Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will impact the moon Dimorphos of the (65803) Didymos binary and demonstrate the kinetic impactor technique for planetary defense. Observations from the ride-along CubeSat companion, LICIACube, of the spatial structure and temporal evolution of the...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/aca968 |
| _version_ | 1797368133150834688 |
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| author | Ramin Lolachi David A. Glenar Timothy J. Stubbs Ludmilla Kolokolova |
| author_facet | Ramin Lolachi David A. Glenar Timothy J. Stubbs Ludmilla Kolokolova |
| author_sort | Ramin Lolachi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will impact the moon Dimorphos of the (65803) Didymos binary and demonstrate the kinetic impactor technique for planetary defense. Observations from the ride-along CubeSat companion, LICIACube, of the spatial structure and temporal evolution of the resulting ejecta plume will help determine the vector momentum transfer and constrain physical properties such as strength and porosity. The optical scattering properties of the ejecta particles used in plume simulations will dictate the critical relation between observed brightness and inferred ejecta mass (and momentum). Here we examine the scattering behavior of plausible analogs for Dimorphos ejecta particles, including laboratory-measured “millimeter grains” selected based on a comparison with Bennu particle photometry. Over the range of phase angles observable by LICIACube (≲120°), brightness simulations for optical depths ranging from 0.01 to 10 show that scattering from these analogs is considerably dimmer than from grains scattering isotropically. Therefore, adopting realistic scattering properties for ejecta particles is critical for accurately interpreting and understanding observations of the DART impact. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:28:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9516eb0113a499a820d6f9cec1542cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:28:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9516eb0113a499a820d6f9cec1542cf2024-01-02T18:03:37ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382023-01-01422410.3847/PSJ/aca968Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering PropertiesRamin Lolachi0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5764-7639David A. Glenar1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2155-3854Timothy J. Stubbs2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5524-645XLudmilla Kolokolova3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9321-3202Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland , Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA ; rlolachi@umbc.edu, ramin.lolachi@nasa.gov; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology , NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USACenter for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland , Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA ; rlolachi@umbc.edu, ramin.lolachi@nasa.gov; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology , NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAUniversity of Maryland , College Park, MD 20742, USAThe Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will impact the moon Dimorphos of the (65803) Didymos binary and demonstrate the kinetic impactor technique for planetary defense. Observations from the ride-along CubeSat companion, LICIACube, of the spatial structure and temporal evolution of the resulting ejecta plume will help determine the vector momentum transfer and constrain physical properties such as strength and porosity. The optical scattering properties of the ejecta particles used in plume simulations will dictate the critical relation between observed brightness and inferred ejecta mass (and momentum). Here we examine the scattering behavior of plausible analogs for Dimorphos ejecta particles, including laboratory-measured “millimeter grains” selected based on a comparison with Bennu particle photometry. Over the range of phase angles observable by LICIACube (≲120°), brightness simulations for optical depths ranging from 0.01 to 10 show that scattering from these analogs is considerably dimmer than from grains scattering isotropically. Therefore, adopting realistic scattering properties for ejecta particles is critical for accurately interpreting and understanding observations of the DART impact.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/aca968Asteroid satellitesAsteroidsImpact phenomenaNear-Earth objectsRadiative transferRadiative transfer simulations |
| spellingShingle | Ramin Lolachi David A. Glenar Timothy J. Stubbs Ludmilla Kolokolova Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties The Planetary Science Journal Asteroid satellites Asteroids Impact phenomena Near-Earth objects Radiative transfer Radiative transfer simulations |
| title | Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties |
| title_full | Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties |
| title_fullStr | Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties |
| title_short | Optical Characterization of the DART Impact Plume: Importance of Realistic Ejecta Scattering Properties |
| title_sort | optical characterization of the dart impact plume importance of realistic ejecta scattering properties |
| topic | Asteroid satellites Asteroids Impact phenomena Near-Earth objects Radiative transfer Radiative transfer simulations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/aca968 |
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