Abstract
The present study demonstrates that measurement errors may significantly change meteor nominal orbital parameters and may create spurious meteoroid orbits, which can lead to a distortion of the true meteoroid populations. We tested the dependence of the heliocentric orbital elements on the reduced meteor data, the pre-atmospheric velocity and the position of the radiant, using a simple model of the geometry of a meteoroid’s encounter with the Earth. A simulated change of 1 deg in the radiant position and 1 km s−1 in the pre-atmospheric velocity of a geminid-kind of meteoroid gave a dispersion of ± 0.01 au in its perihelion distance and ± 2 deg in its inclination. A simulated positive error of 1 km s−1 in the pre-atmospheric velocity applied to a typical perseid-type test particle produced orbits of which more than one third were hyperbolic.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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
