Searching for Light Curve Evidence of Meteoroid Structure and Fragmentation

We used light curve analysis to search for evidence of the dustball meteoroid model. Leonid, Taurid, Alpha Monocerotid and sporadic meteors from November 2003 were observed and analyzed using uniform methodology. Meteors from these four sources were examined for evidence of fragmentation by examining light curve shape and searching for light curve irregularities. Differences in meteoroid structure should be reflected by differences in meteor light curves. The resulting meteor light curve F-parameter values showed no statistically significant differences between the meteors from the various cometary showers or the sporadic meteors. The F-parameter values also suggest that the meteoroids from these sources do not follow a single body ablation model, which suggests that all four sources produce meteoroids with a dustball structure.     

A New Analysis of Fireball Data from the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project (MORP)

Sixty fireball cameras operated in Western Canada from 1971 to 1985. Over one thousand (1016) fireballs were recorded at more than one station, but only 367 were reduced, of which 285 have been published, including that of the Innisfree meteorite. Digitization of all the data is underway, and procedures are being developed which will allow the automatic reduction of events not previously examined. The results of the analysis of 80 fireballs reduced but not previously published are presented. When the new analysis is complete, the MORP archive will be a valuable source of information on meteoroid orbits.     

A New Model for the Separation of Meteoroid Fragments in the Atmosphere

This work is devoted to modeling of the transverse scattering of meteoroid fragments in the atmosphere by adopting supersonic gas dynamics around a system of bodies. Artem’eva and Shuvalov (1996, Shock Waves, 367) and Zhdan et al. (2004, Dokl. Phys., 315–317) found that the transverse force decreases with the increase of the distance between fragments, that is, fragments do not separate in a transverse direction under the action of constant repulsion force. This work on the decreasing transverse force uses the values of the transverse force coefficient by Zhdan et al. (2004, Dokl. Phys., 315–317) obtained from numerical modeling for spheres in a supersonic flow to derive the analytical solution of the dynamic equation for a fragment. The new model of layer-by-layer scattering of meteoroid fragments moving as a system of bodies is constructed on the basis of the analytical solutions derived in this work and the numerical data by Zhdan et al. (2005, Dokl. Phys., 514–518).     

Exceptional Fireball Activity of Orionids in 2006

We report exceptional fireball activity of the Orionid meteor shower in 2006. During four nights in October 2006 the autonomous fireball observatories of the Czech part of the European Fireball Network (EN) recorded 48 fireballs belonging to the Orionids. This is significantly more than the total number of Orionids recorded during about five decades long continuous operation of the EN. Based on precise multi-station photographic and radiometric data we present accurate atmospheric trajectories, heliocentric orbits, light curves and basic physical properties of 10 Orionid fireballs with atmospheric trajectories that were long enough and, with one exception, were observed from at least three stations. Seven were recorded in within a 2-h interval in the night of 20/21 October. Their basic parameters such as radiant positions and heliocentric orbits are very similar. This high fireball activity originated from a very compact geocentric radiant defined by α = 95.10° ± 0.10° and δ = 15.50° ± 0.06°. These fireballs most likely belonged to a distinct filament of larger meteoroids trapped in 1:5 resonance with Jupiter. From detailed light curves and basic fireball classification we found that these meteoroids appertain to the weakest component of interplanetary matter.     

Sputtering and high altitude meteors

Conventional ablation theory assumes that a meteoroid undergoes intensive heating during atmospheric flight and surface atoms are liberated through thermal processes. Our research has indicated that physical sputtering could play a significant role in meteoroid mass loss. Using a 4th order Runge-Kutta numerical integration technique, we tabulated the mass loss due to the two ablation mechanisms and computed the fraction of total mass lost due to sputtering. We modeled cometary structure meteoroids with masses ranging from 10⁻¹³ to 10⁻³ kg and velocities ranging from 11.2 to 71 km s⁻¹. Our results indicate that a significant fraction of the mass loss for small, fast meteors is due to sputtering, particularly in the early portion of the light curve. In the past 6 years evidence has emerged for meteor luminosity at heights greater than can be explained by conventional ablation theory. We have applied our sputtering model and find excellent agreement with these observations, and therefore suggest that sputtered material accounts for the new type of radiation found at great heights.     

Gamma射线爆光曲线的一个简单激波模型

采用一个简单的激波模型来讨论了珈玛射线爆光变曲线的轮廓。根据激波理论,爆炸产生压力脉冲并以压力波的形式传播,既有压缩波也有膨胀波。压缩波的合并产生激波,它的强度被随后并入的压缩波或膨胀波分别增强或减弱。该模型能自然地描述珈玛爆光变曲线和光变曲线具有的"快速上升指数下降"的轮廓特征。我们认为这一特征是压缩波和膨胀波的传播特性导致的。     

Evolution and Fragmentation of Wide-Angle Wind Driven Molecular Outflows

We present two dimensional cylindrically symmetric hydrodynamic simulations and synthetic emission maps of a stellar wind propagating into an infalling, rotating environment. The resulting outflow morphology, collimation and stability observed in these simulations have relevance to the study of young stellar objects, Herbig-Haro jets and molecular outflows. Our code follows hydrogen gas with molecular, atomic and ionic components tracking the associated time dependent molecular chemistry and ionization dynamics with radiative cooling appropriate for a dense molecular gas. We present tests of the code as well as new simulations which indicate the presence of instabilities in the wind-blown bubble’s swept-up shell.     

Ubv Photometry And Light Curve Analysis Of Bx And

We present a photometric study of the near contact binary BX And. UBV photometric observations have been carried out in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000. The observations made in 1998 and 2000 yielded two complete light curves in each color. The intrinsic color indices indicate that primary component has a temperature of ∼6690 K corresponding to spectral type of ∼F4. The photometric mass ratio of the system was well determined. The corresponding light curves were analyzed by Wilson–Devinney code. From combining the photometric solution with spectroscopic elements, the absolute parameters were determined. Finally, the position of both components in H–R, M–L, and M–R diagrams are given.     

Analysis of Extra-Solar Planetary Transits Using Tools from Eclipsing Binaries

Analytical formulae for the computation of the photometric elements of extra-solar planetary transits are presented. They were initially derived for the study of well-detached eclipsing binaries and are valid for any degree of limb darkening and type of transit as well as for eccentric orbits. The only assumption is that the projections of the star and the planet on the plane of the sky are well represented by circular discs. The procedure to get valid ranges for the involved parameters, as well as to make precise estimations of initial parameters, using the analytical nature of the equations is given together with some discussion on their practical application. Examples are shown for OGLE-TR-113, representative of a light curve obtained with ground-based telescopes, and HD 209458 with a precise light curve obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope.     

Analysis of the Marshall Islands Fireball of February 1, 1994

On February 1, 1994, a large meteoroid impacted over the Pacific Ocean at 2.6° N, 164.1° E. The impact was observed by space based IR sensors operated by the US Department of Defense and by visible wavelength sensors operated by the US Department of Energy. During entry the object broke into several pieces, one of which detonated at 34 km and another at 21 km altitude. The entry velocity of the object is estimated to be 24–25 km/sec. Based on the visible wavelength data, the integrated intensity of the radiated energy of the fireball was approximately 1.3 × 10¹³ joules. Assuming a 6000 K black body and a 30% efficiency for the conversion of the kinetic energy of the body into visible light, we estimate the mass of the body to be between 1.6×10⁵ kg and 4.4×10⁶ kg, and to have a diameter of between 4.4 and 13.5 meters. The object entered at a 45° angle, traveling on a heading of approximately 300°, i.e. from the southeast to the northwest. Calculations using a gross-fragmentation model indicate that the body was most likely a stony object larger than 10 m with an Apollo orbit prior to impact.E T Space SystemsSandia National LaboratoriesOndejov Observatory     

Fragmentation of Leonids in space and a model of spatial distribution of meteoroids within the Leonid stream

The contribution presents an analysis of the Leonids 1999 HDTV Leonid MAC data. The observed grouping of the Leonids over a random level is explained by progressive fragmentation of meteoroids in space. The observed data are compared with a spatial distribution model. Possible fragmentation processes of meteoroids in space are presented and discussed.     

Aq Psc – Analysis of New Light Curves

New BV light curves of the A-type W UMa star AQ Psc (P = 0.476d) have been observed and are described. A few times of minimum light are obtained and the ephemeris is improved. The light curves are analyzed for the binary parameters with a light curve synthesis method. Combining the results with Lu and Rucinski’s spectroscopic mass ratio we determined the masses and radii of the components: M ₁ = 1.69M _⊙, M ₂ = 0.38M _⊙, R ₁ = 1.77R _⊙, and R ₂ = 0.89R _⊙.     

Quantitative Comparison of a New Ab Initio Micrometeor Ablation Model with an Observationally Verifiable Standard Model

The Arecibo UHF radar is able to detect the head-echos of micron-sized meteoroids up to velocities of 75 km/s over a height range of 80–140 km. Because of their small size there are many uncertainties involved in calculating their above atmosphere properties as needed for orbit determination. An ab initio model of meteor ablation has been devised that should work over the mass range 10⁻¹⁶ kg to 10⁻⁷ kg, but the faint end of this range cannot be observed by any other method and so direct verification is not possible. On the other hand, the EISCAT UHF radar system detects micrometeors in the high mass part of this range and its observations can be fit to a “standard” ablation model and calibrated to optical observations (Szasz et al. 2007). In this paper, we present a preliminary comparison of the two models, one observationally confirmable. Among the features of the ab initio model that are different from the “standard” model are: (1) uses the experimentally based low pressure vaporization theory of O’Hanlon (A users’s guide to vacuum technology, 2003) for ablation, (2) uses velocity dependent functions fit from experimental data on heat transfer, luminosity and ionization efficiencies measured by Friichtenicht and Becker (NASA Special Publication 319: 53, 1973) for micron sized particles, (3) assumes a density and temperature dependence of the micrometeoroids and ablation product specific heats, (4) assumes a density and size dependent value for the thermal emissivity and (5) uses a unified synthesis of experimental data for the most important meteoroid elements and their oxides through least square fits (as functions of temperature, density, and/or melting point) of the tables of thermodynamic parameters given in Weast (CRC Handbook of Physics and Chemistry, 1984), Gray (American Institute of Physics Handbook, 1972), and Cox (Allen’s Astrophysical Quantities 2000). This utilization of mostly experimentally determined data is the main reason for calling this an ab initio model and is made necessary by the fact that individual average meteoroid mass densities are now derivable from Arecibo observations.     

Light Curve Analysis of Early-Type Overcontact Systems

A method is presented to include irradiation effects in the modeling of over-contact binaries. The Roche potential is numerically modified in a way to account for mechanical effects of the mutual irradiation of the two binary components. The efficiency of radiative interaction is parametrized by means of the fraction of radiative over gravitational forces for each component of the binary. The modified Roche geometry is implemented as binary model in an eclipse light curve solution code, which is based on the general Wilson–Devinney scheme. As an example the method is applied to the early-type over-contact system V606 Cen.     

海尔-波普彗星球状喷出物的光变曲线

研究了海尔－波普彗星１９９６年９月的光变曲线,发现其在９月１０日至１１日发生了一次爆发,爆发时核Ｖ星等增亮２．１ｍ．相应地,在ＣＣＤ图像上也发现爆发时彗核抛出的２个球状凝聚物．     

Basic Functions of the Light Curve Analysis of Eclipsing Variables in the Frequency Domain

An analytically tractable method of transforming the problem of light curve analysis of eclipsing binaries from the time domain into the frequency domain was introduced by Kopal (1975, 1979, 1990). This method uses a new general formulation of eclipse functions α, the so-called moments A _2m , and their combinations as g _2m = A _2m+2/(A _2m A _2m+4) functions for the basic spherical model. In this paper, I will review the use of these functions in the light curve analysis of eclipsing binaries.     

Photometric study of the binary system NN Del

We present the results of the differential V light curve analysis of NN Del. We show that NN Del is an EA eclipsing binary system with a period of 99.27 days and a highly eccentric orbit. Photometric solutions obtained using the Russell and the Wilson-Devinney models seem to indicate that both components are very similar in radii and luminosities (assuming a F5 spectral type). Constraints imposed on the V luminosity of the system by the HIPPARCOS data suggest that the components of the system could be subgiants instead of main sequence stars. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

再探伽玛射线暴中能量与脉冲宽度的依赖关系

探索来源于BATSE(http://cossc:gsfc:nasa:gov/batse)的GRB(Gamma-Ray Burst,伽玛射线暴)观测数据的半峰宽度(FWHM)与能量之间的关系,基于64个用KRL函数模型(即,文[1]中的(22)式)能很好地拟合的FRDE(Fast Rise and Exponential Decay,快速上升指数下降)型脉冲样本。发现64个样本中有63个的半峰宽度(FWHM)与能量之间的关系属于平台—幂率—平台型结构或峰型结构。64个样本的半峰宽度(FWHM)与能量之间的关系在观测中可详细分为5种类型:a)有34个样本为幂率形式关系;b)18个样本为低能段平台关系;c)有7个样本为高能段平台关系;d)4个样本为峰型结构关系;e)另外有1个样本为其他结构。结果表明:GRB观测数据的半峰宽度(FWHM)与能量之间的确存在有幂率的关系。此结果进一步确认了文[2](Qin etal 2005)的观点,即半峰宽度(FWHM)与能量之间的关系是由于火球模型的多普勒效应(Doppler effect)导致的。     

超新星SN 1987A的热光度演化──内部中子星的贡献

本文介绍了超新星SN1987A爆发六年多来其热光度演化的研究情况．爆发后的前800天，观测的热光度曲线与由超新星爆发时合成的放射性元素的放射衰变加热模型符合得很好．但900天以后，观测的热光度曲线比考虑了所有放射性元素贡献后的理论曲线下降得还要缓慢．这可能表明有新的能源在起作用．我们认为这个新的能源可能是超新星爆发时产生的中子星的吸积．通过吸积超新星爆发时抛射气壳中小于逃逸速度的部分物质而增大SN1987A的热光度．这一模型能很好地解释900天以后的光度曲线的下降变级以及900至1200天之间光度曲线的凸起，这也为内部中子星的存在提供了间接的证据．     

The Stability of the Light Curve of DL Cassiopeiae Between 1959–1997

A variability survey on the shape of the light curve of the classical Cepheid DL Cas has been performed on the basis of Johnson V photometry data covering about 38 years. The input parameters (mean magnitude, pulsation frequency and period, light curve amplitude, harmonics amplitudes, Fourier type structural parameters) for our study were determined through the Fourier decomposition technique applied to each data set. The analysis of the outcoming time series, using different and complementary methods, seems to indicate the constancy of these parameters within the precision limits of the available data, although the hypothesis of the presence of a low level variability cannot be excluded. The only exception is the pulsation period, which displays a possible increasing trend with a rate of 0.109 ± 0.037 s yr⁻¹. This trend may be, at least partly, an effect of the unequal precision of pulsation period estimated values, corresponding to each considered data set. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.