Orbital dispersion of comet Encke's meteoroids

Abstract

The orbital evolution of model meteoroids ejected from the comet Encke has been investigated. The particles abandon the mother body with velocities 20 and 40 ms-1 perihelion within the interval of the past 10,000 years. Their 10,000 years old osculating orbits were numerically integrated forward, using a dynamical model of the solar system consisting of all planets. Forces from solar electromagnetic and corpuscular radiation effecting the particles are considered, too. Orbital dispersions of the model meteoroids are presented. The importance of nongravitational forces for a long-term orbital evolution of meteoroid streams is shown.