SPACE DEBRIS AND MICROMETEOROID THREAT MITIGATION POSES A SIGNIFICANT AND GROWING FUTURE CHALLENGE TO VIRTUALLY ALL NASA MISSIONS. AS SUCH THERE IS A DIRECT NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS OF ANY SUCH IMPACT EVENTS. HOWEVER THERE IS AN INHERENT DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING STRAIN RATE EFFECTS USING SMALL SCALE PHYSICS MODEL DUE TO THE EXTREMELY SHORT TIMESCALES INVOLVED WHEN CONSIDERING ATOMIC MOTION. WE PROPOSE A METHODOLOGY MAX-ENT ATOMISTICS WHICH TAKES INTO ACCOUNT IN AN AVERAGE SENSE THE EXTREMELY SHORT TIMESCALES AND ALLOWS PREDICTION OF ATOMIC MOTION OVER MUCH LONGER TIMESCALES NAMELY THOSE OF INTEREST IN IMPACT THREAT MITIGATION.

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators