Meteor light curves: the relevant parameters

Abstract

We investigate a uniform sample of 113 light curves of meteors collected at the Wise Observatory in 2002 November during a campaign to observe the Leonid meteor shower. We use previously defined descriptors, such as the classical skewness parameter F and a recently defined pointedness variable P, along with a number of other measurable or derived quantities, in order to explore the parameter space in search of meaningful light curve descriptors. In comparison with previous publications, we make extensive use of statistical techniques to reveal links among the various parameters and to understand their relative importance. In particular, we show that meteors with long‐duration trails rise slowly to their maximal brightness and also decay slowly from the peak, while showing milder flaring than other meteors. Early skewed meteors, with their peak brightness in the first half of the light curve, show a fast rise to the peak. We show that the duration of the luminous phase of the meteor is the most important variable differentiating among the 2002 meteor trails. The skewness parameter F, which is widely used in meteor light curve analyses, appears only as the second or third in order of importance in explaining the variance among the observed light curves, with the most important parameter being related to the duration of the meteor light‐producing phase. We suggest that the pointedness parameter P could possibly be useful in describing differences among meteor showers, perhaps by being related to the different compositions of meteoroids, and also in comparing observations to model light curves. We compare the derived characteristics of the 2002 meteors with model predictions and conclude that more work is required to define a consistent set of measurable and derived light‐curve parameters that would characterize the light production from meteors. We suggest that meteor observers should consider publishing more characterizing parameters from the light curves they collect. Theorists describing the light production from meteors should present their results in a form more compatible with observations.