Dust evolution from comets and asteroids: Their velocities at Earth orbit intersection

Abstract

In this study on the evolution of dust particles from comets and asteroids, the effects of accurate many-body planetary motion on the gravitational perturbations of the dust grains are computed. In a computer simulation, dust grains of radius 10, 30, and 100 micron were released at perihelion passage from each of 36 different celestial bodies: 16 main asteroids, 15 short period comets with perihelion greater than 1 AU, and 5 short period comets with perihelion less than 1 AU. It is found that when dust grains evolve to intersection with the earth's orbit, they nearly always retain orbital characteristics indicative of their origins. Grains from main belt asteroids differ significantly in orbital characteristics, especially orbital eccentricity, from grains that evolve from comets.