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Long Dust Trails of Short Period Comets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

H.U. Keller
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für AeronomiePostfach 20 3411 Katlenburg-LindauGermany
K. Richter
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für AeronomiePostfach 20 3411 Katlenburg-LindauGermany

Extract

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Comets constitute an important source for the zodiacal dust cloud. Mainly large particles are contributed because the smaller particles are emitted into hyperbolic orbits relative to the sun. Radiation pressure force reduces the effective solar gravitational attraction. Information about large cometary particles can be derived from a variety of sources requiring quite different observational techniques. Many distinct meteor streams are connected to orbits of short period comets. These streams contain large dust particles that are very little influenced by radiation pressure force. In some cases such as the η Aquarids and Orionids connected to comet Halley the total mass and the age of the meteors have been derived (Hughes, 1987; Hajduk, 1987). The mass of the streams is 5 to 10 times larger than the present mass of the nucleus and their lifetime corresponds to 2000 to 3000 orbital periods. Visible meteors are typically 10−2 g and more of centimetre size.

Type
Cometary Dust: Observations and Evolution
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1991

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