Comparative Analysis of Models for Disintegration of Meteoric Bodies

A model for fast sequential disintegration of meteoroids in the terrestrial atmosphere, which takes a scale factor into account, was published by Ivanov and Ryzhanskii (1997). The trajectory of a nonablating body was determined by stage-by-stage computations; the number of stages could be more than 30. In the present study, this physical model is represented by a set of differential equations, which are solved by the method of separation of variables, in particular, with allowance for ablation. For bounded values of the mass-loss parameter, the solution is expressed in terms of elementary functions. Examples of the calculation of meteoric-body trajectories based on other models and their comparison with the proposed model are presented. Comparison of the results indicate the efficiency of these models in solving the inverse problems of dynamics and disruption of meteoroids in the atmosphere.