1. A parallel-GPU code for asteroid aggregation problems with angular particles
- Author
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Ferrari, F., Lavagna, M., and Blazquez, E.
- Subjects
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics ,Computer Science - Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science - Abstract
The paper presents a numerical implementation of the gravitational N-body problem with contact interactions between non-spherically shaped bodies. The work builds up on a previous implementation of the code and extends its capabilities. The number of bodies handled is significantly increased through the use of a CUDA/GPU-parallel octree structure. The implementation of the code is discussed and its performance are compared against direct N$^2$ integration. The code features both smooth (force-based) and non-smooth (impulse-based) methods, as well as a visco-elastic non-smooth method, to handle contact interaction between bodies. The numerical problem of simulating "rubble-pile" asteroid gravitational aggregation processes is addressed. We discuss the features of the problem and derive criteria to set up the numerical simulation from the dynamical constraints of the combined gravitational-collisional problem. Examples of asteroid aggregation scenarios that could benefit from such implementation are finally presented., Comment: 15 pages and 8 figures. Accepted in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2019
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