Investigation of the Ejection and Physical Properties of Large Comet Dust Grains and Their Interaction with Earth's Atmosphere During the 2002 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign

Details Investigation of the Ejection and Physical Properties of Large Comet Dust Grains and Their Interaction with Earth's Atmosphere During the 2002 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign Investigation of the Ejection and Physical Properties of Large Comet Dust Grains and Their Interaction with Earth's Atmosphere During the 2002 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign

May 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003dps....35.3824j&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #35, #38.24; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 35, p.989

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

In November 2002, the Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign had its final mission to explore the Leonid meteor storms for what they can tell us about comets, meteors, and how they may have contributed prebiotic compounds to the origin of life. The mission provided an airborne platform to 36 researchers of seven countries. The storms were caused by Earth's crossing of the 1767 and 1866 dust ejecta of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The Center for Astrobiology (CAB) hosted the mission at Torrejon AB in Spain.
In a westward flight back to Omaha, Nebraska, the aircraft encountered the first storm at 04:06 UT on Nov. 19, with rates of ZHR 2,300 /hr, and the second peak at 10:47 UT, when rates increased again to ZHR 2,600 /hr. The wealth of faint meteors made the showers difficult to observe from the ground. The narrow and slightly asymmetric flux profiles add to a three-dimensional map of the dust density in 55P/Tempel-Tuttle's one-revolution dust trail. Meteoroid composition and morphology were measured for numerous individual particles. The first near-IR spectra of meteors were recorded. High frame-rate imaging confirmed the formation of a shock-like feature in bright Leonids, adding to a new understanding of the physical conditions in the rarefied flow of meteors. The interaction of meteors with the atmosphere was investigated at optical and sub-mm wavelengths. Optical and mid-IR emissions of persistent trains were recorded. We will briefly review these first results and their implication for comet dust ejection and evolution in the interplanetary and Earth environment.
The 2002 Leonid MAC mission was supported by NASA's Astrobiology and Planetary Astronomy programs, by ESA, and by CAB. NASA's DC-8 Airborne Laboratory was operated by NASA DFRC and the NKC-135 "FISTA" aircraft by Edwards AFB. Leonid MAC was organized by the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center.

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