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The mass and speed dependence of meteor air plasma temperaturesThe speed and mass dependence of meteor air plasma temperatures is perhaps the most important data needed to understand how small meteoroids chemically change the ambient atmosphere in their path and enrich the ablated meteoric organic matter with oxygen. Such chemistry can play an important role in creating prebiotic compounds. The excitation conditions in various air plasma emissions were measured from high-resolution optical spectra of Leonid storm meteors during NASA's Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign. This was the first time a sufficient number and range of temperature measurements were obtained to search for meteoroid mass and speed dependencies. We found slight increases in temperature with decreasing altitude, but otherwise nearly constant values for meteoroids with speeds between 35 and 72 km/s and masses between 10(-5) g and 1 g. We conclude that faster and more massive meteoroids produce a larger emission volume, but not a higher air plasma temperature. We speculate that the meteoric plasma may be in multiphase equilibrium with the ambient atmosphere, which could mean lower plasma temperatures in a CO(2)-rich early Earth atmosphere.
Document ID
20050153817
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Jenniskens, Peter
(Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute Mountain View, California 94043, United States)
Laux, Christophe O.
Wilson, Michael A.
Schaller, Emily L.
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Astrobiology
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
ISSN: 1531-1074
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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