Spectroscopic anatomy of a meteor trail cross section with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope

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dc.contributor.authorJenniskens, P
dc.contributor.authorJehin, E
dc.contributor.authorCabanac, RA
dc.contributor.authorLaux, CO
dc.contributor.authorBoyd, ID
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-21T01:08:11Z
dc.date.available2025-01-21T01:08:11Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.description.abstractA meteor spectrum was recorded serendipitously at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) during a long exposure in long-slit spectroscopic mode with FORS1. The -8 magnitude fireball crossed the narrow 1" x 7' slit during the observation of a high z supernova in normal service mode operation on May 12, 2002. The spectrum covered the range of 637-1050 nm, where the meteor's air plasma emissions from N-2, N, and 0 dominate. Carbon atom emission was not detected in the relatively unexplored wavelength range above 900 nm, but the observed upper limit was only 3 sigma less than expected from the dissociation of atmospheric CO2, The meteor trail was resolved along the slit, and the emission had a Gaussian distribution with a dimension of FWHM = 7.0 (+/-0.4) * sin(alpha) * H (km)/90 m, where alpha is the unknown angle between the orientation of the meteor path and slit and H the assumed altitude of the meteor in km. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of a spatially resolved spectrum across a meteor trail. Unlike model predictions, the plasma excitation temperature varied only from about 4,300 to 4,365 K across the trail, based on the ratio of atomic and molecular nitrogen emissions. Unfortunately, we conclude that this was because the meteor at 100 km altitude was out of focus.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.eissn1945-5100
dc.identifier.issn1086-9379
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/96437
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000221017100008
dc.issue.numero4
dc.language.isoen
dc.pagina.final616
dc.pagina.inicio609
dc.revistaMeteoritics & planetary science
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.titleSpectroscopic anatomy of a meteor trail cross section with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen39
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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