2019/06/07 by Amir Siraj, Abraham Loeb, Siraj, Amir +1
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1906.03270
openalex publication_date 2019/06/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The first interstellar object, `Oumuamua, was discovered in the Solar System by Pan-STARRS in 2017, allowing for a calibration of the impact rate of interstellar meteors of its size ∼ 100 m. The discovery of CNEOS 2014-01-08 allowed for a calibration of the impact rate of interstellar meteors of its size ∼ 1 m. Analysis of interstellar dust grains have allowed for calibrations of the impact rate of smaller interstellar meteors down to the size ∼ 10-8 m. We analyze the size distribution of interstellar meteors, finding that for smooth power-law fits of the form N(r)∝ r-q, the possible values of q are in the range 3.41 ± 0.17. We then consider the possibility of analyzing interstellar meteors to learn about their parent planetary systems. We propose a strategy for determining the orbits and chemical compositions of interstellar meteors, using a network of ∼ 600 all-sky camera systems to track and conduct remote spectroscopy on meteors larger than ∼ 5cm once every few years. It should also be possible to retrieve meteorites from the impact sites, providing the first samples of materials from other planetary systems.