Search for Hydroacoustic Signals from Fireballs Yields Limited Results

This study presents a survey aimed at detecting hydroacoustic signals from fireballs using the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) International Monitoring System. The survey analyzed 30 fireballs, including high-energy events and those occurring over favorable locations for coupling into the deep ocean. The largest of these impactors were greater than 5 meters in diameter. The study explored the possibility of direct hydroacoustic shock transmission as the source mechanism. While one possible instance of a fireball occurring off the coast of Alaska on Sep 2, 2003, was identified, the detection was statistically weak due to the random background rate of signals. The study concludes that hydroacoustic detection of fireballs in the SOFAR channel is very rare. Based on the chosen signal processing parameters and assumptions about signal celerity, no unambiguous detections were found in 53 station-fireball pairs. The estimated conditional upper limit for fireball coupling efficiency is of order 10^-10. An empirical estimate for the energy coupling of surface ocean impacts to the SOFAR channel is 10^-4 for high-velocity surface impacts, based on a well-recorded airplane impact. This research highlights the challenges of detecting and characterizing fireballs using hydroacoustic methods and suggests that alternative detection strategies may be necessary for comprehensive monitoring of near-Earth objects.

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