(meteorobs) Question about cometary fragments and meteoroid distribution

[David Entwistle]

I hope you don't mind me asking some more questions.

Prior to its impact with Jupiter, in July 1995, comet Comet P/Shoemaker-
Levy 9 broke into a number of fragments and these fragment became
distributed in a long narrow line. I can only think that this is due to
a gravity-gradient acting on the loosely-bound components of the parent
body - a sort of tidal effect. Even as a single body, the component
parts closest to Jupiter were being subjected to a stronger pull and
moved ahead of the rest. Those furthest from the planet were subject to
a weaker pull. Over time the body is pulled into a chain of fragments.
Is this a correct explanation of the mechanism?

If Shoemaker Levy had missed Jupiter, would the component parts continue
to have moved apart? It seems to me they would, as those leading the way
were farther from the planet and so subject to a lesser pull. And those
lagging behind would have been subject to a greater pull.

Is this how cometary debris become distributed around the orbit and how
the meteor streams are formed?

In an idealised situation of this sort, with a single parent body and
ignoring all other influences (solar radiation pressure, planetary
perturbations, relativity etc.) would all the components of such a
meteoroid stream eventually pass through the same volume of space, no
bigger than the original component body, albeit at quite different
times? Although this seems to imply that the fragments are following the
same orbit, but with different velocities, I can't see how this can be
other than true.
-- 
David Entwistle