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Re: (meteorobs) Excerpts from "CCNet 97/2000 - 28 September 2000"




Dr. Peter Brown writes:
>John Lewis and Jim Oberg are correct for LARGE objects. However, for most
>(smaller) meteoroids where the atmospheric mean free path is larger than the
>characteristic size of the body no air cap forms as the flow is free molecular
>(as opposed to continuum). In this case individual air molecules may collide

Peter, this was what I vaguely recalled from my (amateur) reading of Oepik's
"Physics of Meteor Flight in the Atmosphere"! Do you happen to know off-hand
the meteoroid characteristic sizes for this important cut-off point between
continuum and free molecular flow? I recall in Oepik it was quoted as being
quite tiny - smaller than observable size limits for most meteoroid streams.
Is this still thought to be the case?

Just a curious question, thanks for the reply!
Lew Gramer


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