MODELLING BRAZIL NUT EFFECT PHENOMENON OF BOULDERS ON ASTEROID SURFACE

• Main Author: Zainur Rozzykin - Nim: 10314021, Achmad
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/24945
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify">Surface of an asteroid is full of boulders that varies in size. These boulders can be considered as a system of granular particles, or a system that consists of particles in the shape of grains. Collision happening in the surface of an asteroid will trigger some seismic vibrations to occur and cause some movements of the particles. One of the phenomenon happening in the asteroids surface is a tendency for bigger boulders to come up to the surface. This phenomenon is called Brazil Nut E&#64256;ect (BNE). According to previous studies, it is known that BNE could also occur in the low gravity environment. Some asteroids, like Itokawa and Eros, are known for having that tendency and BNE is supposed to happen in both of them. Purpose of this study is to conduct a modelling of a phenomenon happening in the surface of an asteroid mimicking the concept of BNE. Physical parameters used in this study follow a model of common asteroid. From that model, the tendency of boulders’ size distribution on asteroid’s surface will be examined. The very &#64257;rst step of the modelling is generating an initial condition of particles. This initial condition can be obtained after placing the particles with binary distribution of size in Cartesian coordinate that had been added by some random value factor. Then, these particles are dropped into the surface of a model asteroid. After these particles reached the dynamical relaxation, additional forces will be added into the system which is represented by some sinusoidal oscillation formulas. Models for eight cases with di&#64256;erent seismic oscillation formulas and parameters are revealed in this study. Modelling the concept of BNE which only involves inter-particles collisions and gravity factor indicates that the rising of bigger boulders to come up to the surface is possible to occur. Nevertheless, there are many other parameters that have a role in low-gravity environment and need to be explored more. <br /> <p align="justify"> <br />