Search for pairs and groups in the 2006 Geminid meteor shower

Abstract

Context. The existence of pairs and groups of meteors during meteor showers has been an open question for a long time. The double-station video observation of the 2006 Geminid meteor shower, one of the most active annual showers, is used for the search of such events. Aims. The goal of the paper is to determine whether the observed pairs of Geminid meteors are real events or cases of random coincidence. Methods. The atmospheric trajectories of the observed meteors, photometric masses, and both time and spatial distances of meteoroids in the atmosphere were determined using a double-station video observation. The time gaps between them were analysed statistically. The Monte Carlo simulation was used for the determination of the probability of random pairings. Results. A higher than expected number of candidates for pairs was found among 2006 Geminids. An evaluation of the Poisson distribution shows that a significant fraction of them may be real cases. However, the Monte Carlo simulation did not confirm this result and provided a different view. Analysis of geometrical positions of candidate pairs also did not support the presence of real pairs and groups. Although we cannot exclude that some of them may be physically connected pairs, all the observed cases can be explained as the coincidental appearance of unrelated meteors.