Abstract
THE existence of a high concentration of interplanetary dust near the Earth has recently been demonstrated from rocket, satellite and space-probe observations of acoustical impact. Suspected by Beard1, the concentration has been proved by me2 and by Hibbs3. To a distance of approximately 105 km., the concentration falls off roughly as the inverse 1.4 power of the distance from the Earth's surface (Fig. 1). The impact-rates on randomly oriented surfaces include all particles greater than mass 10−9 gm. and are adjusted for the differing sensitivities of the equipment. Data are from six U.S. rocket firings; from satellites Explorer I (1958 Alpha), Sputnik III (1958 Delta) and Vanguard III (1959 Eta) ; and from the space probes Explorer VI (1959 Delta) and Pioneer I. At some distance greater than 105 km., the impact-rates approximate those expected from calculations on the zodiacal cloud ; the maximum concentration with respect to the interplanetary medium is perhaps as high as 105.
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References
Beard, D. B., Astrophys. J., 129, 496 (1959).
Whipple, F. L., “Particulate Contents of Space” in “Medical and Biological Aspects of the Energies of Space”, edit. by Campbell, P. (in the press).
Hibbs, A., private communication; J. Geophys. Res. (in the press).
Urey, H. C., “Primary and Secondary Objects”, in “The Explora tion of Space”, edit. by Jastrow, R., 77 (Macmillan Co., New York, 1960).
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WHIPPLE, F. The Dust Cloud about the Earth. Nature 189, 127–128 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/189127a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/189127a0
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