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Investigating the mechanical properties of complex, porous microstructures by assessing model representative volumes is an established method of determining materials properties across a range of length scales. An understanding of how behavior evolves with length scale is essential for evaluating the material's suitability for certain applications where the interaction volume is so small that the mechanical response originates from individual features rather than a set of features. Here, we apply the Kentucky Random Structure Toolkit (KRaSTk) to metallic foams, which are crucial to many emerging applications, among them shielding against hypervelocity impacts caused by micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD). The variability of properties at feature-scale and mesoscale lengths originating from the inherently random microstructure makes developing predictive models challenging. It also hinders the optimization of components fabricated with such foams, an especially serious problem for spacecraft design where the benefit–cost–mass optimization is overshadowed by the catastrophic results of component failure. To address this problem, we compute the critical transition between the feature-scale, where mechanical properties are determined by individual features, and the mesoscale, where behavior is determined by ensembles of features. At the mesoscale, we compute distributions of properties—with respect to both expectation value and standard variability—that are consistent and predictable. A universal transition is found to occur when the side length of a cubic sample volume is ~10× greater than the characteristic length. Comparing KRaSTk-computed converged stiffness distributions with experimental measurements of a commercial metallic foam found an excellent agreement for both expectation value and standard variability at all reduced densities. Lastly, we observe that the diameter of a representative MMOD strike is ~30× shorter than the feature-scale to mesoscale transition for the foam at any reduced density, strongly implying that individual features will determine response to hypervelocity impacts, rather than bulk, or even mesoscale, structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal species and carbonate are often found as minerals in extraterrestrial rocky bodies. Based on this, the mechanochemical-induced degradation of canonical purine and pyrimidine ribonucleosides into their corresponding nucleobases mediated by some of the main constituents of those materials (iron, nickel, or aluminum) was accomplished. In some cases, the previous heating of the samples intensified mechanochemical degradation. Additionally, carbonate acts as an activator for ribonucleoside degradation with a catalyst (a Lewis acid ion); however, it has almost no effect on ribonucleoside degradation in the absence of a catalyst. These results can contribute to the hypothesis that organic matter in extraterrestrial samples could have undergone mechanochemical reactions (i.e., shock/impact events), from its formation until its journey to Earth. Mechanochemical energy could occur in planetesimal accretion, asteroid formation (i.e., through planetesimal disintegration), and meteoroid atmospheric entry. Additionally, this hypothesis can clarify and relate some identified biosignatures with pathways of prebiological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Surface Dust Analyser (SUDA) is a mass spectrometer onboard the Europa Clipper mission for investigating the surface composition of the Galilean moon Europa. Atmosphereless planetary moons such as the Galilean satellites are wrapped into a ballistic dust exosphere populated by tiny samples from the moon's surface produced by impacts of fast micrometeoroids. SUDA will measure the composition of such surface ejecta during close flybys of Europa to obtain key chemical signatures for revealing the satellite's composition such as organic molecules and salts, history, and geological evolution. Because of their ballistic orbits, detected ejecta can be traced back to the surface with a spatial resolution roughly equal to the instantaneous altitude of the spacecraft. SUDA is a Time-Of-Flight (TOF), reflectron-type impact mass spectrometer, optimized for a high mass resolution which only weakly depends on the impact location. The instrument will measure the mass, speed, charge, elemental, molecular, and isotopic composition of impacting grains. The instrument's small size of 268 mm × 250 mm × 171 mm , radiation-hard design, and rather large sensitive area of 220 cm2 matches well the challenging demands of the Clipper mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space material from leftovers of comets and asteroids is daily entering the Earth's atmosphere. Traditionally, this influx has been characterized from ground-based observations or through meteorite searches. However, cosmic dust and small meteoroids (below a grain size of 1 cm) are not easily detectable with the current facilities and there is scant information about them. In this work, we analyse the feasibility of characterizing the low-mass end of the dust size distribution using observations at ultraviolet wavelengths from space. For this purpose, we have computed the expected scattered ultraviolet radiation and polarization produced by space dust falling on Earth using the Monte Carlo code radmc-3d. We have built a density model attending to the features and parameters obtained from measurements of meteorites, meteor showers, and cometary dust observations. We show that silicate grains will be easily distinguishable from carbonates and irons based on polarization measurements. Moreover, the polarization reversals produced in the resonance scattering regime can be used to study the details of the size distribution of small dust grains. We point out the dependence of the modelled polarization on the way of discretizing the particle size distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement errors of meteors can substantially affect the accuracy of meteoroid trajectory and orbit determinations, potentially leading to spurious meteoroid orbits. Here, we evaluate the measurement errors associated with the meteor and ionospheric irregularity observation system (MIOS) developed at low-latitude Ledong and Sanya, China, aimed at observing various meteors and their associated plasma density irregularity phenomena, and investigate how these errors affect the determination of meteor trajectories and orbits. The measurement error of meteor position is estimated to be |$\sim$| 2 pixels, corresponding to 0.04 |$^\circ$|⁠ , which is sufficient to detect true radiant dispersion and structural characteristics in younger meteor showers. By simulating meteoroids from the Draconid, Geminid, and Perseid meteor showers with the |$\sim$| 2 pixels measurement error and the Monte Carlo trajectory method, the precision of corresponding meteoroid trajectories is derived. The radiant accuracy is 1.09 |$^\circ$|⁠ , with right ascension and declination accuracies of 0.78 |$^\circ$| and 0.77 |$^\circ$|⁠ , respectively. The velocity accuracy is 0.64 km/s. The comparison of estimated and true radiant uncertainties shows that the estimated errors of the MIOS are generally consistent with the true meteor trajectory errors. Finally, we estimate the orbital measurement errors, which include an eccentricity of 0.05, a perihelion distance of 0.0086 au, an inclination of 1.4 |$^\circ$|⁠ , and an argument of the perihelion of 1.86 |$^\circ$|⁠. Based on observations of eight representative meteor showers during 2019–2023, the accuracy of the MIOS in detecting meteor trajectories and orbits is further validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Orbital similarity measures, such as the D values, have been extensively used in meteor science to identify meteoroid streams and associate meteorite falls with near-Earth objects (NEOs). However, the chaotic nature of near-Earth space challenges the long-term reliability of these measures for stream identification, and the increasing size of our fireball, meteorite fall, and NEO databases make random associations more common. Despite this, many researchers erroneously continue to use orbital similarity beyond its inherent limits. Aims. We aim to assess the statistical significance of using orbital similarity measures for identifying streams of meteoroids or asteroids and explore the implications of chaotic dynamics on the long-term coherence of these streams. Methods. We employed a kernel density estimation (KDE) based method to evaluate the statistical significance of orbital similarities within different datasets. Additionally, we conducted a Lyapunov characteristic lifetime analysis and simulated 300 fictitious meteoroid streams to estimate the decoherence lifetimes in near-Earth space. The orbital similarity was determined using the DSH, D′, and DH orbital similarity discriminants. Clustering analysis relied on a density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm. Results. Our analysis found no statistically significant streams within the meteorite fall, fireball, or USG impact datasets, with orbital similarities consistent with random associations. Conversely, 12 statistically significant clusters were identified within the NEO population, likely resulting from tidal disruption events. The Lyapunov lifetime analysis revealed short characteristic lifetimes (60–200 years) for orbits in near-Earth space, emphasizing the rapid divergence of initially similar orbits. Meteoroid stream decoherence lifetimes ranged from 104 to 105 years, aligning with previous studies and underscoring the transient nature of such streams. Conclusions. The rapid decoherence of meteoroid streams and the chaotic dynamics of near-Earth orbits suggest that no reported stream or NEO associations of meteorites or fireballs are statistically significant according to orbital similarity functions. Many are likely coincidental rather than indicative of a true physical link. However, several statistically significant clusters found within the NEO population are consistent with a tidal disruption formation. This contrast and lack of statistically significant associations amongst the impact datasets is likely due to the fireball databases being 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the NEO database and the higher intrinsic uncertainties of fireball observation derived orbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteoroids that are members of a meteoroid stream move around the Sun in the mutually similar orbits, and their mean orbit is also similar to the orbit of the parent body, at least in the first stage of their dynamical evolution. This similarity enables the identification of the parent body of the stream. We evaluated the similarity of the meteoroid streams' mean orbits from the IAU Meteor Data Center data base and all-known orbits of comets in course to find further, not-yet-known associations between meteor showers and their parent comets. We found 81 new associations and confirmed 84 associations that were discovered by other authors in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current models of chemical evolution during star and planetary formation rely on the presence of dust grains to act as a third body. However, they generally ignore the reactivity of the dust grains themselves. Dust grains present in the protoplanetary phase will evolve as the Solar system forms and, after protoplanets have appeared, they will be constantly delivered to their surfaces in the form of large aggregates or meteorites. Chondritic meteorites are mostly unaltered samples of the dust present in the first stages of the Solar system formation, which still arrive nowadays to the surface of Earth and allow us to study the properties of the materials forming the early Solar system. These materials contain, amongst others, transition metals that can potentially act as catalysts, as well as other phases that can potentially react in different astrophysical conditions, such as FeS. In this work, we present the reactivity of chondritic meteorites under H |$_{2}$| -rich atmospheres, particularly towards the reduction of FeS for the formation of H |$_{2}$| S and metallic Fe during the early phases of the planetary formation. We present the obtained results on the reaction rates and the percentage of FeS available to react in the materials. Additionally, we include a computational study of the reaction mechanism and the energetics. Finally, we discuss the implications of an early formation of H |$_{2}$| S in planetary surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteoroids of sub‐milligram sizes burn up high in the Earth's atmosphere and cause streaks of plasma trails detectable by meteor radars. The altitude at which these trails, or meteors, form depends on a number of factors including atmospheric density and the astronomical source populations from which these meteoroids originate. A previous study has shown that the altitude of these meteors is affected by long‐term linear trends and the 11‐year solar cycle related to changes in our atmosphere. In this work, we examine how shorter diurnal and seasonal variations in the altitude distribution of meteors are dependent on the geographical location at which the measurements are performed. We use meteoroid altitude data from 18 independent meteor radar stations at a broad range of latitudes and investigate whether there are local time (LT) and seasonal variations in the altitude of the peak meteor height, defined as the majority detection altitude of all meteors within a certain period, which differ from those expected purely from the variation in the visibility of their astronomical source. We find a consistent LT and seasonal response for the Northern Hemisphere locations regardless of latitude. However, the Southern Hemisphere locations exhibit much greater LT and seasonal variation. In particular, we find a complex response in the four stations located within the Southern Andes region, which indicates that the strong dynamical atmospheric activity, such as the gravity waves prevalent here, disrupts, and masks the seasonality and dependence on the astronomical sources. Plain Language Summary: Small meteoroids burn up high in the Earth's atmosphere producing trails of plasma detectable by ground‐based meteor radar instruments. The altitude at which these trails occur depends on a number of factors including atmospheric density and the astronomical source populations from which these meteoroids originate. Previous work demonstrated that the altitude at which the majority of these meteoroids burn up (termed "peak meteor altitude") is affected by long‐term atmospheric changes, such as those related to greenhouse gas emissions and the 11‐year solar cycle. Here, we focus on shorter timescales and analyze meteoroid altitude data from 18 geographically diverse meteor radars to examine the local time (LT) and seasonal variation in the peak meteor altitudes on a latitude basis. We find a consistent LT and seasonal response among the six Northern Hemisphere meteor radar station locations irrespective of latitude. However, we find a more complex response among the 12 Southern Hemisphere stations with much greater LT and seasonal variation. In particular, we found a complex response in the four stations located within the Southern Andes region, a geographic region known for intense atmospheric gravity wave activity, which acts to mask and disrupt the seasonality and dependence on the astronomical sources. Key Points: Local time (LT) and seasonal variations in the peak meteor height exist, which differ from those expected from astronomical variation aloneThere is a consistent LT and seasonal response in the Northern Hemisphere locations regardless of latitudeA complex response in the Andes region where a strong gravity wave component acts to mask seasonality and dependence on astronomical sources [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The formation and evolution of protoplanetary disks remains elusive. We have numerous astronomical observations of young stellar objects of different ages with their envelopes and/or disks. Moreover, in the last decade, there has been tremendous progress in numerical simulations of star and disk formation. New simulations use realistic equations of state for the gas and treat the interaction of matter and the magnetic field with the full set of nonideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. However, it is still not fully clear how a disk forms and whether it happens from inside-out or outside-in. Open questions remain regarding where material is accreted onto the disk and comes from, how dust evolves in disks, and the timescales of appearance of disk's structures. These unknowns limit our understanding of how planetesimals and planets form and evolve. Aims. We attempted to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the protosolar disk, guided by the large amount of cosmochemical constraints derived from the study of meteorites, while using astronomical observations and numerical simulations as a guide to pinpointing plausible scenarios. Methods. Our approach is highly interdisciplinary and we do not present new observations or simulations in this work. Instead, we combine, in an original manner, a large number of published results concerning young stellar objects observations, and numerical simulations, along with the chemical, isotopic and petrological nature of meteorites. Results. We have achieved a plausible and coherent view of the evolution of the protosolar disk that is consistent with cosmochemical constraints and compatible with observations of other protoplanetary disks and sophisticated numerical simulations. The evidence that high-temperature condensates, namely, calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs) and amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs), formed near the protosun before being transported to the outer disk can be explained in two ways: there could have either been an early phase of vigorous radial spreading of the disk that occurred or fast transport of these condensates from the vicinity of the protosun toward large disk radii via the protostellar outflow. The assumption that the material accreted toward the end of the infall phase was isotopically distinct allows us to explain the observed dichotomy in nucleosynthetic isotopic anomalies of meteorites. It leads us toward intriguing predictions on the possible isotopic composition of refractory elements in comets. At a later time, when the infall of material waned, the disk started to evolve as an accretion disk. Initially, dust drifted inward, shrinking the radius of the dust component to ∼45 au, probably about to about half of the width of the gas component. Next, structures must have emerged, producing a series of pressure maxima in the disk, which trapped the dust on Myr timescales. This allowed planetesimals to form at radically distinct times without significantly changing any of the isotopic properties. We also conclude that there was no late accretion of material onto the disk via streamers. The disk disappeared at about 5 My, as indicated by paleomagnetic data in meteorites. Conclusions. The evolution of the protosolar disk seems to have been quite typical in terms of size, lifetime, and dust behavior. This suggests that the peculiarities of the Solar System with respect to extrasolar planetary systems probably originate from the chaotic nature of planet formation and not from the properties of the parental disk itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The detection of interstellar meteors, especially meteorite-dropping meteoroids, would be transformative, as this would enable direct sampling of material from other stellar systems on Earth. One candidate is the fireball observed by U.S. government sensors on January 8, 2014. It has been claimed that fragments of this meteoroid have been recovered from the ocean floor near Papua New Guinea and that they support an extrasolar origin. Based on its parameters reported in the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) catalog, the fireball exhibits a hyperbolic excess velocity that indicates an interstellar origin; however, the catalog does not report parameter uncertainties. Aims. To achieve a clear confirmation of the fireball's interstellar origin, we assessed the underlying error distributions of the catalog data. Our aim was also to confirm whether the fragments of this meteoroid survived passage through the atmosphere and assess all conditions needed to unambiguously determine the fragments' origin. Methods. We approached the investigation of the entire catalog using statistical analyses and modeling, and we provide a comprehensive analysis of the individual hyperbolic CNEOS cases. Results. We have developed several independent arguments indicating substantial uncertainties in the velocity and radiant position of the CNEOS events. We determined that all the hyperbolic fireballs exhibit significant deviations from the majority of the events in one of their velocity components, and we show that such mismeasurements can produce spurious parameters. According to our estimation of the speed measurement uncertainty for the catalog, we found that it is highly probable that such a catalog containing only Sun-bound meteors would show at least one event that appears highly unlikely to be Sun-bound. We also establish that it is unlikely that any fragments from a fireball traveling at the high inferred velocities could survive passage through the atmosphere. When assuming a much lower velocity, some fragments of this meteoroid could survive; however, they would be of a common Solar System origin and thus highly probable to be indistinguishable from the quantity of other local micrometeorites that have gradually accumulated on the sea floor. Conclusions. We conclude that there is no evidence in the CNEOS data to confirm or reject the interstellar origin of any of the nominally hyperbolic fireballs in the CNEOS catalog. Therefore, the claim of an interstellar origin for the fireball recorded over Papua New Guinea in 2014 remains unsubstantiated. We have also gathered arguments that refute the claim that the collected spherules from the sea floor originated in the body of this fireball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) discovered a dense cluster of 88 ordinary chondrites with a total mass of more than 100 kg on a blue ice area (BIA) of 1.6 × 0.3 km2 near the Otway Massif, Grosvenor Mountains, Antarctica. The larger masses (weighing up to 29 kg) were found at one end of an oval‐shaped pattern and the smaller masses (50–200 g) at the other end. We measured concentrations of the cosmogenic radionuclides 10Be (half‐life—1.36 × 106 year) and 36Cl (3.01 × 105 year) in the metal fraction of 17 H chondrites, including 14 fragments of this cluster, to verify the hypothesis that this meteorite cluster on the Otway Massif BIA represents a meteorite strewn field produced by the atmospheric breakup of a single meteoroid. The 10Be and 36Cl concentrations confirm that 10 out of 14 H chondrites from different locations within this small area are paired fragments of the same meteorite fall, while the four other H chondrites represent two additional—smaller—falls. The radionuclides suggest a pre‐atmospheric mass of 200–400 kg for the large pairing group, suggesting that 25%–50% of the meteoroid survived atmospheric entry. Based on the distribution of the paired H chondrites and evidence of their common cosmic‐ray exposure history in space, we conclude that most of the 88 meteorites within this small area represent a meteorite strewn field. The small size of the strewn field suggests that the meteoroid entered at a steep angle (>60°), while the low amount of fusion crust on most meteorite surfaces most likely indicates atmospheric break up at low altitude, while additional fragmentation of a large surviving fragment may have occurred during impact on the ice. This well‐documented strewn field provides a good opportunity to apply model simulations of the atmospheric fragmentation of this object as a function of entry angle, velocity, and meteoroid strength. Cosmogenic 14C analyses in two members of the Otway Massif pairing group yield a terrestrial age of 15.5 ± 1.5 kyr, which represents the time elapsed since this meteorite fell on Earth. The excellent preservation of an Antarctic meteorite strewn field suggests that the Otway Massif BIA represents a relatively stagnant blue ice field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision isotopic measurements of meteorites revealed that they are classified into non-carbonaceous (NC) and carbonaceous (CC) meteorites. One plausible scenario for achieving this grouping is the early formation of Jupiter, because massive planets can create gaps that suppress the mixing of dust across the gap in protoplanetary disks. However, the efficiency of this suppression by the gaps depends on dust size and the strength of turbulent diffusion, allowing some fraction of the dust particles to leak across the Jovian gap. In this study, we investigate how isotopic ratios of NC and CC meteorites are varied by the dust leaking across the Jovian gap in the solar nebula. To do this, we constructed a model to simulate the evolution of the dust size distribution and the |$^{54}$| Cr-isotopic anomaly |$\varepsilon ^{54}$| Cr in isotopically heterogeneous disks with Jupiter. Assuming that the parent bodies of NC and CC meteorites are formed in two dust-concentrated locations inside and outside Jupiter's orbit, referred to as the NC reservoir and the CC reservoir, we derive the temporal variation of |$\varepsilon ^{54}$| Cr at the NC and CC reservoirs. Our results indicate that substantial contamination from CC materials occurs at the NC reservoir in the fiducial run. Nevertheless, the values of |$\varepsilon ^{54}$| Cr at the NC reservoir and the CC reservoir in the run are still consistent with those of NC and CC meteorites formed around |$2\:$| Myr after the formation of calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (Sugiura & Fujiya 2014 , Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 49, 772). Moreover, this dust leakage causes a positive correlation between the |$\varepsilon ^{54}$| Cr value of NC meteorites and the accretion ages of their parent bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Meteosat Third Generation - Imager 1 satellite, launched on 13 December 2022, features the first Lightning Imager instrument, a high-speed optical camera providing near real-time lightning detection over Europe and Africa. This study demonstrates that signatures of fireballs (i.e. bright meteors) can be detected in Lightning Imager data. We describe a method to analyse this data to determine the timing, light signal, and trajectory of fireballs, highlighting the instrument's usefulness for bright meteor observation and proposing avenues for further research. By using known fireball locations and timings from external sources, the Lightning Imager data can be filtered to isolate 'lightning events' induced by the meteor. From this data set, the fireball light curve is computed by aggregating signal increases measured by instrument pixels. A trajectory is then deduced using a weighted average of pixel locations based on observed intensity. Three examples of fireballs detected by the Lightning Imager are presented, including a man-made meteor from space debris re-entry, with estimated timing, light curves, and trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper briefly discusses hypotheses about the nature of a centuries-old mysterious phenomenon, for which there is still no clear explanation. Its essence is that an observer, usually located at a distance of 50–100 km from a flying meteor body, sometimes hears sound simultaneously with its radiation. It seems that sound travels at the speed of light. Historically, the situation was such that it was only no more than sixty years ago that attempts to instrumentally study this unusual phenomenon began. The difficulty of these searches is also due to the fact that only a few percent of the total number of observed meteoroids have this property. About forty years ago it was discovered that meteoroids can emit electromagnetic pulses of varying duration and frequency composition. However, it turned out that this fact does not always have an unambiguous relationship to electrophonic phenomena. This paper provides a brief overview of the most meaningful hypotheses and experiments of past years. It is possible that this phenomenon is of a fundamental nature and its study can introduce previously unknown information into science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteor speed is crucial in identifying key astronomical aspects of the meteoroid environment, including the influx of meteoric material and the distribution of meteoric radiants. This study investigates diurnal and seasonal variations of meteor speed from April 2014 to December 2023 observed by the Mengcheng meteor radar (MCMR; 33.4°N, 116.3°E). In addition to the expected diurnal variation of meteor speed, azimuth peak, zenith peak, and the azimuthal direction of maximum meteor speed due to the Earth's rotation, where the meteor speed peaks northward in the local morning and shifts clockwise, we find that the meteor speed distribution resembles a superposition of two Gaussian distributions, with the lower (higher) distribution mainly ranging from 20 to 40 (45–65) km/s. The two speed peaks are estimated using a double‐Gaussian fitting approach. In terms of seasonal variation, we find that (a) the low‐speed peak indicates a semi‐annual variation cycle, with maxima in June–July and December–January, and minima in February and August; (b) the high‐speed peak indicates an annual variation cycle, with maxima in September–December and minima in March. There is also a correlation between the seasonal variations in the meteor speed peaks and the occurrence of meteor showers. Statistical analysis provides a map of seasonal variations in the intensity, duration, and timing of meteor shower activities, which is supplemental to previous shorter‐duration studies using backscatter meteor radar observations. We also find notable shower events where the meteor counts exceed 45%–97% of the background count on corresponding event dates and speeds. Plain Language Summary: Meteor speed plays a crucial role in understanding the quantity and distribution of meteoroids in our environment, yet there are limited observations and investigations conducted at mid‐latitudes. In this study, we utilized a meteor radar located in Mengcheng (in the northern lower middle latitudes) to investigate diurnal and seasonal variations in meteor speed from April 2014 to June 2023. Our findings revealed that meteor speed is generally faster in the morning and slower in the afternoon and evening, and the angle of arrival of meteors varies with local time. Additionally, we discovered that meteor speed exhibits two peaks, with the lower one at about 28 km/s and the higher one at 54 km/s. Seasonal changes indicated a semi‐annual variation cycle in the low‐speed peak and an annual variation cycle in the high‐speed peak. Furthermore, we observed several noteworthy meteor showers and their interannual variations. Key Points: The meteor speed peaks northward in the local morning and shifts clockwise to southward by local eveningMeteor speed distribution has two Gaussian peaks at ∼28 and ∼54 km/s, revealing semi‐annual and annual variation cycles respectivelyMajor meteor showers occur with 45%–97% higher counts than the background, and are associated with increases in the peak speeds [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock abundances on the Moon represent both an opportunity to understand the history of the surface and of the regolith and a hazard to lander missions. While rock erasure by meteoroid bombardment is known to modify rock size˗frequency distributions, the interplay between rock erasure and rock exposure by impact cratering, and the resulting net rock abundance, is not known. Leveraging a coupling between modeling and optical imagery from the lunar orbit, we calculate new rock lifetimes that consider the specific shattering energy and the fragments produced by boulder shattering. We find differences between the estimated and expected specific shattering energy (Qs*), likely suggesting incomplete understanding of the scaling of the shattering energy with velocity and size. We find that the decrease in rock abundances with time on crater ejecta occurs faster than previous estimates based on thermal infrared data. Plain Language Summary: The surface of the Moon is littered with floating rocks ranging in size from centimeters to decameters. These rootless rocks are formed by impact cratering and are reduced to fine grained soil through fragmentation by meteoroid bombardment. Here we combine a model of rock formation and fragmentation with measurements of rock sizes extracted from images obtained from an orbiting spacecraft. We look at the effects of repeated fragmentation events. This gives us a better idea of the energy required for rock erasure as well as the abundance of centimeter‐scale rocks. We obtain an improved estimate of the time it takes for rocks to produce soil around impact craters. Key Points: The specific shattering energy of lunar boulders is estimatedThe decrease in rock abundance with time is modeled around impact cratersThe rock size‐frequency distribution covering the decameter to centimeter scale is modeled [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astronomical impacts by small solar system bodies (meteoroids, asteroids, comets, and transitional objects) are considered a mechanism for delivering amino acids and their polymerization to proteins in early Earth conditions. High‐pressure torsion (HPT) is a new methodology to simulate such impacts and clarify the behavior of biomolecules. Herein, two amino acids, crystalline L‐serine and L‐glutamic acid that are detected in meteorites, are processed by HPT and examined by ex situ X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and in situ mechanical shear testing. No polymerization, chemical reactions, or phase transformations are detected after HPT, indicating that the stability and presence of these two amino acids in meteorites are quite reasonable. However, some microstructural and mechanical changes like crystal size reduction to the nanometer level, crystal defect formation, lattice expansion by vacancy formation, and shear strength enhancement to the steady state are found which are similar to the behaviors reported in metals and ceramics after HPT processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief review of theoretical studies of circumlunar dusty plasma, the important factors in the formation of which are electrostatic processes and impacts of micrometeoroids on the lunar surface, is given. Observation data of dust particles in the vicinity of the Moon, obtained within the "Luna-25" mission, are described for the first time. It is shown that there is at least one reliable observation of a dust particle either of lunar origin or associated with the high-speed Perseid stream. The need to improve the Lunar Dust Monitor device on the "Luna-27" lander is discussed. The improvement is associated with the need to install a rod for placing electrostatic sensors at a sufficient distance from the device, which is desirable to reduce disturbances of the surrounding plasma and the near-surface electrostatic field because of the influence of the lander. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the expected cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) of meteorites if they were to be ejected by a near‐Earth object, that is, from an object already transferred to an Earth‐crossing orbit by an orbital resonance. Specifically, we examine the CRE ages of CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), which have some of the shortest measured CRE ages of any meteorite type. A steady‐state near‐Earth carbonaceous meteoroid probability density function is estimated based on the low‐albedo near‐Earth asteroid population, including parameters such as the near‐Earth dynamic lifetime, the impact probability with the Earth, and the orbital parameters. This model was then compared to the orbits and CRE ages of the five CC falls with precisely measured orbits: Tagish Lake, Maribo, Sutter's Mill, Flensburg, and Winchcombe. The study examined two meteoroid ejection scenarios for CI/CM meteoroids: Main Belt collisions and ejections in near‐Earth space. The results indicated that applying a maximum physical lifetime in near‐Earth space of 2–10 Myr to meteoroids and eliminating events evolving onto orbits entirely detached from the Main Belt (Q < 1.78 au) significantly improved the agreement with the observed orbits of carbonaceous falls. Additionally, the CRE ages of three of the five carbonaceous falls have measured CRE ages one to three orders of magnitude shorter than expected for an object originating from the Main Belt with the corresponding semi‐major axis value. This discrepancy between the expected CRE ages from the model and the measured ages of three of the carbonaceous falls indicates that some CI/CM meteoroids are being ejected in near‐Earth space. This study proposes a nuanced hypothesis involving meteoroid impacts and tidal disruptions as significant contributors to the ejection and subsequent CRE age accumulation of CI/CM chondrites in near‐Earth space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lunar bases for long-term human habitation are a topic of growing interest to engineers. Structures to be built on the surface of the Moon must be designed to resist extreme environmental hazards such as hard vacuum/no atmosphere, low gravity, ionizing radiation, large temperature variations, moonquakes, and meteoroid impacts. Protective regolith covers may provide adequate shielding from some of these hazards. This paper presents a methodology that utilizes established physics-based models to determine the immediate effects of hypervelocity impacts (HVI), including crater geometry and shock pressure, for engineering design of lunar structures. First, empirical equations and nondimensional scaling laws for computing geometric features of HVI craters are discussed. These damage estimation tools are adopted from the fields of spacecraft design and planetary impact cratering. Next, the planar impact approximation model is discussed, which utilizes one-dimensional shock wave physics and impedance matching conditions to estimate the peak initial pressures generated in HVI. Comprehensive parametric analyses, encompassing a wide range of impact velocities and impactor masses as well as a variety of impactor and target materials, are performed to demonstrate applications of the models to both regolith-shielded and unshielded structures. Crater geometry descriptors and peak shock pressures in HVI scenarios involving various impactor-target combinations are computed with in-house programs and compared with computational results reported in the literature. The analyses indicate that for a given target, the main factors determining cratering damage are impactor mass, impactor density, and impact velocity, while the initial shock pressure is influenced mainly by impact velocity and impactor density. A comparison of impact pressures experienced by monolithic unshielded targets and granular dry sand layers highlights the potential importance of providing regolith-like shielding to attenuate HVI effects. Practical implications of the study are discussed from an engineering design perspective, underscoring the considerable value of such models to practitioners. Practical Applications: A practical methodology for determining cratering and peak shock pressure due to hypervelocity meteoroid impacts on unshielded and regolith-shielded lunar structures is proposed in this work. The methodology utilizes well-established physics-based models of hypervelocity impact effects. These models have several advantages that make them suitable for inclusion in lunar structural design guidelines: (1) the models presented are relatively simple yet realistic, empirical, and analytical models; (2) the models do not rely on computationally expensive numerical methods and have been successfully implemented using a commonly available scientific computing platform; and (3) the models consider several essential aspects of the complex physics of hypervelocity meteoroid impacts, which is essential to ensure accurate prediction of the immediate effects of such impacts for lunar structure design. Additionally, this work also includes a wide-ranging parametric analysis that explores and compares the predictions of the physics-based models from an engineering design perspective, encompassing a variety of impact scenarios and impactor-target combinations. The results highlight the practical importance of providing a protective shield, composed of a regolith-like granular material, to mitigate the peak shock pressure sustained by lunar structures in hypervelocity meteoroid impacts. The models, applications, and results presented herein are of immediate relevance to practicing engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 18 May 2024, a superbolide traversed the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, culminating its flight over the Atlantic Ocean and generating significant media attention. This event was caused by a weak carbonaceous meteoroid of 1 m, entering the atmosphere at 40.4 km s |$^{-1}$| with an average slope of 8.5 |$^\circ$|⁠. The luminous phase started at 133 km and ended at an altitude of 54 km. The meteoroid's heliocentric orbit had an inclination of 16.4 |$^\circ$|⁠ , a high eccentricity of 0.952, a semimajor axis of 2.4 au, and a short perihelion distance of 0.12 au. The superbolide was recorded by multiple ground-based stations of the Spanish Fireball and Meteorite Network and the European Space Agency, as well as by the U.S. Government sensors from space. Due to the absence of observable deceleration, we successfully reconciled satellite radiometric data with a purely dynamic atmospheric flight model, constraining the meteoroid's mass and coherently fitting its velocity profile. Our analysis shows a good agreement with the radiant and velocity data reported by the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, with a deviation of 0.56 |$^\circ$| and 0.1 km s |$^{-1}$|⁠ , respectively. The presence of detached fragments in the lower part of the luminous trajectory suggests that the meteoroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite, containing higher-strength macroscopic particles in its interior due to collisional gardening, or a thermally processed C-type asteroid. The orbital elements indicate that the most likely source is the Jupiter-Family Comet region, aligning with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory comet family, as its sunskirting orbit is decoupled from Jupiter. This event provides important information to characterize the disruption mechanism of near-Sun objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of modeling the entry of a meteoroid into the atmosphere and its interaction with it is considered. The motion, ablation, and energy deposition of a meteoroid or its fragments moving as a single body are modeled within the framework of meteor physics equations. The main parameter of these equations is the ablation parameter, equal to the ratio of the heat transfer coefficient to the effective heat of mass loss. Due to the lack of data from theoretical and experimental studies on the determination of the effective heat of ablation at high meteor velocities, its constant value is usually used in the literature. In this paper, it is proposed to use the effective heat of ablation variable along the trajectory, interpolating its value between the heat of evaporation and the heat of melting (or spallation), depending on the flight velocity. By numerically solving the meteor physics equations, we study the influence of the way of setting the effective heat of ablation and its uncertainty on the simulated characteristics: the meteoroid velocity, as well as the change in its mass and energy deposition along the trajectory and on the trajectory itself; and the inaccuracy in determining these characteristics is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space weathering is a primary factor in altering the composition and spectral characteristics of surface materials on airless planets. However, current research on space weathering focuses mainly on the Moon and certain types of asteroids. In particular, the impacts of meteoroids and micrometeoroids, radiation from solar wind/solar flares/cosmic rays, and thermal fatigue due to temperature variations are being studied. Space weathering produces various transformation products such as melted glass, amorphous layers, iron particles, vesicles, and solar wind water. These in turn lead to soil maturation, changes in visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra (weakening of characteristic absorption peaks, decreased reflectance, increased near-infrared slope), and alterations in magnetism (related to small iron particles), collectively termed the "lunar model" of space weathering transformation. Compared to the Moon and asteroids, Mercury has unique spatial environmental characteristics, including more intense meteoroid impacts and solar thermal radiation, as well as a weaker particle radiation environment due to the global distribution of its magnetic field. Therefore, the lunar model of space weathering may not apply to Mercury. Previous studies have extensively explored the effects of micrometeoroid impacts. Hence, this work focuses on the effects of solar-wind particle radiation in global magnetic-field distribution and on the weathering transformation of surface materials on Mercury under prolonged intense solar irradiation. Through the utilization of high-valence state, heavy ion implantation, and vacuum heating simulation experiments, this paper primarily investigates the weathering transformation characteristics of the major mineral components such as anorthite, pyroxene, and olivine on Mercury's surface and compares them to the weathering transformation model of the Moon. The experimental results indicate that ion implantation at room temperature is insufficient to generate np-Fe0 directly but can facilitate its formation, while prolonged exposure to solar thermal radiation on Mercury's surface can lead directly to the formation of np-Fe0. Therefore, intense solar thermal radiation is a crucial component of the unique space weathering transformation process on Mercury's surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report isotope data for C, N, Al, Si, and S of 33 presolar SiC and Si3N4 grains (0.3–1.6  |$\mu$| m) of Type X, C, D, and N from the Murchison CM2 meteorite of likely core-collapse supernova (CCSN) origin which we discuss together with data of six SiC X grains from an earlier study. The isotope data are discussed in the context of hydrogen ingestion supernova (SN) models. We have modified previously used ad-hoc mixing schemes in that we considered (i) heterogeneous H ingestion into the He shell of the pre-SN star, (ii) a variable C-N fractionation for the condensation of SiC grains in the SN ejecta, and (iii) smaller mass units for better fine-tuning. With our modified ad-hoc mixing approach over small scales (0.2–0.4 M⊙), with major contributions from the O-rich O/nova zone, we find remarkably good fits (within a few per cent) for 12C/13C, 26Al/27Al, and 29Si/28Si ratios. The 14N/15N ratio of SiC grains can be well matched if variable C-N fractionation is considered. However, the Si3N4 isotope data point to overproduction of 15N in hydrogen ingestion CCSN models and lower C-N fractionation during SiC condensation than applied here. Our ad-hoc mixing approach based on current CCSN models suggests that the O-rich O/nova zone, which uniquely combines explosive H- and He-burning signatures, is favourable for SiC and Si3N4 formation. The effective range of C/O abundance variations in the He shell triggered by H ingestion events in the massive star progenitor is currently not well constrained and needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. 46P/Wirtanen is a near-Earth comet (NEC) and several previous modeling works had predicted it would produce a meteor shower for the first time on December 12, 2023. Aims. We report the most comprehensive meteor radar observations of the λ-Sculptorid meteor shower produced by comet 46P/Wirtanen. These measurements are critical to constrain the mass distribution of the particles released by the comet as radars generally detect the smaller particle population of the shower. Methods. We utilized observations with the Southern Argentina Agile Meteor Radar-Orbital System (SAAMER-OS) ideally located in the southern hemisphere to detect this shower. Since the shower was predicted to produce very slow meteors, we used the same methodology applied for the Arid meteor shower. Results. As predicted, the shower peak was observed by SAAMER-OS on December 12, 2023 (λ0 = 259.73°) at 0900 UTC, with a Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) peak value of ~2.5 m h−1. Most of the activity of the shower was observed during 2 h between 0730-0930 UTC. The observed mean radiant of the shower in Sun-centered ecliptic coordinates is located at λ − λ0 = 88.9° and β = −36.6°. Our results suggest that the particles detected by SAAMER-OS are in general larger than those for which thermal equilibrium can be assumed (>3 mg) in agreement with the conclusions of previous reports using video observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of the Near-Earth objects Lunar Impacts and Optical TrAnsients (NELIOTA) campaign for lunar impact flashes observed with the 1.2 m Kryoneri telescope. From August 2019 to August 2023, we report 113 validated and 70 suspected flashes. For the validated flashes, we calculate the physical parameters (masses, radii) of the corresponding projectiles, the temperatures developed during the impacts, and the expected crater sizes. For the multiframe flashes, we present light curves and thermal evolution plots. Using the whole sample of NELIOTA that encompasses 192 validated flashes in total from 2017, the statistics of the physical parameters of the meteoroids, the peak temperatures of the impacts, and the expected crater sizes has been updated. Using this large sample, empirical relations correlating the luminous energies per photometric band were derived and used to roughly estimate the parameters of 92 suspected flashes of the NELIOTA archive. For a typical value of the luminous efficiency, we found that the majority (>75%) of the impacting meteoroids have masses between 1 and 200 g, radii between 0.5 and 3 cm and produced craters up to 3.5 m. 85% of the peak temperatures of the impacts range between 2000 and 4500 K. Statistics regarding the magnitude decline and the cooling rates of the multiframe flashes are also presented. The recalculation of the appearance frequency of meteoroids (lying within the aforementioned ranges of physical parameters) on the Moon yields that the total lunar surface is bombarded with 7.4 sporadic meteoroids per hour and up to 12.6 meteoroids per hour when the Earth-Moon system passes through a strong meteoroid stream. By extrapolating these rates on Earth, the respective rates for various distances from its surface are calculated and used to estimate the probability of an impact of a meteoroid with a hypothetical infrastructure on the Moon, or with a satellite orbiting Earth for various impact surfaces and duration times of the missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a nearly 2‐year long campaign to detect and analyze meteor persistent trains (PTs)—self‐emitting phenomena which can linger up to an hour after their parent meteor. The modern understanding of PTs has been primarily developed from the Leonid storms at the turn of the century; our goal was to assess the validity of these conclusions using a diverse sample of meteors with a wide range of velocities and magnitudes. To this end, year‐round observations were recorded by the Widefield Persistent Train camera, 2nd edition (WiPT2) and were passed through a pipeline to filter out airplanes and flag potential meteors. These were classified by visual inspection based on the presence and duration of trains. Observed meteors were cross‐referenced with the Global Meteor Network (GMN) database, which independently detects and calculates meteor parameters, enabling statistical analysis of PT‐leaving meteors. There were 4,726 meteors codetected by the GMN, with 636 of these leaving trains. Among these were a large population of slow, dim meteors that left PTs; these slower meteors had a greater train production rate relative to their faster counterparts. Unlike prior research, we did not find a clear magnitude cutoff or a strong association with fast meteor showers. Additionally, we note several interesting trends not previously reported, which include PT eligibility being primarily determined by a meteor's terminal height and an apparent dynamical origin dependence that likely reflects physical meteoroid properties. Key Points: New observations of meteor persistent trains (PTs) are not consistent with many of the previous assumptionsMost PTs were left by relatively slow and dim meteors which are traditionally not expected to produce themWe found that meteor properties such as terminal altitude and dynamical origin affect the likelihood that PTs develop [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ion-acoustic instability in the tails of meteoroids as a result of their passage through the Earth's atmosphere is studied and the conditions under which it develops are given. The development of this instability occurs as a result of the relative motion of the plasma of meteoroid tails and the dusty plasma of the Earth's ionosphere. Dust, in turn, creates conditions when this instability can develop in a situation of approximately equal ion and electron temperatures, which is observed in the plasma–dust system under consideration. The mechanism of the excitation of ion-sound waves as a result of the development of the ion-acoustic instability in meteoroid tails is shown. The growth rates of the ion-acoustic instability and the characteristic times of its development are found. It is shown that the instability has time to develop during the time of passage of a meteoroid body in the Earth's atmosphere and the formation of a meteoroid trail, which has values much greater than the time of development of ion-acoustic instability in the system under consideration. The wave vectors and velocities of meteoric bodies, at which the development of the ion-acoustic instability is expected, are found. It is noted that the instability can reach a nonlinear regime at possible large wave amplitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge disproportionation of ferrous iron has been considered as one of the mechanisms for the formation of metallic iron on the lunar surface. However, the detailed mechanism of the disproportionation reaction on the Moon is yet to be elucidated. We provide direct evidence for the ferrous disproportionation reaction that produces nano phase metallic iron (npFe0) during a rapid cooling process after splash melting from a lunar sample returned by China's Chang'e‐5 mission. Space weathering processes have resulted in the formation of three distinct zones at the rim of a pyroxene fragment, as observed through transmission electron microscopy. These zones, made up of splashed melts, newly formed melts from the substrate, and the mineral, are distinguished as I, II, and III. Quantitative analyses of the iron valence state by electron energy loss spectroscopy show that disproportionation reactions occurred in zone II at a low temperature of <570°C during a rapid cooling process. The reaction led to the production of α‐structure npFe0 and Fe3+ reserve in the glass phase. The npFe0 produced by the disproportionation reaction has a larger grain size than those formed from solar wind irradiation, implying that micrometeoroid impacts mainly contribute to the darkening of visible and near‐infrared reflectance. These findings reveal a novel rim structure by repeated space weathering and a universal formation mechanism of npFe0 during micrometeoroid impacts, suggesting that the disproportionation reaction could be widespread on airless bodies with impact‐induced splash processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of the Ischgl meteorite unfolded in a captivating manner. In June 1976, a pristine meteorite stone weighing approximately 1 kg, fully covered with a fresh black fusion crust, was collected on a mountain road in the high‐altitude Alpine environment. The recovery took place while clearing the remnants of a snow avalanche, 2 km northwest of the town of Ischgl in Austria. Subsequent to its retrieval, the specimen remained tucked away in the finder's private residence without undergoing any scientific examination or identification until 2008, when it was brought to the University of Innsbruck. Upon evaluation, the sample was classified as a well‐preserved LL6 chondrite, with a W0 weathering grade, implying a relatively short time between the meteorite fall and its retrieval. To investigate the potential connection between the Ischgl meteorite and a recorded fireball event, we have reviewed all documented fireballs ever photographed by German fireball camera stations. This examination led us to identify the fireball EN241170 observed in Germany by 10 different European Network stations on the night of November 23/24, 1970, as the most likely candidate. We employed state‐of‐the‐art techniques to reconstruct the fireball's trajectory and to reproduce both its luminous and dark flight phases in detail. We find that the determined strewn field and the generated heat map closely align with the recovery location of the Ischgl meteorite. Furthermore, the measured radionuclide data reported here indicate that the pre‐atmospheric size of the Ischgl meteoroid is consistent with the mass estimate inferred from our deceleration analysis along the trajectory. Our findings strongly support the conclusion that the Ischgl meteorite originated from the EN241170 fireball, effectively establishing it as a confirmed meteorite fall. This discovery enables to determine, along with the physical properties, also the heliocentric orbit and cosmic history of the Ischgl meteorite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potentially hazardous asteroid 99942 Apophis will have a very close approach to the Earth in 2029. The encounter on its own may provide measurements of Earth's effects on Apophis' surface and also contribute to the improvement of some physical characteristics of the asteroid. In a previous work, we assumed the existence of a hypothetical disc of particles around Apophis before the 2029 encounter, and identified the particles that would escape from the gravity domain of Apophis due to the Earth's gravitational perturbation during the close encounter. In the current work, we investigate the possibility of a meteor activity originating from this event. We study the orbital evolution of these particles computing the MOIDs of the particles with respect to the Earth for the following 200 yr. Our results are not favourable for a meteor activity on Earth. However, a meteoroid activity on the Moon might happen during the encircling period after 88 yr of the 2029 encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the directional distribution of extraterrestrial objects (meteors, fireballs) impacting Earth's surface and forming craters. It also introduces a novel directional statistical mixture model to analyze their falls, validated through rigorous testing. First, we address whether these falls follow non-uniform directional patterns by explicitly employing directional statistical tools for analysing such data. Using projection techniques for longitude and latitude and more importantly, a general spherical statistical approach, we statistically investigate the suitability of the von Mises distribution and its spherical version, the von Mises–Fisher distribution, (a maximum entropy distribution for directional data). Moreover, leveraging extensive data sets encompassing meteor falls, fireball showers, and craters, we propose and validate a novel mixture von Mises–Fisher model for comprehensively analysing extraterrestrial object falls. Our study reveals distinct statistical characteristics across data sets: fireball falls exhibit non-uniformity, while meteor craters suggest a potential for both uniform and von Mises distributions with a preference for the latter after further refinement. Meteor landings deviate from a single-directional maximum entropic distribution; we demonstrate the effectiveness of an optimal 13-component mixture von Mises–Fisher distribution for accurate modelling. Similar analyses resulted in 3- and 6-component partitions for fireball and crater data sets. This research presents valuable insights into the spatial patterns and directional statistical distribution models governing extraterrestrial objects' fall on Earth, useful for various future works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ulysses spacecraft was launched in 1990 and, after a Jupiter swing-by in 1992, became the first interplanetary spacecraft orbiting the Sun on a highly inclined trajectory with an inclination of 79∘. The spacecraft was equipped with an impact ionization dust detector which provided 17 years of in situ dust measurements in interplanetary space from 1990 to 2007. Cometary meteoroid streams (also referred to as trails) exist along the orbits of comets, forming fine structures of the interplanetary dust cloud. We use the Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration (IMEX) dust streams in space model (Soja RH et al. 2015 Characteristics of the dust trail of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: an application of the IMEX model. Astron. Astrophys.583, A18. (doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201526184)) to predict cometary stream traverses by Ulysses and re-analyse the Ulysses dust dataset in order to identify impacts of cometary stream particles detected during such trail traverses. We identify 19 particles compatible with three Ulysses trail traverses on 12 March 1995, 25–27 April 2001 and 16–19 May 2001. The particle origin is compatible with up to five comets, i.e. 10P/Tempel 2, 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR, 267P/LONEOS and possibly 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková and P/1999 RO28 (LONEOS). We find a dust spatial density in these trails of approximately 2−7⋅10−8m−3. The radii of the detected cometary stream particles derived from the dust instrument calibration are in the micrometre range. The in situ analysis of meteoroid trail particles in space, which can be traced back to their source bodies, opens a new opportunity for remote compositional analysis of comets and asteroids without the necessity to send a spacecraft to or even land on these celestial bodies, opening new opportunities for future space missions equipped with in situ dust analyzers. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure of the Hubble Space Telescope to space in low Earth orbit resulted in numerous hypervelocity impacts by cosmic dust (micrometeoroids) and anthropogenic particles (orbital debris) on the solar arrays and the radiator shield of the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, both subsequently returned to Earth. Solar cells preserve residues from smaller cosmic dust (and orbital debris) but give less reliable information from larger particles. Here, we present images and analyses from electron, ion and X-ray fluorescence microscopes for larger impact features (millimetre- to centimetre-scale) on the radiator shield. Validated by laboratory experiments, these allow interpretation of composition, probable origin and likely dimensions of the larger impactors. The majority (~90%) of impacts by grains greater than 50 μm in size were made by micrometeoroids, dominated by magnesium- and iron-rich silicates and iron sulfides, metallic iron-nickel and chromium-rich spinel similar to that in ordinary chondrite meteorites of asteroid origin. Our re-evaluation of the largest impact features shows substantially fewer large orbital debris impacts than reported by earlier authors. Mismatch to the NASA ORDEM and ESA MASTER models of particle populations in orbit may be partly due to model overestimation of orbital debris flux and underestimation of larger micrometeoroid numbers. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical dependences of orbit parameters in four groups of sungrazing comets are studied. It is shown that the perihelia of comets of the Kreutz family are clustered around two planes (great circles of the celestial sphere). Numerical data on the observed bifurcation of perihelion distribution are provided. One of the planes basically coincides with the plane obtained by averaging orbit parameters Ω and i. The second plane with parameters Ωp = 77.7° and ip = 266.1° has an inclination of approximately 64° relative to the first plane. The distant nodes of cometary orbits relative to this plane are clustered at a distance of approximately 2 a.u. On the basis of the above, one of the authors hypothesizes that the comet group originates from the collision of a large comet with a meteoroid stream. This study examines some counterarguments expressed regarding this hypothesis. It is shown, based on a particular case, that the assumptions about the concentration of comet perihelia near one point and along two circles of the celestial sphere are quite compatible. The distribution of orbit inclinations relative to this plane is analyzed and a sharp maximum near 90° is noted. The maximum indicates that the parent body experienced lateral impacts of meteoroid bodies in all probability, which caused defragmentation of the former. New confirmations of the suggested hypothesis about the presence of another group of sungrazers have been found. It is assumed that the correlation dependence between the values of the perihelion parameters and ascending nodes of cometary orbits is of an evolutionary nature and is related to the group formation process. New relationships that concern the Meyer, Kracht, and Marsden groups are introduced. In particular, the authors have calculated the planes near which the cometary perihelia of these groups are concentrated. The example of the Meyer group illustrates the bifurcation of perihelia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical and experimental study of the geomagnetic effect of cosmic bodies remains an urgent problem. This is especially true for meter-sized meteoroids, for which the very existence of the magnetic effect remains in question. The purpose of this article is to present the results of the analysis of temporal variations of the X-, Y-, and Z-components of the geomagnetic field detected by the International Real-time Magnetic Observatory Network (INTERMAGNET) on the day of the Kyiv meteoroid fall and on reference days. The analysis of temporal variations has shown that the levels of these components on the day of the cosmic body explosion and on reference days were significantly different. The level of X-component with a 6 min delay decreased by 2...5 nT, which lasted approximately 60 min. With a delay of 25 min and a duration of 25 min, a quasi-periodic disturbance was observed with a variable period within 4...12 min and an amplitude increasing from 0.3...0.4 to 1.2...1.5 nT. The first disturbance, which had a speed of approximately 300 m/s, could have been caused by a blast wave. The second disturbance was most likely associated with the generation and oblique propagation of an atmospheric gravity wave with a speed of hundreds of meters per second. Within the ionosphere, the disturbance propagated at a speed of approximately 660 km/s by means of magnetohydrodynamic waves. The temporal variations of the Y- and Z-components on the day of the explosion fluctuated for 60 min and decreased by 5...10 nT. The mechanism of long-lasting disturbances of these components remains unknown. It is likely that it could be related to the diamagnetic effect. There are reasons to believe that meter-sized cosmic bodies can cause the detected magnetic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD) travelling at extremely high velocities in space are a threat to the structural integrity of spacecrafts in the Low Earth Orbit. Whipple shield, consisting of a Bumper and a Rear Wall, with a stand-off distance in between, is widely used to protect spacecrafts from hypervelocity MMOD impacts. In this paper, we present numerical simulations of a set of well-known hypervelocity impact (HVI) experiments on aluminium-based Whipple shields reported in the literature. These simulations are conducted using the three-dimensional Lagrangian Finite Element Method in ABAQUS/Explicit software. In six out of the seven tests reported in the literature, the Whipple shield failed due to a detached spall from the back surface of the Rear Wall, while in the seventh test, the spall was not detached. The present work successfully replicates and favourably compares the failure mechanisms observed in these Whipple shields to the corresponding experimental results. Various critical aspects of the Whipple shield's failure mechanics and mechanisms are investigated. These include impact pressure on the projectile, Bumper and Rear Wall, Bumper hole diameter, temperature rise, and residual velocity of debris particles and spalled fragments. The predicted ballistic limit of the Whipple shield falls between 2.54 mm and 3.18 mm of Rear Wall thickness in excellent agreement with the experimental results reported in the literature. The present work provides valuable insights into Whipple shield performance. The developed methodology could be employed to optimize shield design through predictive simulations, thereby improving spacecraft protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-standing problem in meteor science has been the persistent presence of bias in the measured value of atmospheric scale heights obtained from radio meteor echoes. A common practice of fitting a linear function for bias correction follows the assumption that the systematic bias is devoid of seasonal asymmetry. This would be true if the mass and the velocity distribution of meteoroids remain invariant, both spatially and temporally. But so far no such convincing evidence has been published. On the contrary, fundamental arguments suggest that a universal mass function of radio meteoroids is counterintuitive. This parameter cannot remain invariant due to the intrinsic variability in the meteor response function resulting from the Earth's motion on the plane of ecliptic. In this paper, we show that an inverse relation exists between the width of meteor height distribution, expressed in unit of atmospheric scale height, and the exponent of the mass function. The overall mean of this exponent for the Sodankylä radar is |$1.91 \pm 0.02$|⁠ , modulated by a seasonal variation from the mean of the order of |$\sim \pm 0.1$|⁠. The stated inverse relation is applied to correct for the effect of mass distribution on the height distribution. Allowing for variable mass correction effectively removes the non-linear bias in the measured scale heights in the meteor ionization region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 28, 2021, a fireball dropped ∼0.6 kg of recovered CM2 carbonaceous chondrite meteorites in South‐West England near the town of Winchcombe. We reconstruct the fireball's atmospheric trajectory, light curve, fragmentation behavior, and pre‐atmospheric orbit from optical records contributed by five networks. The progenitor meteoroid was three orders of magnitude less massive (∼13 kg) than any previously observed carbonaceous fall. The Winchcombe meteorite survived entry because it was exposed to a very low peak atmospheric dynamic pressure (∼0.6 MPa) due to a fortuitous combination of entry parameters, notably low velocity (13.9 km s−1). A near‐catastrophic fragmentation at ∼0.07 MPa points to the body's fragility. Low entry speeds which cause low peak dynamic pressures are likely necessary conditions for a small carbonaceous meteoroid to survive atmospheric entry, strongly constraining the radiant direction to the general antapex direction. Orbital integrations show that the meteoroid was injected into the near‐Earth region ∼0.08 Myr ago and it never had a perihelion distance smaller than ∼0.7 AU, while other CM2 meteorites with known orbits approached the Sun closer (∼0.5 AU) and were heated to at least 100 K higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Winchcombe meteorite is a CM chondrite breccia composed of eight distinct lithological units plus a cataclastic matrix. The degree of aqueous alteration varies between intensely altered CM2.0 and moderately altered CM2.6. Although no lithology dominates, three heavily altered rock types (CM2.1–2.3) represent >70 area%. Tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths (TCIs) are common in several lithologies. Their compositions can vary significantly, even within a single lithology, which can prevent a clear assessment of alteration extent if only TCI composition is considered. We suggest that this is due to early alteration under localized geochemical microenvironments creating a diversity of compositions and because later reprocessing was incomplete, leaving a record of the parent body's fluid history. In Winchcombe, the fragments of primary accretionary rock are held within a cataclastic matrix (~15 area%). This material is impact‐derived fallback debris. Its grain size and texture suggest that the disruption of the original parent asteroid responded by intergranular fracture at grain sizes <100 μm, while larger phases, such as whole chondrules, splintered apart. Re‐accretion formed a poorly lithified body. During atmospheric entry, the Winchcombe meteoroid broke apart with new fractures preferentially cutting through the weaker cataclastic matrix and separating the breccia into its component clasts. The strength of the cataclastic matrix imparts a control on the survival of CM chondrite meteoroids. Winchcombe's unweathered state and diversity of lithologies make it an ideal sample for exploring the geological history of the CM chondrite group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical properties of ten millimetre-sized meteoroids from the Southern Delta Aquariids (SDA) shower are derived using optical observations from the Canadian Automated Meteor Observatory between 2020 and 2023. The meteors are found to ablate in two distinct erosion stages, the second stage showing a single, bright leading fragment. Our modelling interprets these observations as evidence for equal masses of compact grains embedded in a porous, low density matrix. The average bulk density of SDA meteors is found to be 1420 ± 100   |$\rm {kg \ m^{-3}}$|⁠ , with the compact component having a density of 2310 ± 160 |$\rm {kg \ m^{-3}}$| and the porous component a density of 700 ± 110   |$\rm {kg \ m^{-3}}$|⁠. The high bulk density of SDA meteors is comparable to densities found for the Quadrantid and Geminid showers, both of which also have low perihelion distances. This suggests that thermal desorption may play a significant role in the processing of meteoroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, over three thousand meteor spectra recorded in Saitama, Japan, between 2018 and 2021 are analysed. We performed a principal component analysis of the intensity of the sodium and magnesium lines and the iron band of each meteor in combination with the orbital elements and the kinematic parameters such as the geocentric velocity and the initial and final altitudes to determine the relative importance of each of these variables in the composition of a meteor's spectrum. We found that for meteor showers such as GEM, LEO, QUA, and PER, the orbital elements or kinematic parameters are important parameters that determine the intensity of these spectral lines, which could indicate the influence of gravitational and/or non-gravitational forces in distinguishing the composition or variations in the strength of the meteoroid material in each meteor shower. The normal spectral type in our sample ranges from 39.5 per cent to 96.8 per cent, corresponding to GEM and PER, respectively. The COM meteors have a similar sodium content to the components of the LEO and PER showers, suggesting a comet as a possible parent body. The sodium and magnesium content of the iron-class meteoroids is the lowest of all our samples, but it is not zero, suggesting that there are no pure iron meteoroids. The sodium content of the GEM meteor shower shows temporal variations in 2021 compared to the 2019 and 2020 observing seasons. We found no correlation between the sodium content and the perihelion distance for other meteor showers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical analysis of samples of the orbits of celestial bodies is complicated by the fact that the Keplerian orbit is a multidimensional object, the coordinate representation of which non-linearly depends on the choice of orbital elements. In this work, using the construction of the Fréchet mean, concepts of mean orbit and dispersion of the orbit family are introduced, consistent with the distance function on the orbit set. The introduced statistical characteristics serve as analogues of sample mean and variance of a one-dimensional random variable. Exact formulas for calculating the elements of mean orbits and dispersion quantities with respect to two metrics on the orbit space are derived. For a large sample of meteoroid orbits from the Geminid stream, numerical simulations of orbit evolution over 20 000 yr in the past were conducted. By analysing the dependency of statistical characteristics on time, estimates for the age of the stream and the gas outflow velocity are obtained under the assumption of the birth of the Geminids due to the rapid destruction of the cometary nucleus. The estimate of the age of the stream lies in the interval from 1200 to 2400 yr, and the speed of gas outflow at perihelion should have been more than 1.2 km s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lunar impact flash (LIF) observations typically occur in R, I , or unfiltered light, and are only possible during night, targeting the night side of a 10–60 per cent illumination Moon, while >10° above the observers horizon. This severely limits the potential to observe, and therefore the number of lower occurrence, high energy impacts observed is reduced. By shifting from the typically used wavelengths to the J -band short-wave infrared, the greater spectral radiance for the most common temperature (2750 K) of LIFs and darker skies at these wavelengths enables LIF monitoring to occur during the daytime, and at greater lunar illumination phases than currently possible. Using a 40.0 cm f /4.5 Newtonian reflector with a Ninox 640SU camera and a J -band filter, we observed several stars and lunar nightside at various times to assess the theoretical limits of the system. We then performed LIF observations during both day and night to maximize the chances of observing a confirmed LIF to verify the methods. We detected 61 > 5σ events, from which 33 candidate LIF events could not be discounted as false positives. One event was confirmed by multiframe detection, and by independent observers observing in visible light. While this LIF was observed during the night, the observed signal can be used to calculate the equivalent signal-to-noise ratio for a similar daytime event. The threshold for daylight LIF detection was found to be between J mag = +3.4 ± 0.18 and J mag = +5.6 ± 0.18 (equivalent to V mag = +4.5 and V mag = +6.7, respectively, at 2750 K). This represents an increase in opportunity to observe LIFs by almost 500 per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hera mission will arrive at the Didymos system to study the efficiency of momentum transfer and to further investigate the binary system in great detail after the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impact. We took advantage of two online data bases of meteorites spectra and of recent Didymos spectra taken before and after the DART impact. We performed the first selection based on the comparison of the band centre values of the silicate absorption bands (localized at 1 and 2  μ m) between Didymos and the meteorites. The second selection was made defining a four-dimensional space parameter whose dimensions were the band depth and the slope of the two bands, normalized to Didymos values. We introduced a distance measure to find the closest meteorites to Didymos in this space. Finally, we made the last selection based on other criteria, such as the presence of different spectra of the same meteorite, the presence of different spectra from different data bases, and the comparison with the literature. The result of this work is a list of six meteorites that are the most analogous to Didymos system. We also found out that Didymos is most probably mainly composed of L/LL ordinary chondrites, with a preference for the LL sub-type. From our list of meteorites, we were able to estimate the normalized abundance of olivine and pyroxene of Didymos. Finally, a match between Didymos and OC meteorites was also found in the Mid-InfraRed (MIR) range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total mass flux due to meteoric input is not well constrained and estimates vary greatly depending on the measurement technique used. The source of this discrepancy remains an open question in the field. Previous studies investigating the discrepancy by directly comparing mass estimates made using two techniques have been limited by extremely small sample sizes. This work presents a set of 166 meteors observed simultaneously by the MAARSY radar (53.5 MHz) and two nearby optical cameras. Independent masses are estimated using observations from both systems and compared against each other. The resulting mass estimates using both methods agree to within a factor of three on average. The results show two dominant trends: better agreement as meteoroid velocity increases and underestimation of the radar mass for the largest meteoroids observed (>10 mg). These trends had not been quantified by previous studies limited by very small sample sizes, and could help to explain the historic discrepancy between mass estimates by different systems. The general agreement between the radar and photometric masses indicates that both methods perform well independently, and can reliably be applied to radar or optical observations without restriction of simultaneous observations by two systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the complexity and importance of developing a method of calibrating digital observations of meteor spectra with all-sky cameras. It aims to present novel approaches to spectral sensitivity, atmospheric extinction and flat-field corrections. Images of a known line emission spectrum were captured at various positions within the field of view using a camera with a fish-eye lens and plastic holographic grating. The flat-field correction was separated into a wavelength-independent and wavelength-dependent component, both dependent on the position of the spectral line in the field of view (FoV). Total profile intensities of spectra obtained from the images were compared throughout the spectral range at different positions in the FoV. The flat-field was constructed by fitting those dependencies with high-degree polynomial functions. Using a simplified atmospheric model, a novel approach was constructed to determine the atmospheric extinction curve throughout the spectral range, allowing it to be separately considered from the spectral sensitivity which was previously not the case. A comparison of the newly developed and previously used methodology was tested on several meteor spectra of the same meteor captured from different stations of the European Fireball Network. It revealed a significantly improved correspondence of the analysed spectra in the part of the spectral range unaffected by the limitations imposed by the newly developed methodology. Failing to follow the correct calibration methodology precisely may introduce varying degrees of uncertainty in computations of elemental abundances and other physical properties, depending on the equipment’s specific effect magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an introductory review of modern meteor radar and its application to the measurement of the dynamical parameters of the Mesosphere Lower Thermosphere (MLT) Region within the altitude range of around 70 to 110 km, which is where most meteors are detected. We take a historical approach, following the development of meteor radar for studies of the MLT from the time of their development after the Second World War until the present. The application of the meteor radar technique is closely aligned with their ability to make contributions to Meteor Astronomy in that they can determine meteor radiants, and measure meteoroid velocities and orbits, and so these aspects are noted when required. Meteor radar capabilities now extend to measurements of temperature and density in the MLT region and show potential to be extended to ionospheric studies. New meteor radar networks are commencing operation, and this heralds a new area of investigation as the horizontal spatial variation of the upper-atmosphere wind over an extended area is becoming available for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]