Low-velocity cometary meteoroid streams encountering the earth: clues on the fragmentation of cometary aggregates and implications for interplanetary dust particles

Abstract

Since 2005, the SPanish Fireball and Meteor Network (SPMN) is continuously monitor- ing meteor activity by using all-sky CCD and medium- field video cameras up to +3 to +4 meteor limiting magnitude [1,2]. One important goal of our network is the study of the meteoroid physico-chemical properties from multiple station data, together with meteor spec- tra. It is well known that the ablation behavior of me- teors in the Earth’s atmosphere shows photometric patterns that are reflecting important properties of the incoming meteoroids [3], but we are not yet fully un- derstanding such patterns. Besides, we are also trying to identify the main sources of large bolides to the Earth. As a consequence of the SPMN monitoring ef- fort, valuable trajectory and orbital data of meteors and fireballs is being obtained [4-6]. During 2007 several poorly-known meteoroid streams associated with com- ets were crossed by the Earth. We describe here unex- pected fireball activity, but focusing in low-velocity cometary streams. Particularly, we describe some me- teor outbursts and fireball events recorded by the SPMN during 2006-2007 that would be important de- livery sources of Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs). We try to encourage setting up future IDP campaigns for collecting cometary particles in the upper atmos- phere. By knowing the most important and favourable sources of cometary particles, and the dates of the en- counters with dense dust trails, such missions would be prepared in time for being successful.