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Re: (meteorobs) P/2000 G1 & Vgeo
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Gardner" <rendrag@earthlinkdot net>
To: <meteorobs@jovian.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2000 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) P/2000 G1 & Vgeo
> I am not sure that the thermal capacity of the meteor has much to do with
this.
> I think the meteor is behaving just like the ablation nose cones that were
> designed in the 60s to deliver atom bombs. Despite the high temperature
at the
> surface and the large amount of energy that was generated the interior
right
> below the surface remained cool. The heat was carried off by the ablated
> material.
Robert,
Would that not depend on the thermal conductivity of the meteor material? If
the conductivity were low, most of the thermal energy generated by air drag
would remain in the (low mass) outer region and thus quickly raise its
temperature to the boiling point. After this outer layer ablated, a new
outer layer would absorb the thermal energy until it too evaporated. This
layered ablating process would continue until the entire meteor evaporated
or the final meteorite struck the ground, whichever came first.
If the meteor's conductivity were high, the thermal energy absorbed by the
outer layer would quickly spread through the entire meteor, raising its
temperature more uniformly toward the melting point.
Paul O. Johnson
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