Orbit and lines identification in the emission spectrum of a sporadic fireball

Abstract

High-sensitivity CCD video cameras have been commonly used for the study of the activity of meteoroid streams. These provide useful data for the determination, for instance, of radiant, orbital and photometric parameters [1, 2, 3]. These devices can also be used to record emission spectra of meteoroids ablating in the Earth's atmosphere when holographic diffraction gratings are employed [3]. The SPMN is currently performing a continuous monitoring of meteor activity by means of 25 meteor observing stations in Spain. One important goal of our network is the study of the physico-chemical properties of meteoroids from multiple station data. These include radiant and orbital parameters, but also chemical information obtained from the emission spectra produced during the ablation of these particles of interplanetary matter in the atmosphere. This continuous monitoring can provide useful data to improve our knowledge about meteoroid streams and meteoroids of sporadic origin, and the mechanisms that deliver these materials to the Earth. With this aim, we analyze here a sporadic fireball recorded on December 28, 2011.