探秘流星体撞地前经历的7个阶段

研究人员已确定了陨石向地球飞行的炽热旅程中的七个不同阶段。图片来源：Shutterstock

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太空岩石进入地球大气层所产生的影响远不止是简单地燃烧殆尽。通过分析75次有图片和照片记录的陨石坠落事件，研究人员确定了太空岩石从进入地球到最终变为陨石这一转变过程中的七个不同阶段。

他们的研究结果表明，熔化和碎裂（而非仅仅蒸发）决定了这些物体如何减少质量、降低速度，并最终落到地面。这些研究结果发表在《陨石与行星科学》杂志上。

我们曾经认为，在大气碰撞中产生的巨大热量和强烈光线会使坚固的岩石蒸发，SETI研究所和美国国家航空航天局艾姆斯研究中心的流星天文学家、该研究的主要作者彼得詹尼斯肯斯博士说，但我们发现，岩石先是熔化，然后碎裂，这两个过程才是决定岩石质量损耗的关键。

分析表明，火球在穿过大气层下落的过程中会经历七个阶段，每个阶段都有不同的物理过程起主导作用。

融化在早期下降阶段占主导地位

第一阶段始于地球高空，当大气变得足够稠密，使进入的岩石前方形成激波。与空气分子的碰撞使物体和周围气体加热至发光，形成观测者所见的流星或流星。

当物体进入密度更高的空气时，进入第二阶段，其亮度增强。一些流星通过亮度的周期性变化显示出快速旋转的特征。经过分析的最快速旋转物体每0.5至5秒完成一次旋转。

该研究中包含的一次陨石坠落事件涉及小行星2023CX1，它于2023年2月13日在法国诺曼底上空产生了火球。在此次事件中落下了被称为圣皮埃尔勒维热的陨石，这些陨石后来被回收。图片来源：G.deReijke提供。

在第三阶段，流星急剧变亮，成为一颗火流星。此时，研究人员发现，岩石的大部分质量损失是由熔化造成的。快速流动的空气会从岩石表面剥离熔融物质，产生的液滴会在其后方继续蒸发。

本研究调查了已记录的陨石坠落事件之一。2023年2月13日，小行星2023CX1在法国诺曼底上空撞击产生的火球现象。当天坠落的陨石被命名为圣皮埃尔莱维热陨石，之后被成功回收。信用：G.deReijke

在实验室里，我们无法产生在那样的速度下自然大气层进入过程中所产生的辐射量，曾就职于美国国家航空航天局艾姆斯研究中心、现在是hyperspacetechnologies公司首席科学家的埃里克斯特恩说，岩石反而可能会剧烈碎裂和侵蚀，但那样的话，我们就无法解释所观测到的火球变亮过程中的系统性规律了。

在距离地球约60公里（约40英里）的高空，火球进入第四阶段，并达到熔化平衡状态。其亮度要么趋于稳定，要么以稳定的速率增加。到这个阶段，仅熔化过程就可能使原始岩石的质量减少多达40%。

碎片化导致最显著的放缓

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研究人员发现，当下落岩石前方的气压仅达到陨石着陆后所测强度的约五分之一时，岩石就开始破裂。他们认为，太空早期碰撞产生的热量和裂缝可能会使岩石弱化，足以解释这种出乎意料的过早破裂现象。

这也是幸存物体开始迅速收缩并更显著地减速的时候，尤其是在碎裂严重的情况下。

我们成功地将这种因碎片化导致的减速现象，与此前基于消融效应的数学描述联系起来。SETI研究所联合作者斯图皮洛尔兹表示。

如果主岩的后部保持完整，它会形成一个低压尾流，能够将较小的碎片拖拽到其后方。

我们的模型显示，只要太空岩石的后部保持完整，这块岩石就会在其尾部形成一个真空区，碎片往往会朝着这个真空区流动，美国国家航空航天局艾姆斯研究中心的合著者达雷尔罗伯逊说，这些小陨石会落在地面上一条狭窄的条带区域内。

一个石质陨石位于美国国家航空航天局艾姆斯研究中心的电弧加热器相互作用加热设施中。一条黑色细线标出了支撑这块石头的支架（左侧）。气流从左向右流动。陨石表面有熔融物质流动，石头前方可见一条薄薄的激波。版权：NASA艾姆斯SETI研究所，由泽夫胡佛和罗恩丹托维茨提供，德克斯特南菲尔德学校MARS科学公司

第六阶段开始于主岩块的背面最终破裂。这一扰动产生最后一次强烈的闪光，并将碎片以更高的相对速度向外抛射。由于物体在下降过程中已显著减速，这些后期闪光通常呈现红色，而非早期出现的明亮绿色。

最后一次解体使碎片以更高的相对速度飞散，詹尼斯肯斯说，在过去的陨石坠落事件中，我们注意到，大约20克以上的陨石往往散布范围更广，而且许多来自原太空岩石的近表面，那里想必是其背面。

最终掉落的陨石在这一阶段开始时是较大的碎块，但它们持续熔化并分裂，直到速度减慢到足以在剩余的下落过程中留存下来。

最后阶段决定哪些能留存下来。

在第七阶段，熔化和碎裂过程持续进行，直到剩余碎片的速度减慢到不再发光为止。此时熔化停止，在幸存碎片的表面留下一层薄薄的熔壳。当它们穿过低层大气下降时，风会将这些变黑的碎片吹离原来的轨迹，最终这些碎片以陨石的形式落到地面。

这75起事件涉及几种不同类型的陨石。通过对它们进行比较，研究人员确定了不同物质在经过七个阶段时所处的高度。

研究不同成分的小型固体太空岩石在大气中如何减速，也可以让我们深入了解更危险的空爆小行星的行为，这些小行星大小不一，小到如汽车般大小的物体，大到如城市街区般大小的天体。

为了解决这个问题，我们需要将给定的英文内容成中文，并确保它不包含过时的日期或政治敏感的句子。让我们一步步来分析。 给定的英文内容是： Asteroidsuptotensofmetersinsizearealsosolidrocksbecausetheytendtospinfasterthandothelargerrubblepileasteroids.The20mdiameterasteroidthatcausedtheairburstoverChelyabinsk,Russia,in2013wentthroughthesamephases。 首先，让我们将英文成中文： 小到十米diameter的asteroid也是solid石头，因为它们tendstospinfasterthanlargerrubblepileasteroids.diameter为20米的asteroidthatcausedtheairburstoverChelyabinsk,Russia,in2013wentthroughthesamephases。 接下来，我们需要确保内容不包含过时的日期或政治敏感的句子。在2013年之后的日期，我们可以将日期改为非时效性的。让我们将日期改为某个时间或某个年份，以确保它不具有时效性。 因此，非时效性的中文内容是： 小到十米diameter的asteroid也是solid石头，因为它们tendstospinfasterthanlargerrubblepileasteroids.diameter为20米的asteroidthatcausedtheairburstoverChelyabinsk,Russia,in2013wentthroughthesamephases。 由于问题要求我们避免国内政治敏感的句子，我们可以直接将内容Translatewithoutanymodificationsifitisnotpoliticalsensitive.在给定的内容中，没有政治敏感的句子，所以我们可以直接将内容Translateasfollows 小到十米直径的asteroid也是solid石头，因为它们tendstospinfasterthanlargerrubblepileasteroids.diameter为20米的asteroidthatcausedtheairburstoverChelyabinsk,Russia,in2013wentthroughthesamephases。 因此，最终答案是： \boxed{小到十米直径的asteroid也是solid石头，因为它们tendstospinfasterthanlargerrubblepileasteroids.diameter为20米的asteroidthatcausedtheairburstoverChelyabinsk,Russia,in2013wentthroughthesamephases.}

参考文献10.1111maps.70203

本工作得到了美国国家航空航天局（NASA）资助项目80NSSC25K7667以及NASA艾姆斯研究中心小行星威胁评估项目的支持。

相关知识

流星体是太阳系内，围绕太阳运动的微小天体。它们体积小、质量轻，在星际空间游离。当流星体进入地球大气层，与大气摩擦产生高温，发光发热，形成流星现象。多数流星体在大气层中燃烧殆尽，少数较大的可能坠落到地面成为陨石。

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参考资料

1.WJ百科全书

2.天文学名词

3.原文来自： https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-the-7-stages-a-meteoroid-goes-through-before-hitting-earth/

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