A simple and effective parametrisation for Earth-impacting orbits

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new, simplified parametrisation for analyzing Earth-impacting orbits, which aids in studying potentially hazardous asteroids and can be applied to similar orbital analyses.

Contribution

A novel parametrisation involving true anomaly, eccentricity, and inclination that simplifies the analysis of impact trajectories for planetary defense.

Findings

Facilitates comprehensive analysis of impact orbits

Simplifies parameter-space studies of Earth-impacting trajectories

Applicable to planetary defense and other orbital studies

Abstract

This work presents a new parametrisation suitable for parameter-space studies of heliocentric Earth-impacting orbits. Originally motivated by the issue of potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) and the mitigation of such a risk, we show that the simultaneous analysis of all the conceivable impacting elliptical orbits is greatly facilitated by the use of a parametrisation that involves only the true anomaly at impact, the eccentricity and the inclination. While the new parametrisation is presented from an explicit planetary-defence perspective, it is general enough to be useful in analogous studies.