Laser-induced spallation of minerals common on asteroids [Elektronisk resurs]

• The ability to deflect dangerous small bodies in the Solar System or redirect profitable ones is a necessary and worthwhile challenge. One well-studied method to accomplish this is laser ablation, where solid surface material sublimates, and the escaping gas creates a momentum exchange. Alternatively, laser-induced spallation and sputtering could be a more efficient means of deflection, yet little research has studied these processes in detail. We used a 15-kW Ytterbium fiber laser on samples of olivine, pyroxene, and serpentine (minerals commonly found on asteroids) to induce spallation. We observed the process with a high-speed camera and illumination laser, and used X-ray micro-tomography to measure the size of the holes produced by the laser to determine material removal efficiency. We found that pyroxene will spallate at power densities between 1.5 and 6.0 kW cm −2 , serpentine will also spallate at 13.7 kW cm −2 , but olivine does not spallate at 1.5 kW cm −2 and higher power densities melt the sample. Laser-induced spallation of pyroxene and serpentine can be two- to three-times more energy efficient (volume removed per unit of absorbed energy) than laser-induced spattering, and over 40x more efficient than laser ablation. 

Ämnesord

Engineering and Technology  (hsv)

Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering  (hsv)

Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering  (hsv)

Teknik och teknologier  (hsv)

Elektroteknik och elektronik  (hsv)

Annan elektroteknik och elektronik  (hsv)

Natural Sciences  (hsv)

Earth and Related Environmental Sciences  (hsv)

Geology  (hsv)

Naturvetenskap  (hsv)

Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap  (hsv)

Geologi  (hsv)

Engineering and Technology  (hsv)

Materials Engineering  (hsv)

Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology  (hsv)

Teknik och teknologier  (hsv)

Materialteknik  (hsv)

Bearbetnings-, yt- och fogningsteknik  (hsv)

Onboard space systems  (ltu)

Rymdtekniska system  (ltu)

Ore Geology  (ltu)

Malmgeologi  (ltu)

Produktionsutveckling  (ltu)

Manufacturing Systems Engineering  (ltu)

Genre

government publication  (marcgt)

Indexterm och SAB-rubrik

Laser spallation

High-Speed Imaging

Asteroid redirection

X-ray microtomography