Estimate of sizes of small asteroids (cosmic bodies) by the method of stroboscopic radiolocation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel stroboscopic radiolocation method using nanosecond pulses to accurately estimate the sizes of small asteroids, enhancing near-Earth space monitoring and hazard assessment.

Contribution

The paper proposes a new technique employing radioimpulse strobing and radar signatures to determine asteroid sizes independently of their distance.

Findings

Method achieves size estimation accuracy independent of object range.

Utilizes radar portrait duration to estimate asteroid radius.

Avoids need for autoshift circuits in measurement equipment.

Abstract

Radiolocation methods of probing minor celestial bodies (asteroids) by the nanosecond pulses can be used for monitoring of near-Earth space with the purpose of identification of hazardous cosmic objects able to impact the Earth. Development of the methods that allow to improve accuracy of determining the asteroids size (i.e. whether it measures tens or hundreds meters in diameter) is important for correctly estimating the degree of damage which they can cause (either regional or global catastrophes, respectively). In this paper we suggest a novel method of estimating the sizes of the passive cosmic objects using the radiolocation probing by ultra-high-resolution nanosecond signals to obtain radar signatures. The modulation envelope of the reflected signal, which is a radar portrait of the cosmic object, is subjected to time scale transformation to carrier Doppler frequency by means of radioimpulse strobing. The shift of a strobe within the probing period will be performed by radial motion of the object which will allow to forgo the special autoshift circuit used in the oscillographic technical equipment. The measured values of duration of radiolocation portrait can be used to estimate the mean radius of the object by using the average spatial length of the portrait. The method makes it possible to appraise the sizes of cosmic objects through their radiolocation portrait duration, with accuracy that is independent of the objects range.