Metallic Abundances of 2002 Leonid Meteoroids in Two Dust Trails Formed in Different Epochs: No Evidence of Solar Heating Effect

Abstract

High-definition TV spectra in the ultraviolet to visible region were obtained during the 2002 Leonid aircraft campaign. We analyzed 20 meteor spectra obtained from the 1767 (seven revolution) and 1866 (four revolution) trails on 2002 November 19 and identified neutral atoms, mainly Mg I, Fe I, Ca I, and Na I, in the observed wavelengths between 300 and 650 nm. The singly ionized atomic emissions, Ca II and Mg II lines, also appeared in the spectrum. The abundances of the metallic atoms, the electronic excitation temperature, and the electron density are obtained for each spectrum, assuming the Boltzmann distribution for the number at each energy level. The metallic abundances of Fe, Ca, and Na relative to Mg are slightly lower than solar abundances on average. We could not find any evidence of the solar heating effect on Leonid meteoroids between the 1767 and 1866 trails on orbit with their perihelion (q~1 AU). We can support the idea that silicate and carbon-mixed silicate are preserved in interplanetary space for at least several hundred years. Bands of CHON-related molecules, such as OH and CN, are not detected in this study.