[meteorite-list] Tektite fields and rotation
From: Göran Axelsson <axelsson_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:49:55 +0100 Message-ID: <47ED8423.5000400_at_acc.umu.se> You're right, that is a quite complex problem but solvable with differential calculus and analytical mechanics. The problem is real and any gunner that had to calculate projectile trajectories know that you have to take latitude and direction into the equations. As a simple example, imagine a cannon ball being shot straight up. When it leaves the barrel it has some angular velocity (momentum) from earth rotation. As it rises it loose kinetic energy and gains potential energy but nothing affects the angular momentum and just as a skater that extends her arms after a fast rotation it looses angular speed (but not momentum), the earth rotates faster than the cannonball. When it falls down again it will gain angular speed and hits the earth straight down but a bit from the gunner. Okay, that was a simplification that only works at the equator as the coriolis effect have a real effect anywhere else on the earth. Think of it as a satellite orbit, you can't create an orbit that stays on a constant latitude except on an equatorial orbit. So the coriolis effect will rotate everything. The cannon ball will drop at a latitude closer to the pole/equator (strikeout the wrong answer, can't calculate that in my head... my brain is hurting...) and a bit behind you as the earth rotates... and we are only talking about a shot straight up. Actually, there is two places on the earth where a cannonball will drop down at the gunner when shot straight up.... guess where! It is a complex problem but it can be calculated without too much problem. But my gut feeling is that geological and topological differences in the target area, wind patterns and impactor direction is bigger factors in how the tektite field develops. /G?ran Chris Peterson wrote: > That was my first thought as well. It's probably a fairly complex > problem. At the least, Coriolis effects will be significant, and will > distort the debris pattern. > > Chris > > ***************************************** > Chris L Peterson > Cloudbait Observatory > http://www.cloudbait.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: <mexicodoug at aim.com> > To: <epgrondine at yahoo.com>; <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> > Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 12:11 PM > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Tektite fields and rotation > > >> Hi Ed, >> >> Since ejecta would start out with the same rotational motion as the >> Earth, at what point and by what mechanism would you inferring that >> it "decouples" from Earth and looses that rotational component of its >> own motion? Good question, though! >> >> Best wishes, >> Doug > > ______________________________________________ > http://www.meteoritecentral.com > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > Received on Fri 28 Mar 2008 07:49:55 PM PDT |
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