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arXiv · 2105.07442

The main asteroid belt: the primary source of debris on comet-like orbits

Patrick M. Shober·Eleanor K. Sansom·Phil A. Bland·Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix·Martin C. Towner·Martin Cupák·Robert M. Howie·Benjamin A. D. Hartig·Seamus L. Anderson
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Abstract

Jupiter family comets contribute a significant amount of debris to near-Earth space. However, telescopic observations of these objects seem to suggest they have short physical lifetimes. If this is true, the material generated will also be short-lived, but fireball observation networks still detect material on cometary orbits. This study examines centimeter-meter scale sporadic meteoroids detected by the Desert Fireball Network from 2014-2020 originating from Jupiter family comet-like orbits. Analyzing each event's dynamic history and physical characteristics, we confidently determined whether they originated from the main asteroid belt or the trans-Neptunian region. Our results indicate that $<4\%$ of sporadic meteoroids on JFC-like orbits are genetically cometary. This observation is statistically significant and shows that cometary material is too friable to survive in near-Earth space. Even when considering shower contributions, meteoroids on JFC-like orbits are primarily from the main-belt. Thus, the presence of genuine cometary meteorites in terrestrial collections is highly unlikely.

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Patrick M. Shober, Eleanor K. Sansom, Phil A. Bland, Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix, Martin C. Towner, Martin Cupák, Robert M. Howie, Benjamin A. D. Hartig, Seamus L. Anderson. 2021-05-16. The main asteroid belt: the primary source of debris on comet-like orbits. https://doi.org/10.3847/psj%2Fabde4b

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