An algorithm for the estimation of anharmonicity from a Morse potential
Abstract The wavefunctions of the ground and first excited state in a Morse potential are calculated and plotted, and the expectation values of the bond lengths
Rigid asymmetric rotor theory and the gas phase structure of fluoronitrate
Abstract The rigid asymmetric top profile simulation of some fundamental IR transitions in methylnitrate and fluoronitrate shows the latter to have a planar gas phase structure.
The fragmentation of small asteroids in the atmosphere
The fragmentation of a small asteroid in the atmosphere greatly increases its cross-sections for aerodynamic braking and energy dissipation. The differential pressure across a meteoroid disperses its fragments at a velocity that increases with atmospheric density and impact velocity and decreases with meteoroid density. At a typical impact velocity of 22 km/s, the atmosphere absorbs more than half the kinetic energy of stony meteoroids with diameters, D M < 220 M AND IRON METEOROIDS WITH D M < 80 m. The corresponding diameter for comets with impact velocity 50 km/s is D M < 1600 m. Most of this energy dissipation occurs in a fraction of a scale height, which causes large meteoroids to appear to »explode« or »flare« at the end of their visible paths