&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Scientists reveal some asteroids could become even more lethal as they enter Earth")
Iron-rich asteroids and meteorites can pose a larger risk to Earth as compared to other space rocks, a new study by a team of international scientists has revealed. There are innumerable bodies inside our solar system, and some of them come in close proximity to Earth. The Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are 37,000 at the moment, while 120 short-period near-Earth comets (NECs) are known to humans. Asteroid warning systems are in place to monitor these rocks. NASA and other space agencies keep a close watch on them to be aware if any of them could pose a danger to Earth. Scientists say that Earth is completely safe from Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs) for at least the next 100 years. However, studies on these rocks are an ongoing process. A team of international scientists studied how a paritcualr type of asteroids could threaten Earth and found something shocking.
How iron meteorites react to stress of entering Earth
They conducted a simulation that showed M-type asteroids, or those rich in metals, can absorb significantly more energy without breaking apart and may even become tougher in the process. The study was published in Nature Communications. Using CERN's High Radiation to Materials (HiRadMat) facility, they irradiated a sample of an iron meteorite to see how much stress metal-rich asteroids (M-type) can withstand as they enter Earth's atmosphere. They subjected a sample of the Campo del Cielo iron meteorite to extremely energetic 440 GeV proton beams. They captured real-time data using Doppler vibrometry on how the material responded as the stress increased.
Iron meteorites grow stronger
They noted that as stress levels increased, the meteorite gave away more energy. The researchers say that their findings show that energy likely travels deep inside an asteroid, and the internal structure of asteroids changes to amplify the stress. Study co-author Professor Gianluca Gregori (Department of Physics, University of Oxford) said, “This is the first time we have been able to observe, non-destructively and in real time, how an actual meteorite sample deforms, strengthens, and adapts under extreme conditions.”
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This finding can have major implications for asteroid deflection missions if certain types of asteroids grow stronger under stress instead of splitting up. This means that if such an asteroid were to hit Earth, we cannot rely on it to fragment when it enters the atmosphere. Instead, there is a chance that it might become stronger under stress.
