Abstract

The well-known associations of meteor streams with periodic comets and the probable cometary origin of the zodiacal dust cloud point to the importance, in the cometarg debris, of particles with masses exceeding roughly 10-6 gram. It is shown that these large particles dominate in the sunward-oriented anomalous tails of comets. Their study is essential for meaningful estimates of the mass of meteor streams and of the injection rate of the cometary debris that contributes to the zodiacal cloud. Favorable conditions for the detection of anomalous tails can be recognized in advance, as demonstrated by the successful predictions for comets Kohoutek (1973 XII) and Bradfield (1975p). To answer the question as to whether short-period comets can support the zodiacal cloud, a study of anomalous tails at future returns of these comets is considered indispensable.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.