Modeling of mechanical properties of highly inhomogeneous systems under external action

Laboratory tests that were supplemented by a new numerical model have been conducted to study mechanical properties of asteroids with a highly heterogeneous structure. The functional form of the method of molecular dynamics, which was extended to macroscopic spatial scales, has been used in the numerical model. In the experiment, targets that were composed of glass balls, which were bonded by conventional ice, interacted with fast impactors. High-speed cameras recorded the destruction process of the ice matrix and preservation of glass balls without damage. In parallel, parameterization of the mathematical model was performed and calculated data have been compared with the experiment. The energy range of impactors when the impact causes deflection of the target with minimal destruction was able to be determined.