A gravitational origin of the fine structure of the Perseid meteoroid stream
Authors:
J. Svoren, Z. Kanuchova, M. Jakubik
Image & caption:
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Image caption::
A projection of the mean orbits of 17 filaments (labeled A-R) of the stream into the plane of the mean orbit of 560 Perseids. The orbit of Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle in 1992 (Marsden et al.,1993) is considered.
Description:
An analysis of the precise photographic orbits using the method of indices has shown that 560 meteors of 875 Perseids taken into account were sorted out to 17 filaments which form higher structures, called the branches of the stream. We compared the semi-major axes of the mean orbits of 17 is covered filaments with the theoretical positions of planetary resonances of Jupiter and Saturn. By this comparing, the Jupiter and Saturn branches of the Perseid treamwere identified. Consequently, numerical integrations of 245 700 test meteoroid particles over 6250 years were done. Our integrations of the test cloud lead to an interesting fact. The gaps located in the positions of resonances with Jupiter and Saturn have been formed soon after the first revolution of the stream. The mean orbits of the found filaments are located in a close proximity of strong resonances. They represent, with a high probability, increased numbers of particles gravitationally expelled from a resonant gap and temporary settled down in its close proximity. The presented results could be considered as a strong indication of a gravitational origin of the fine structure of the Perseid meteoroid stream.
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