标题： 离子束牧羊用于小行星偏转 显示英文标题

标题： Ion Beam Shepherd for Asteroid Deflection

摘要： 我们提出了一种新概念，从悬停的航天器向威胁地球的小行星施加连续推力，而无需物理附着或与小行星产生引力相互作用。 该概念涉及将离子推进器放置在距离小行星几个直径的位置，向小行星表面发射一束准中性等离子体流，从而产生净传递动量。 由于传递的力与小行星的质量和大小无关，该方法允许使用比具有相同偏转能力的重力拖船航天器轻得多的航天器来偏转亚千米级的小行星。 这一发现可能使未来几年内实现低成本的小行星偏转任务成为可能。 显示英文摘要

摘要： We present a novel concept to impart a continuous thrust to an Earth threatening asteroid from a hovering spacecraft without need for physical attachment nor gravitational interaction with the asteroid. The concept involves an ion thruster placed at a distance of a few asteroid diameters directing a stream of quasi-neutral plasma against the asteroid surface resulting into a net transferred momentum. As the transmitted force is independent of the asteroid mass and size the method allows deflecting subkilometer asteroids with a spacecraft much lighter when compared to a gravity tractor spacecraft of equal deflection capability. The finding could make low-cost asteroid deflection missions possible in the coming years.