Micrometeoroids within ten Earth radii

The micrometeoroid population within 10 Earth radii (60,000 km) has been observed by the HEOS 2 dust experiment between 7 February 1972 and 2 August 1974. A total of 431 particles has been observed. Of those 90 particles are classified as random, the rest as particle bursts. The random particles only show a slight increase (factor 3) in flux within 10 Earth radii, compared to the deep space flux at 1 AU and this is interpreted as being due to the gravitational field of the Earth. The bursts are divided into groups and swarms according to their time profiles. The 19 recorded groups are observed both within 10 Earth radii and above, again with a slight increase below 60,000 km. The 15 recorded swarms are exclusively observed within 10 Earth radii. The total micrometeoroid flux in this region is enhanced by 2-3 orders of magnitude. The interpretation is that larger bodies in the 10-10 ⁶g mass range of the type III fireballs are disintegrating while travelling through the Earth's auroral zones. The fragmentation process proposed is that of electrostatic disruption. This leads to one (or several) swarm(s) of small individual particles, which originally made up the flurry type (cometary) parent body.