This document summarizes a student project on meteorite classification and trajectory modeling. It describes the three main types of meteorites - stony, iron, and stony iron. It discusses techniques for analyzing meteorites like thin section microscopy. The document outlines equations of motion and initial conditions used to model meteorite trajectories. Plots of orbital paths are generated and future work is proposed to model meteorite impacts or deflections off Earth.

1. Meteorite Classification and trajectory modeling Jessie Miller Ohio Wesleyan University Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Advisors: Barbara Andereck and Karen Fryer

2. Three Main Types of Meteorites Stony Iron Stony Iron

4. chemically primitive (low metallicities )

8. Origin of Meteorites

9. Thin Section Microscopy Logitech.uk EOS Molecular Expressions

10. Properties in Plane-Polarized Light Crystal habit Cleavage Relief Microlab Northwest UND

11. Extinction Isotropic Minerals Anisotropic Minerals Speed of light through mineral is same in all directions Light travels through mineral unaffected All light is absorbed by analyzer Speed of light through mineral is dependent on direction Light is doubly refracted (split into two rays- slow ray and fast ray) Some light passes through analyzer for most orientations Sorrel.humboldt.edu Webassign.net

12. Interference Colors Olympus Note: tsis time for slow ray to reach analyzer, d is thickness of thin section, V is speed of light in given mediums, n is index of refraction, Δ is retardation

13. DT 12-8 – H4 Chondrite

14. NWA 5546 – CV3 Chondrite

15. Modeling – Equations of Motion mm*xm''[t]=((xe[t]-xm[t]) G mm me)/((xe[t]-xm[t])^2+(ye[t]-ym[t])^2)^(3/2)+((xs[t]-xm[t]) G ms mm)/((xs[t]-xm[t])^2+(ys[t]-ym[t])^2)^(3/2) mm*ym''[t]=((ye[t]-ym[t]) G mm me)/((xe[t]-xm[t])^2+(ye[t]-ym[t])^2)^(3/2)+((ys[t]-ym[t]) G ms mm)/((xs[t]-xm[t])^2+(ys[t]-ym[t])^2)^(3/2)

16. Modeling – Initial Conditions initial positions and velocities of the Earth and the meteoroid relative to the center of mass of the system were given both bodies assumed to start at periapsis (position in orbit closest to central body) on the x-axis, resulting in initial y positions of zero initial x velocities are zero initial y velocities found using the equation where M is the mass of the body being directly orbited (mefor the meteoroid and ms for Earth).

17. Orbital Plots

18. Future Work Assign Earth finite size Time-step through orbits to locate time of possible impact Based on the incoming velocity and angle of the meteoroid, it may either collide with Earth or be deflected Determine the percent of meteoroids that collide with Earth versus the percent that are deflected In this final form, the program could be used to detect imminent meteorite impacts.