On the shape of meteor light curves, and a fully analytic solution to the equations of meteoroid ablation

Abstract

The shape and characteristics (beginning and end heights, and height of maximum brightness) of meteor light curves are investigated under the constraint that the surface area S that a meteoroid presents to the oncoming air flow varies as a power law in the meteoroid mass m such that S ∼ mα. We investigate the meteoroid ablation for a range of values of α, and find that the α = 1 condition allows for a fully analytic solution to the coupled differential equations of meteoroid ablation when the density profile is that of an isothermal atmosphere. The possible geometrical properties of Geminid meteoroids are discussed in terms of the α = 1 ablation model and it is shown that they are consistent with being derived from an asteroidal, rather than cometary, parent body. © 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 RAS.