Work

Asteroid Factory: High-fidelity Multiphysics Modeling of Small Solar System Bodies via Volumetric Aggregate Synthesis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Small solar system bodies are often geologically complex rubble-pile aggregates defined by stochastic internal heterogeneity, yet current modeling paradigms typically rely on boundary representations or uniform-density assumptions. These simplifications commonly decouple electromagnetic, mechanical, and gravitational definitions, permitting physically inconsistent interiors to “fit” single-instrument data by treating material properties as free parameters. The resulting models may be numerically valid in isolation but physically impossible when considered across coupled regimes, undermining the reliability of preflight validation campaigns. To address this deficit, we introduce Asteroid Factory, a volumetric synthesis framework rooted in compositional geostatistics that constructs these aggregate bodies from the inside out. Using a user-configurable material library, this approach enforces global mass and bulk-density constraints at the generation stage, ensuring that internal aggregate heterogeneity and void distributions are physically plausible rather than arbitrary stochastic textures. We demonstrate the model’s efficacy through two coupled applications: radio-frequency (RF) tomography, where the geometric mean of dielectric properties simulates wave-scattering artifacts; and gravitational geodesy, where the summation of voxel mass concentrations reveals local gravity anomalies. Unlike pure RF models, this material-driven approach ensures that the scattering profile is intrinsically linked to the aggregate mass distribution. Beyond these applications, the framework provides a unified platform for planetary science, as the underlying material definitions can consistently constrain thermal, seismic, and mechanical simulations without model conversion. This supports robust sensitivity analysis for mission design and close-proximity operations, enabling the testing of multiple physical constraints against a single, geologically consistent reality.

Source: The Planetary Science Journal

DOI: 10.3847/psj/aea569

Authors: William Hickmott, Jiafeng Zhou, Stefania Soldini, Kai Hoettges

Institution: University of Liverpool

Language: English

Topic: Astro and Planetary Science

Subfield: Space and Planetary Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,800

Funder: UK Research and Innovation