Stone meteorites: time of fall and origin

Area of Science:

• Planetary Science
• Astronomy
• Meteoritics

Background:

• Chondritic meteorites exhibit a statistically significant excess of falls recorded in the afternoon compared to the morning.
• This observed diurnal asymmetry has historically been debated, with potential explanations ranging from observational bias to genuine dynamic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic origins of the observed afternoon excess in chondritic meteorite falls.
• To test the compatibility of various celestial body families as the source of these meteorites.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Monte Carlo simulations to model meteorite fall dynamics.
• Compared simulation results against observed diurnal distribution patterns.

Main Results:

• The observed afternoon excess of chondritic meteorite falls is inconsistent with a lunar or Apollo asteroid origin.
• Simulations indicate that a source with an aphelion near Jupiter, such as Hilda or Trojan asteroids, or short-period comets, is compatible with the observed data.

Conclusions:

• The diurnal asymmetry in chondritic meteorite falls is likely a dynamic effect, not observational bias.
• Asteroids in Jupiter's vicinity or short-period comets are plausible sources for chondritic meteorites exhibiting this phenomenon.