The role of thermionic emission in meteor physics

摘要: Abstract We solve the simultaneous equations for continuity of charge, mass, momentum and energy a meteoroid entering Earth's atmosphere to study its charging, deceleration, mass loss heating along path. In this analysis we also include effects thermionic emission from frictionally heated meteoroid, which hitherto have not been considered. limited our free-molecular regime corresponds meteoroids radius ⩽1 cm in altitude range interest (H⩾80 km ) . treatment night side Earth so as avoid complicating role photoemission while emphasizing emission. Our results show that, same can change charge polarity during flight, with widely different material work functions could opposite at altitude. find out escaping electrons do constitute significant source surface, they be larger meteoric high compared produced by ablation process, particularly if function is sufficiently small (i.e W⩽2 eV ). Furthermore that ionization than case when due only collisions between sublimating molecules background molecules. addition has an earlier onset later shut-off.