Observations of the Quadrantid meteor shower from 2008 to 2012: orbits and emission spectra

TL;DR

This study analyzes Quadrantid meteor shower activity from 2008 to 2012 using high-sensitivity cameras, providing detailed orbital data, emission spectra, and meteoroid tensile strength insights.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive dataset of 85 meteoroid orbits and discusses emission spectra and physical properties, enhancing understanding of the Quadrantid stream.

Findings

85 meteoroid orbits characterized

Emission spectra of four meteors analyzed

Meteoroid tensile strength estimated

Abstract

The activity of the Quadrantids in January during several years (2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012) has been investigated in the framework of the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN). For this purpose, an array of high-sensitivity CCD video devices and CCD all-sky cameras have been used to obtain multi-station observations of these meteors. These allowed us to obtain precise radiant and orbital information about this meteoroid stream. This paper presents a large set of orbital data (namely, 85 orbits) of Quadrantid meteoroids. Most meteors produced by these particles were recorded during the activity peak of this shower. Besides, we discuss four Quadrantid emission spectra. The tensile strength of Quadrantid meteoroids has been also obtained.