On the detectability of the meteor pairs created by fragmentation in near-Earth space

Although numerous observers reported that meteors appear in pairs or groups, recent papers based on instrumental observations did not confirm such results. At least, among older meteor showers such grouping was not confirmed. On the other hand, among younger streams, such behaviour is still possible.

In our recent paper dedicated to the search of pairs among Geminid meteors, we found that we have no evidence for the physically connected pairs despite the fact that a number of potential candidates have been detected. Monte Carlo statistical test showed that all the cases can be results of coincidental approaches of the particles in a similar space and time.

Therefore, we prepared a model of orbital fragmentation of meteoroids in the vicinity of the Earth, which follows trajectories of fragmented particles ejected with different velocities in different directions under  the solar radiation pressure. The collisions with interplanetary particles as the possible source of the pairs are taken into account for the major meteor showers during whole year. 

The paper will provide constraints on the time of ejection, ejection velocities and ejection angles, which will allow the pairs or groups to be detected in the Earth atmosphere by the video or photographic cameras.