Open AccessChemical abundances determined from meteor spectra – II. Evidence for enlarged sodium abundances in meteoroids
Author(s) -
TrigoRodríguez Josep M.,
Llorca Jordi,
Fabregat Juan
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07389.x
Subject(s) - meteoroid , physics , interplanetary dust cloud , meteorite , astrobiology , meteor (satellite) , abundance (ecology) , astrophysics , comet dust , comet , astronomy , chondrite , interplanetary medium , sodium , interplanetary spaceflight , solar system , plasma , chemistry , solar wind , organic chemistry , fishery , biology , quantum mechanics
The relative abundances of sodium in meteoroids have been estimated by averaging the composition of the radiating gas along the fireball path produced during their atmospheric entry. We used the method of thermal equilibrium for 13 fireballs produced by meteoroids mainly of cometary origin. The results show greater sodium abundances than those expected for interplanetary dust particles and chondritic meteorites, and interesting differences from the sodium abundance of 1P/Halley comet dust were also found.