[meteorite-list] Smoke Trails

From: Chris Peterson <clp_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:02:43 -0600
Message-ID: <4EB55013.6080100_at_alumni.caltech.edu>

Sterling-

I don't think a contrail is gaseous at all. Sure, there are gaseous
components, but we don't see those. The visible manifestation that we
call a contrail is made of of water droplets condensed on soot
particles. No gas involved.

In the case of a meteor trail, there is also a lot of gas involved
(which we see only when it is ionized). But again, the visible
manifestation of a smoke trail is particulate, just like a contrail. The
primary difference is that smoke isn't volatile, whereas water droplets are.

Chris

*******************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On 11/5/2011 12:45 AM, Sterling K. Webb wrote:
> Dear Doug, List,
>
>> Not a good idea to skydive that high!
>
> Can I point you to Joseph Kittinger?
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kittinger
>
> He holds the altitude record for a parachute
> jump at 102,800 feet (31.3 km). He fell for four
> minutes and 36 seconds, reaching a maximum
> speed of 614 miles per hour (988 km/h) before
> opening his parachute. Oh, and he jumped
> from a balloon, so he holds the record for the
> highest balloon ascent, as well as longest fall
> and fastest speed. In 1984, he made the first
> solo gas balloon crossing of the Atlantic.
>
> He didn't leave a contrail or a smoke trail,
> though.
>
> The principal physical difference between them
> is that a contrail is essentially gaseous, just as
> the atmosphere is, while a smoke trail is a
> dispersed solid, made of very small rock particles
> and few to no gases (by weight).
>
>
> Sterling K. Webb
Received on Sat 05 Nov 2011 11:02:43 AM PDT