Determination of Meteorite Trajectories: Observations and Modeling

Abstract

We construct the complete trajectory of a meteorite from observations on the visible (“bright”) section of the trajectory. Mathematically, this is a minimization problem for a functional defined as the deviation of the observed trajectory from the trajectory calculated using the system of meteor physics equations. This differential system has been solved numerically, and the minimization problem has been solved by the Nelder–Mead method. The solution makes it possible to determine the physical parameters of the body entering the Earth’s atmosphere and to complete its trajectory on the unobservable (“dark”) section until its collision with the Earth’s surface.