Fig. 5: Schematics for kinetic impact-driven momentum transfer depending on different scenarios.
From: Elliptical ejecta of asteroid Dimorphos is due to its surface curvature
Impactors with two kinetic energies add the same net kinetic energy to a target by performing multiple impacts. Net momentum transfer changes due to orientation and kinetic energy per impactor. A larger impactor may add higher kinetic energy at once, possibly causing the resulting ejecta cone to be affected by an asteroid’s curvature and have a lower kinetic deflection efficiency. Multiple smaller impactors hitting lower-curvature sides of targets may increase a net kinetic deflection efficiency. The ID of the attached LICIACube image is liciacube_luke_l0_1664234219_00112_01.fits.
