to be 30-50 metres in diameter exploded in the
> > skies above Tunguska, Siberia. While the likelihood of an immediate threat
> > from a similar asteroid strike remains low, it is widely recognised that
> > researching preventative measures is of significant importance.
> >
> > Dr Vasile added: ???The Tunguska class of events are expected to occur
> > within a period of a few centuries. Smaller asteroids collide with Earth
> > more frequently and generally burn in the atmosphere although some of them
> > reach the ground or explode at low altitude potentially causing damage to
> > buildings and people.
> >
> > ???We could reduce the threat posed by the potential collision with small
> > to medium size objects using a flotilla of small agile spacecraft each
> > equipped with a highly efficient laser which is much more feasible than a
> > single large spacecraft carrying a multi mega watt. Our system is
> > scalable, a larger asteroid would require adding one or more spacecraft to
> > the flotilla, and intrinsically redundant - if one spacecraft fails the
> > others can continue.???
> >
> > Dr Vasile is now investigating the use of the same concept to remove space
> > debris. The number of objects in orbit classified as debris is
> > ever-increasing and with no widely accepted solution for their removal.
> > Researchers at the University of Strathclyde believe the space-borne
> > lasers could be used to lower the original orbit of the space debris and
> > reduce the congestion.
> >
> > Dr Vasile said: ???The amount of debris in orbit is such that we might
> > experience a so called Kessler syndrome ??? this is when the density
> > becomes so high that collisions between objects could cause an
> > exponentially increasing cascade of other collisions.
> >
> > ???While there is significant monitoring in place to keep track of these
> > objects, there is no specific system in place to remove them and our
> > research could be a possible solution.
> >
> > ???A major advantage of using our technique is that the laser does not
> > have to be fired from the ground. Obviously there are severe restrictions
> > with that process as it has to travel through the atmosphere, has a
> > constrained range of action and can hit the debris only for short arcs.???
> >
> > The research was carried out in collaboration with the University of
> > Strathclyde???s Institute of Photonics and was presented to the Planetary
> > Society at the end of February. ???
> >
> > 25 March 2012
> >
> > DRVann
> >
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Received on Thu 05 Apr 2012 10:51:55 AM PDT