Physical Properties of Fireball-Producing Earth-Impacting Meteoroids and Orbit Determination through Shadow Calibration of the Buzzard Coulee Meteorite Fall.

摘要

The physical properties of the meteoroid population were investigated through combining data from a number of fireball camera networks. PE values, as a measure of meteoroid strength, were calculated and linked with other observational criteria (Tisserand parameter, meteor shower identification). The historic divisions for fireball types based on the PE criterion were not observed in the large data set, but a correlation with source region was recognized. Meteor showers demonstrated different amounts of variation in PE values potentially related to the materials found in each parent comet.;The trajectory and pre-fall orbit for the Buzzard Coulee meteoroid were determined through the calibration of shadows cast by the fireball. The method of using shadows to triangulate a trajectory was developed and evaluated. The best fit trajectory was coupled with an initial velocity of 18.0 km/s to compute the heliocentric orbit. Buzzard Coulee fell from a modestly inclined near-Earth Apollo orbit. It is the 12th fallen meteorite to be associated with an orbit.