Observations of the Geminids and Quadrantids using a stratosphere–troposphere radar

Radar observations of the 1996 Geminid and 1997 Quadrantid showers are reported using the CLOVAR stratosphere–troposphere (ST) radar. A method for determining the limiting sensitivity of a radar system using observed number–amplitude data from a single shower is presented, and the result compared with more conventional measurements. This technique is capable of providing very precise measurement of the mass index for a shower in cases where large numbers of echoes are available. The mass index profiles for both showers are presented and found to be U-shaped with a minimum near the time of peak flux. Peak flux values are found to be 0.19±0.02 meteoroid km⁻² h⁻¹ at 261_.^¡82±0_.^¡2 for the Geminids and 0.14±0.01 meteoroid km⁻² h⁻¹ at 283_.^¡08±0_.^¡08 for the Quadrantids to a limiting radio magnitude of 7.7. The locations of maximum are found to coincide with the visually determined position. No significant difference in the location of maximum is detected for either stream over a range of 2 radio magnitudes or in comparison with the visual results. The Geminid radar flux curve is found to be very broad near maximum with a plateau in activity lasting nearly 2 d, while the visual curve shows a FWHM of 24±4 h and modest asymmetry with a slow build-up to maximum. The Quadrantids are found to have a sharp maximum following a Gaussian profile to first order with a full width to the 1/e flux positions of 12 h.     

The 1998 outburst and history of the June Boötid meteor shower

The June Boötid meteor shower (sometimes referred to as the Draconids) surprised a number of regular and casual observers by an outburst with maximum zenithal hourly rates (ZHRs) near 100 on 1998 June 27 after a quiescent period of several decades. A total of 1217 June Boötid meteors were recorded during regular visual meteor observations throughout this outburst. An average population index of r =2.2±0.10 was derived from 1054 shower magnitude estimates. The broad activity profile with ZHR>40 lasting more than 12 h and the large spread of apparent radiants in 1998 resemble the 1916 and 1927 outbursts. The peak time is found to be at about λ _⊙=95°.7 (2000.0); peak ZHRs are of the order of 200, whereas reliable averages reach only 81±7. The period of high ZHRs covered by a single observer implies a full width at half-maximum of 3–4 h. The resulting maximum flux of particles causing meteors brighter than +6.5 mag is between 0.04 and 0.06 km⁻² h⁻¹. The average radiant from photographic, radar and visual records is α =224°.12, δ =+47°.77. The observed activity outbursts in 1916, 1927 and 1998 are not related to the orbital period or the perihelion passages of the parent comet 7P/Pons–Winnecke. These are probably a consequence of the effects of the 2:1 resonance with Jupiter.     

A search for interstellar meteoroids using the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR)

Using the CMOR system, a search was conducted through 2.5 years (more than 1.5 million orbits) of archived data for meteoroids having unbound hyperbolic orbits around the Sun. Making use of the fact that each echo has an individually measured error, we were able to apply a cut-off for heliocentric speeds both more than two, and three standard deviations above the parabolic limit as our main selection criterion. CMOR has a minimum detectable particle radius near 100 μm for interstellar meteoroids. While these sizes are much larger than reported by the radar detections of extrasolar meteoroids by AMOR or Arecibo, the interstellar meteoroid population at these sizes would be of great astrophysical interest as such particles are more likely to remain unperturbed by external forces found in the interstellar medium, and thus, more likely to be traceable to their original source regions. It was found that a lower limit of approximately 0.0008% of the echoes (for the 3σ case) were of possible interstellar origin. For our effective limiting mass of 1×10⁻⁸ kg, this represents a flux of meteoroids arriving at the Earth of 6×10⁻⁶ meteoroids/km²/h. For our 2σ results, the lower limit was 0.003%, with a flux of 2×10⁻⁵ meteoroids/km²/h. The total number of events was too low to be statistically meaningful in determining any temporal or directional variations.     

Double station and spectroscopic observations of the Quadrantid meteor shower and the implications for its parent body

Object 2003 EH₁ was recently identified as the parent body of the Quadrantid meteor shower. The origin of this body is still uncertain. We use data on 51 Quadrantid meteors obtained from double-station video observations as an insight on the parent body properties. A data analysis shows that the Quadrantids are similar to other meteor showers of cometary origin in some aspects, but in others to Geminid meteors. Quadrantid meteoroids have partially lost volatile component, but are not depleted to the same extent as Geminid meteoroids. In consideration of the orbital history of 2003 EH₁, these results lead us to the conclusion that the parent body is a dormant comet.     

The activity of the 2004 Geminid meteor shower from global visual observations

A comprehensive set of 612 h of visual meteor observations with a total of 29 077 Geminid meteors detected was analysed. The shower activity is measured in terms of the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR). Two peaks are found at solar longitudes     and     with  ZHR = 126 ± 4  and  ZHR = 134 ± 4  , respectively. The physical quantities of the Geminid meteoroid stream are the mass index and the spatial number density of particles. We find a mass index of   s ≈ 1.7  and two peaks of spatial number density  234 ± 36  and  220 ± 31  particles causing meteors of magnitude +6.5 and brighter in a volume of 10⁹ km³, for the two corresponding ZHR maxima. There were  0.88 ± 0.08  and  0.98 ± 0.08  particles with masses of 1 g or more in the same volume during the two ZHR peaks. The second of the two maxima was populated by larger particles than the first one. We compare the activity and mass index profiles with recent Geminid stream modelling. The comparison may be useful to calibrate the numerical models.     

Detailed visual observations and modelling of the 1998 Leonid shower

We present a detailed activity profile for the 1998 Leonid shower from visual observations. The shower displayed at least two distinct components – a broad component peaking between 2344 and 2350, and two narrower filaments near 23521 and 23533 probably of younger origin based on modelling results. This dual-peaked structure in the flux profile has peak fluxes to a limiting magnitude of +6.5 of 0.03 Leonid km⁻² h⁻¹. The distribution of particles also changes dramatically across the stream in 1998, with large meteoroids dominating the early peak and smaller meteoroids relatively more abundant near the time of the nodal passage of the comet. Detailed comparison of the observed activity with models in 1998 shows that the early component comes from material ejected between 500 and 1000 yr ago. Our modelling results suggest that the later dual peaks are caused by high- β meteoroids with large ejection velocities released during the 1932 and 1965 passages of Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle.     

Taurid resonant-swarm encounters from two decades of visual observations

Enhanced Taurid activity in terms of visual meteor and fireball rates has been found in 1988, 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2005 data. The years of heightened activity are shown to be unequivocally linked to the encounters of swarms of resonantly trapped particles in the Taurid meteoroid stream according to the model proposed by Asher & Clube. While the annual activity level of the Taurid meteor shower in terms of zenithal hourly rate  (ZHR) is 7.8 ± 1.2  , swarm year activity typically reaches ZHRs of 12–17. The annual fraction of fireballs is below 1 per cent; in swarm years, this fraction is as high as 2.4–4.6 per cent near the maximum of the Taurid activity period.     

Meteor observations in Japan: new implications for a Taurid meteoroid swarm

Observational evidence is sought that the long-term (10⁴ yr) action of a mean motion resonance with Jupiter can produce structure in a meteoroid stream, concentrating meteoroids in a dense swarm. More specifically, predictions tabulated by Asher & Clube of enhanced meteor and fireball activity from a Taurid Complex swarm in the 7:2 resonance are compared with observational data collected in Japan over several decades. The swarm model was proposed for reasons independent of the observations analysed here, and these newly considered data are shown to be consistent with it. This allows increased confidence in the Taurid swarm theory, and more generally could mean that resonant trapping is a dynamical mechanism affecting a significant amount of meteoroidal material in the inner Solar system.     

The 1999 Quadrantids and the lunar Na atmosphere

Enhancements of the Na emission and temperature from the lunar atmosphere were reported during the Leonid meteor showers of 1995, 1997 and 1998. Here we report a search for similar enhancement during the 1999 Quadrantids, which have the highest mass flux of any of the major streams. No enhancements were detected. We suggest that different chemical–physical properties of the Leonid and Quadrantid streams may be responsible for the difference.     

A new search method for streams in meteor data bases and its application

A new search method for locating meteoroid streams within an orbit data base and obtaining their central core orbits is introduced. The method is based on the transformation of a data base of discrete orbits into a continuous density map. Artificial data bases are used to determine if a density is statistically unlikely to occur by random chance. A search is then run to identify all density peaks within the map that correspond to the central core of a meteoroid stream. Drummond D' criterion is used as a metric within the transformation and a D' acceptability limit, D _l, defines the length scale over which a discrete meteor orbit can have an influence on the density map. Examination of the search dependence on D _l for both real and artificial data sets indicates an appropriate standard value. A full search is run on 5280 meteor orbits from the IAU data base, detecting 16 known major and minor meteoroid streams. New central core orbits are presented for these. No major differences from the published orbits are detected, apart from possible multi-branched structure in the southern δ Aquarids.