Radiant Structure of the August Draconid Meteor Complex Based on Data from Modern Meteor Monitoring Networks

M. Yu. Khovrichev, S. R. Pavlov, A. L. Tolstoy, D. A. Bikulova

Transactions of IAA RAS, issue 75, 45–51 (2025)

DOI: 10.32876/ApplAstron.75.45-51

Keywords: meteors, meteor shower radiant, low-mass fraction of meteoroid stream, August Draconids (AUD), optical monitoring of meteor phenomena, asteroids

Abstract

Modern optical meteor monitoring networks are a promising tool for studying meteoroid stream dynamics. Comparing the radiant structure of high-mass meteoroids (≥100 mg) with that of low-mass fraction can lead us to certain conclusions about the genesis of a meteoroid complex. In this study, we used data from the Global Meteor Network (GMN) and izMeteors to analyze the meteoroid stream that is the source of the August Draconids. GMN only provides multi-station data, enabling precise orbit determination, but this limits the sample to relatively bright meteors (typically brighter than 2nd magnitude), corresponding to masses over approximately 100 mg. In contrast, the izMeteors database has no such brightness restriction, enabling the detection of meteors from particles as small as fractions of a milligram. Using GMN orbital data, we identified potential parent bodies of the shower by applying a combination of orbital similarity criteria. The asteroids 2002 GJ8 and 2016 NO16 have previously been identified as candidate progenitors of the meteoroid stream. This paper expands that list by applying orbital element agreement criteria, showing that four asteroids (2016 NO16, 2002 GJ8, 2017 NW5, and 2020 HU6) and two comets (206P/Barnard-Boattini and 21P/Giacobini-Zinner) could be considered as progenitors of August Draconids. We traced the drift and structure of the “massive” meteoroid fraction using individual GMN meteors. For the low-mass meteors from izMeteors data, we analyzed meteor track continuations near the nominal radiant. A combined analysis revealed no significant structural differences between the high- and low-mass radiants. However, the overall radiant distribution suggests a mixture of multiple subradiants, which are likely linked to multiple parent bodies. This conclusion is supported by the list of potential progenitors and an independent analysis of eight-year data from the European Fireball Network.

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