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Reexamination of data from the asteroid/meteoroid detectorThe discovery of the existence of cosmoids, a class of meteoroid in near hyperbolic orbits, was made in a reevaluation of the Sisyphus Experiment on Pioneer 10 and 11. This experiment measured the spontaneous jetting of cosmoids and showed that the dispersion and increase in brightness occurs in microseconds and lasts only briefly. Cosmoid jetting caused multiple telescope thresholds to be exceeded simultaneously which explains the earlier inabilty to compute trajectories from the measured times in the fields of view. A new calculation correlated the Sisyphus individual event measurements with the zodiacal light. That the meteoroid population is dominated by cosmoids is demonstrated. Reported telescopic small comets, measured by a similar optical technique, appear consistent with the Sisyphus results. Characteristic jetting times measured by Sisyphus also show that the volatile cosmoids could not survive in short period orbits.
Document ID
19900004859
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Authors
Soberman, Robert K. (Pennsylvania Univ. Philadelphia., United States)
Dubin, Maurice (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
November 15, 1989
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-185997
NAS 1.26:185997
Accession Number
90N14175
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-1782
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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