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Asteroidal source of ordinary chondrites (Meteoritical Society Presidential Address 1984)The orbital evolution of asteroidal fragments injected into the 3-1 Kirkwood gap resonance at 2.5 AU is investigated on the basis of a Monte Carlo simulation. The diameters of the fragments in the simulation were between 10 cm and 20 km, and it was assumed that the fragments cross the orbital path of the earth every one million years. The effects of close encounter planetary perturbations, the nu dot 6 secular resonance, and the ablative effects of the earth atmosphere were also taken into account. It is found that: (1) the predicted meteorite orbits closely matched the known orbits of ordinary chondrites; and (2) the total flux was in approximate agreement with the observed fall rate of ordinary chondrites. About 90 percent of the predicted impacting bodies were created by fragmentation of larger earth crossing asteroidal fragments, the largest of which were observed in the vicinity of the Apollo-Amor objects. The numerical results are presented in a series of graphs.
Document ID
19850052875
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Wetherill, G. W.
(Carnegie Institution of Washington Washington, DC, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
March 31, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: Meteoritics
Volume: 20
ISSN: 0026-1114
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
85A35026
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSG-7397
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-398
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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