Physical mechanism of Chelyabinsk superbolide explosion

The work presents modern ideas on the physical mechanism of explosion of large meteoroids (superbolides) in the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their trajectories. As a result of our work, the values of following parameters were obtained: the altitude of the beginning of the aerodynamic destruction of a meteoroid like the Chelyabinsk superbolide; the altitude of a relatively very thin layer, characterized by sharp aerodynamic deceleration of a fragmenting and laterally expanding space object, accompanied by an impulse transformation of kinetic energy into thermal energy with plasma generation which results in intense electromagnetic radiation and an explosive shock wave; and, the initial temperature of such a plasma.