1. Meteor Research in the Research and Scientific Support Department (RSSD) of ESA D. Koschny, F. Bettonvil, H. Svedhem, J. Mc Auliffe, M. Gritsevich, H. Smit, C. Erd, C. v. d. Luijt
Keplerlaan 1, Postbus AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
+ Astronomical Institute Utrecht, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht
Cameras Status SILBO The Virtual Meteor Observatory (VMO)
Recent research – ATV, Perseid campaign, impact light, ablation models…
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

2. Introduction - 2 Why are we interested in meteors?
Dust particles from comets/asteroids enter Earth’s atmosphere -> meteor
Counts vs. brightness -> particle flux vs. size
Light curves -> physical properties
Spectra -> chemical properties
Orbit -> parent object
Determining meteoroid properties allows constraining the properties of the parent object – ‘Meteor observations are a poor man’s comet mission’
UMi
Perseid meteor 12/13 Aug 2009 recorded with LIC1, Kanzelhohe, Austria
Mg 518
Na 589
Zero order
O 777
Star spectrum
SPOSH image, Quadrantids 2008, with objective grating
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

3. Cameras Different intensified cameras
Currently in use for IMO network: LIC4, intensified with XX1332 intensifiers + currently with Zeiss Planar 50 mm lens
Watec 120N (mainly used for s/w testing)
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

4. (*): SILBO = Spanish Island Long Baseline Observatory
Status SILBO (*)
Scientific goals
(a) To study physical and chemical properties of the meteoroids, and, taking into account the modifications of the meteoroid properties during their flight in the solar system, constrain the physical and chemical properties of their parent body.
(b) To study the variability of the background dust flux in the Earth environment during a complete year.
How is it done?
Orbit determination
Lightcurves
Spectra
(*): SILBO = Spanish Island Long Baseline Observatory
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

5. Automatic roll-off roof (Pier-Tech)
Status SILBO - 2
Produced automation software
Supported MetRec port to Windows
Currently setting up hardware
Automatic roll-off roof (Pier-Tech)
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

6. Virtual Meteor Observatory (VMO)
See
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

7. Recent research - ATV
Two of our cameras were used from airplanes to observe the ATV reentry in Sep 2008
Allowed us to validate our meteor trajectory code
ATV breaking apart. The vertical dots are reflections in the window – the trail to the right are real fragments!
Jonathan + Christina Giannopapa (TEC)
The SPOSH camera head
The DC8 airplane in which Jonathan flew
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

8. Reference height ( derived from GPS data)
ATV - 2
Reference height ( derived from GPS data)
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

9. Still dreaming of a meteor camera in space
SPOSH (Smart Panoramic Camera Head) was developed under ESA contract to demonstrate a space-based ‘night-time imager’
An IR version was developed
Still trying to find a flight opportunity
SPOSH image, 120 deg FoV,
-6 mag Perseid, 12 Aug 2009, 23h36m16s UTC
Hakan Svedhem setting up the SPOSH-IR camera.
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

10. Recent research – impact light
Meteoroids hitting the Moon will generate a light flash
Observable size range from ground or space-based camera: cm to meters – not covered well by other methods -> interesting!
We have simulated the emitted light and estimate the number of flashes visible for a given camera
Result: Using a SPOSH-type camera from lunar orbit (as proposed for a German lunar mission) would allow seeing 1 to 10 events per hour
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

11. Maria’s work on ablation models
An analytical model was produced to compute the path of a meteoroid in the Earth’s atmosphere
Some free parameters can be determined by comparing it with observations
This allows prediction of the end mass of the object and the recoverable meteorite mass on ground
□ Příbram
● Lost City
○ Innisfree
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010

12. Check out http://www.rssd.esa.int/meteors
MOD WS #03 - MET-RSSD-HO-057/1.0, 14 Apr 2010