Astron. Astrophys. 351, 752-758 (1999)

6. Summary

Our study of dynamics of meteor streams is based on the gravitational action, exclusively. Only this action can, in a quasi-systematic way, deflect the particles of a stream from their original orbital corridor to create an observable strand of the stream.

The dynamical study of the meteor stream associated with comet 14P/Wolf shows that the planetary gravitational disturbances split the corridor of the stream into several strands. The meteors of two of these strands can enter the Earth's atmosphere and become observable. They have rather different orbital characteristics. The mean radiants deviate so much as .

The strand with higher declination of mean radiant (the upper strand) coincides with the meteor stream associated with comet D/1892 T1 (Barnard 3). The deviation of mean radiants is and corresponding orbital elements are also very similar. That means, the upper strand of the stream of 14P/Wolf was enriched with the meteoroids of D/1892 T1 stream in 20-th century.

The strand of 14P/Wolf stream with lower declination of radiant (the lower strand) coincides with the well-known meteor shower Capricornids, as was already concluded in the previous paper (Neslusan 1999). The deviation of mean radiant of the strand (calculated using weighted input elements) from the mean radiant of Capricornids is only and corresponding orbital elements are in rough agreement, too.

In 1922, comet 14P/Wolf was moved to a new orbit due to the gravitational disturbance by Jupiter and stopped releasing meteoroid particles into the orbits crossing the orbit of the Earth.

In the case of D/1892 T1 stream, it is not clear if the nucleus of its parent comet became dormant and still releases new meteoroid particles or it disappeared absolutely and the stream has also been disappearing continually. This question could be answered studying an evolution of numerosity of this stream in the future.

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1999

Online publication: November 3, 1999
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