ISSN:
1432-1904
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Natural Sciences in General
Notes:
Abstract The interplanetary dust cloud, total mass 1010–1020 g in round figures, originates as fragments of comets and produces a mean flux at the earth-moon system in the range 10−13–10−12 g m−2 s−1. Over 2/3 of the mass consists of particles with individual weights 10−3 to 10−6 g. They are fragile, are continually broken up into smaller pieces by collisions, and have a chemical composition similar to that assumed as the average for the entire solar system. The cloud extends to roughly 3 a.u. from the sun in the ecliptic plane, with a particle space density falling off as r −v , where r is distance from the sun and v is in the range 1 to 1.5.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00368706