Spectral, photometric, and dynamic analysis of eight Draconid meteors

TL;DR

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of eight Draconid meteors, examining their spectra, trajectories, and physical properties, revealing diverse textures and compositions that inform understanding of meteoroid structure and behavior.

Contribution

It offers new detailed spectral, morphological, and dynamic data on Draconid meteors, highlighting their compositional diversity and fragmentation characteristics.

Findings

Draconid spectra show normal chondritic composition.

Variations in Na emission relate to light curves and deceleration.

Diverse textures and resistance to fragmentation among meteoroids.

Abstract

We analyzed spectra, trajectories, orbits, light curves, and decelerations of eight Draconid meteors observed from Northern Italy on October 8, 2011. Meteor morphologies of two of the meteors are also presented, one of them obtained with a high resolution camera. Meteor radiants agree with theoretical predictions, with a hint that some meteors may belong to the pre-1900 meteoroid trails. The spectra confirm that Draconids have normal chondritic composition of main elements (Mg, Fe, Na). There are, nevertheless, differences in the temporal evolution of Na line emission. The differences are correlated with the shapes of the light curves and the deceleration rates. Our data confirm that Draconids are porous conglomerates of grains, nevertheless, significant differences in the atmospheric fragmentation of cm-sized Draconids were found. Various textures with various resistance to fragmentation exist among Draconid meteoroids and even within single meteoroids.