meteoroidina

Meteoroidina is a term used in some theoretical or speculative discussions to describe a proposed class of small meteoroid-like particles. It is not a standard or formally recognized category in mainstream meteoroid science, and its use appears in a limited set of publications or thought experiments rather than in official catalogs.

In the models where meteoroidina is discussed, these particles are imagined as originating from fragmentation processes in the inner Solar System, including asteroid disruption and the contribution of dust from comets. They would be characterized by relatively small sizes and high entry speeds, and by ablation behavior that could give rise to distinctive meteor phenomena compared with ordinary micrometeoroids. Proponents often posit that meteoroidina could exhibit particular spectral signatures or density characteristics that set them apart in observational data.

Observation and study of meteoroidina, when it occurs in the literature, rely on data from meteor networks, radar observations, and spectral analysis of meteors. Researchers look for unusual light curves, ablation characteristics, and mineralogical signatures that would support the existence of a separate population. However, due to its tentative status, there is no consensus on diagnostic criteria or statistical evidence for meteoroidina, and the term remains fringe within the broader field.

See also: meteoroid, meteor, micrometeoroid, meteor shower, space debris.