Densities and porosities of meteoroids

Abstract

Using a physical theory of meteors and on the basis of the results of double-station photographic observations of meteors in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Kiev, and Odessa (Ukraine), the mean mineralogical and bulk densities of meteoroids belonging to nine meteoroid streams and sporadic background are determined. The mean mineralogical densities δ m of meteoroids range from 2.2 g cm −3 (Perseids) to 3.4 g cm −3 (Quadrantids, δ-Aquarids, and α-Capricornids). The meteoroid bulk densities δ, which were determined according to the theory of quasi-continuous fragmentation of meteoroids in the Earth's atmosphere, vary from 0.4 g cm −3 (Leonids) to 2.9 g cm −3(Geminids). Using the relation between bulk density and mineralogical density the porosity of meteoroids was estimated. The Geminid meteoroids are found to have the lowest porosity, while the Leonid and Draconid meteoroids have the most porous structure (83%). These results confirm the porous-structure nature of meteoroids' parent bodies i.e. comets and asteroids.

Material properties of transition objects 3200 Phaethon and 2003 EH1

“…Densities of Quadrantids are similar to Geminid densities, while densities of Draconids and Leonids are much lower, about 500 kg m −3 . Babadzhanov & Kokhirova (2009) obtained densities similar to ours for Leonids and Geminids and somewhat lower for Quadrantids.…”

Physical Observations of (196256) 2003 Eh1, Presumed Parent of the Quadrantid Meteoroid Stream

“…For the averaged absolute red magnitude m R (1, 1, 0) = 15.82 ± 0.17 mag, Equation (3) gives r e = 1950 ± 150 m, which we approximate as r e = 2.0 ± 0.2 km. The nucleus, represented by a sphere of this radius and assumed bulk density ρ = 2000 kg m −3 (the density of the Quadrantid meteoroids, Babadzhanov & Kokhirova 2009), is M n ∼ 6 × 10 13 kg. This is comparable to, but slightly larger than, the estimated stream mass of (1-2) × 10 13 kg.…”

Analysis of Moon impact flashes detected during the 2012 and 2013 Perseids

“…The corresponding meteoroid size varies between around 1.4 and 6.3 cm in diameter, by considering an average bulk density for Perseid meteoroids of 1.2 g cm −3 (Babadzhanov & Kokhirova 2009). …”

“…For the target bulk density we have ρ t = 1.6 g cm −3 . For the bulk density of Perseid meteoroids we have assumed ρ p = 1.2 g cm −3 (Babadzhanov & Kokhirova 2009). For each case, the impact angle with respect to the local horizontal was determined by the MIDAS software from the impact geometry.…”