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Time-dependent injection of Oort Cloud comets into earth-crossing orbits

Journal Article · · Icarus; (United States)
The present consideration of close stellar encounter-induced modulations of the influx rate of Oort Cloud comets notes that comet showers sufficiently intense for emergence in cratering statistics are produced at 80-Myr intervals, on the assumption of an Oort Cloud heavy comet core. Numerical simulations of the time evolution of comet showers or bursts indicate that a long tail of residual shower comets follows the major event with an intensity of about 0.01 of the peak rate after 20-30 Myr, thereby suggesting that residual comet showers are primarily clustered in certain areas of the sky, rendering them observable at virtually any time. 33 references.
Research Organization:
Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, West Germany
OSTI ID:
5710771
Journal Information:
Icarus; (United States), Journal Name: Icarus; (United States) Vol. 71; ISSN ICRSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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