Learning about comets from the study of mass distributions and fluxes of meteoroid streams

Meteor physics can provide new clues about the size, structure, and density of cometary disintegration products, establishing a bridge between different research fields. From meteor magnitude data we have estimated the mass distribution of meteoroids from different cometary streams by using the relation between the luminosity and the mass obtained by Verniani (1973). These mass distributions are in the range observed for dust particles released from comets 1P/Halley and 81P/Wild 2 as measured from spacecraft. From the derived mass distributions, we have integrated the incoming mass for the most significant meteor showers. By comparing the mass of the collected Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) with that derived for cometary meteoroids a gap of several orders of magnitude is encountered. The largest examples of fluffy particles are clusters of IDPs no larger than 100 µm in size (or 5×10–7 g in mass) while the largest cometary meteoroids are centimeter-sized objects. Such gaps can be explained by the fragmentation in the atmosphere of the original cometary particles. As an application of the mass distribution computations we describe the significance of the disruption of fragile comets in close approaches to Earth as a more efficient (and probably more frequent) way to deliver volatiles than direct impacts. We finally apply our model to quantify the flux of meteoroids from different meteoroid streams, and to describe the main physical processes contributing to the progressive decay of cometary meteoroids in the interplanetary medium.

Ulysses spacecraft data revisited: Detection of cometary meteoroid streams by following in situ dust impacts

<p>Cometary meteoroid streams (also referred to as trails) exist along the orbits of comets, forming fine structures of the interplanetary dust cloud. The streams consist predominantly of the largest cometary particles (with sizes of approximately (100 micrometer to 1 cm) which are ejected at low speeds and remain very close to the comet orbit for several revolutions around the Sun. </p> <p>The Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration (IMEX) dust streams in space model (Soja et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2015) is a universal model that simulates recently created cometary dust streams in the inner solar system, developed under ESA contract. IMEX is a physical model for dust dynamics and follows the orbital evolution of the streams of 420 comets. Particles are emitted when the comet is in the inner solar system, taking into account comet apparitions between the years 1700 and 2080. The dust ejection is described by an emission model, dust production rate and mass distribution covering the mass range from 10^-8 kg to 10^-2 kg (approximately corresponding to 100 micrometer to 1 cm particles). The dust production is calculated from the comet's absolute magnitude, the observed water production rate and dust-to-gas ratio. For each emitted particle, the trajectory is integrated individually including solar gravity, planetary perturbations as well as solar radiation pressure and <br />Poynting-Robertson drag. The model calculates dust number density, flux and  velocity.</p> <p>We apply the IMEX model to study comet stream traverses by the Ulysses spacecraft. Ulysses was launched in 1990 and, after a Jupiter swing-by in 1992, became the first interplanetary spacecraft orbiting the Sun on a highly inclined  trajectory with an inclination of 80 degrees. The spacecraft was equipped with an impact ionization dust detector which provided the longest  data set of continuous in situ dust measurements in interplanetary space existing to date, covering 17 years  from 1990 to 2007. In addition to the interplanetary dust complex, several dust populations were investigated with the Ulysses dust instrument in the past: interstellar dust sweeping through our solar system, streams of approximately 10 nanometer-sized dust particles emanating from Jupiter's volcanically active moon Io, as well as sub-micrometer-sized particles driven away from the Sun by solar radiation pressure (so-called beta particles). Here we study the detection conditions for cometary meteoroid streams with the dust detector on board the Ulysses spacecraft and present first results from our attempt to identify cometary stream particles in the measured dust data set. </p> <p>Acknowledgements: The IMEX Dust Streams in Space model was developed under ESA funding (contract 4000106316/12/NL/AF - IMEX).</p>

Modelling cometary meteoroid stream traverses of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft en route to Phobos

The Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft is a JAXA mission to Mars and its moons Phobos and Deimos. MMX will be equipped with the Circum-Martian Dust Monitor (CMDM) which is a newly developed light-weight ($$\mathrm {650\,g}$$ 650 g ) large area ($$1\,\mathrm {m}^{2}$$ 1 m 2 ) dust impact detector. Cometary meteoroid streams (also referred to as trails) exist along the orbits of comets, forming fine structures of the interplanetary dust cloud. The streams consist predominantly of the largest cometary particles (with sizes of approximately $$100\,\mu \mathrm { m}$$ 100 μ m to 1 cm) which are ejected at low speeds and remain very close to the comet orbit for several revolutions around the Sun. The Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration (IMEX) dust streams in space model is a new and recently published universal model for cometary meteoroid streams in the inner Solar System. We use IMEX to study the detection conditions of cometary dust stream particles with CMDM during the MMX mission in the time period 2024 to 2028. The model predicts traverses of 12 cometary meteoroid streams with fluxes of $$100\,\mu \mathrm { m}$$ 100 μ m and bigger particles of at least $$10^{-3}\,\mathrm {m}^{-2}\,\mathrm {day}^{-1}$$ 10 - 3 m - 2 day - 1 during a total time period of approximately 90 days. The highest flux of $$0.15\,\mathrm {m}^{-2}\,\mathrm {day}^{-1}$$ 0.15 m - 2 day - 1 is predicted for comet 114P/Wiseman-Skiff in October 2026. With its large detection area and high sensitivity CMDM will be able to detect cometary meteoroid streams en route to Phobos. Our simulation results for the Mars orbital phase of MMX also predict the occurrence of meteor showers in the Martian atmosphere which may be observable from the Martian surface with cameras on board landers or rovers. Finally, the IMEX model can be used to study the impact hazards imposed by meteoroid impacts onto large-area spacecraft structures that will be particularly necessary for crewed deep space missions.

The space of Keplerian orbits and a family of its quotient spaces

Distance functions on the set of Keplerian orbits play an important role in solving problems of searching for parent bodies of meteoroid streams. A special kind of such functions are distances in the quotient spaces of orbits. Three metrics of this type were developed earlier. These metrics allow to disregard the longitude of ascending node or the argument of pericenter or both. Here we introduce one more quotient space, where two orbits are considered identical if they differ only in their longitudes of nodes and arguments of pericenters, but have the same sum of these elements (the longitude of pericenter). The function q is defined to calculate distance between two equivalence classes of orbits. The algorithm for calculation of ̺6 value is provided along with a reference to the corresponding program, written in C++ language. Unfortunately, ̺6 is not a full-fledged metric. We proved that it satisfies first two axioms of metric space, but not the third one: the triangle inequality does not hold, at least in the case of large eccentricities. However there are two important particular cases when the triangle axiom is satisfied: one of three orbits is circular, longitudes of pericenters of all three orbits coincide. Perhaps the inequality holds for all elliptic orbits, but this is a matter of future research.

Bennu and Ryugu: Dynamical modelling of ejected particles to the Earth

<p>Apollo-type asteroids Bennu and Ryugu are currently targets of sample-return missions. The goal of OSIRIS-REx mission (NASA) is to explore asteroid Bennu and Ryugu is being probed by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission. Observations of Bennu in January 2019 revealed ejecting material in the close proximity of the asteroid. Here we peresent our results of studying orbital evolution of potential meteoroid streams along the orbits of Bennu and Ryugu by integrating over 5000 test particles each for 1000 yr. We searched for their approaches to the Earth and we were also interested in evolution of their Earth MOIDs in order to estimate possible activity of potential meteor showers. Our results indicate possible observability from the Earth approximately for next 400 - 500 yr in both cases. Theoretical radiants for both asteroids and their potential meteor showers were also calculated.</p>

Modeling the past and future activity of the Halleyids meteor showers

<p>We present a new numerical model of the Eta-Aquariid and Orionid meteor shower. Through the modelling of millions meteoroids released from comet 1P/Halley, we simulate the characteristics of each Eta-Aquariid and Orionid apparition between 1985 and 2050. The modelled showers activity duration, shape, maximum zenithal hourly rates (ZHR) values, and mass distributions are compared with several decades of meteor observations in the optical and radar range. Our simulations suggest that the age of the Eta-Aquariids shortly exceeds 5000 years, while the Orionids are composed of older material. Several Eta-Aquariid outbursts are expected in the future, in particular around 2023-2024 and 2045-2046. The evolution of 1P/Halley's meteoroid streams is strongly influenced by mean motion resonances with Jupiter, that might be responsible of a ~12 year cycle in the Orionids activity variations.</p>

Activity of the Eta-Aquariid and Orionid meteor showers

Aims. We present a multi-instrumental, multidecadal analysis of the activity of the Eta-Aquariid and Orionid meteor showers for the purpose of constraining models of 1P/Halley’s meteoroid streams. Methods. The interannual variability of the showers’ peak activity and period of duration is investigated through the compilation of published visual and radar observations prior to 1985 and more recent measurements reported in the International Meteor Organization (IMO) Visual Meteor DataBase, by the IMO Video Meteor Network and by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR). These techniques probe the range of meteoroid masses from submilligrams to grams. The η-Aquariids and Orionids activity duration, shape, maximum zenithal hourly rates values, and the solar longitude of annual peaks since 1985 are analyzed. When available, annual activity profiles recorded by each detection network were measured and are compared. Results. Observations from the three detection methods show generally good agreement in the showers’ shape, activity levels, and annual intensity variations. Both showers display several activity peaks of variable location and strength with time. The η-Aquariids are usually two to three times stronger than the Orionids, but the two showers display occasional outbursts with peaks two to four times their usual activity level. CMOR observations since 2002 seem to support the existence of an ~12 yr cycle in Orionids activity variations; however, additional and longer term radar and optical observations of the shower are required to confirm such periodicity.

On the role of collisions with meteoroids in splitting and acceleration of heliocentric velocity of comets

The hypothesis on the role of the meteoroid impacts in the comet nuclei splitting as well as acceleration of their heliocentric velocity are considered. Inclinations of the orbits of split comets relative to the movement planes of 100 known meteoroid streams are calculated. The analysis is carried out for the cases: when the cometary nodes are located from the meteoroids orbit < 0.1 AU; MOID-values less than 0.1 AU. In the case of split long-period comets irregularity (maximum near 180°) of the distribution of the inclinations has been found. Comets, constituting this maximum, could have head-on collisions with meteoroids. A similar analysis is carried out relatively to the hyperbolic comets (HCs). Analysis is based on the assumption that the acceleration of the heliocentric velocities of the comet also is caused by collisions with meteoroids. The inclinations of the orbits of 300 HCs relative to 100 known meteoroid streams have the significant maxima in the interval of 90°− 101.5°. Acceleration of comet velocity might be the result of “slanting” collisions with meteoroids.