Simulating Plasma Solitons from Orbital Debris Using the Forced Korteweg–de Vries Equation

Abstract

Subcentimeter orbital debris is currently undetectable using ground-based radar and optical methods. However, pits in space shuttle windows produced by paint chips demonstrate that small debris can cause serious damage to spacecraft. Recent analytical, computational, and experimental work has shown that charged objects moving quickly through a plasma will cause the formation of plasma density solitary waves, or solitons. Due to their exposure to the solar wind plasma environment, even the smallest space debris will be charged. Depending on the debris size, charge, and velocity, debris may produce plasma solitons that propagate along the debris velocity vector; and it could be detected with existing sensor technology. Plasma soliton detection would be the first collision-free method of mapping the small debris population. The amplitude, width, and production frequency of solitons that may be produced by millimeter and centimeter-scale orbital debris will be described as a function of the debris’ size, velocity, and location (altitude, latitude, and longitude) about Earth. The characteristics of plasma solitons described here are necessary to evaluate the feasibility of orbital debris detection via soliton detection with future debris detection systems.