Problems in the Physics of Meteors

Some basic notions of the physics of meteors are illustrated and recent developments are pointed out. Values of the efficiency of meteor radiation in visible light, formulas for the calculation of meteor masses, tables for the ionizing efficiency, depth of penetration of the ions, and the selectivity of radar observations with respect to velocity are given. The importance of initial penetration of the high velocity ions in determining the radius of the ionizing column, and the selectivity of radar observations, biased against velocities exceeding 50 km/sec, are pointed out. The dust ball nature of visual meteors is described. The insignificant share of nickel-iron in meteoric populations is stressed. Systematic errors in correlating meteor decelerations with atmospheric densities are described.