Constraints on meteoric smoke composition and meteoric influx using SOFIE observations with models

Comparing the multiwavelength observations with models suggests smoke compositions of magnetite, wustite, magnesiowustite, or iron-rich olivine. Smoke compositions of pure pyroxene, hematite, iron-poor olivine, magnesium silicate, and silica are excluded, although this may be because these materials have weak signatures at the SOFIE wavelengths.

Information concerning smoke composition allows the SOFIE extinction measurements to be converted to smoke volume density. Comparing the observed volume density with model results for varying meteoric influx (MI) provides constraints on the ablated fraction of incoming meteoric material. The results indicate a global ablated MI of 3.31.9td(-1), which represents only iron, magnesium, and possibly silica, given the smoke compositions indicated here.