UV meteor observation from a space platform

The paper reports on the evaluation of the meteor light curve in the 300-400 nm UV band produced by meteoroids and space debris interacting with the Earth atmosphere; the aim is to assess the visibility of the phenomenon by a near-Earth space platform and to estimate the capability for measuring the solid-body influx on the Earth from outer space. The simulations have been conceived on the basis of general processes only, without introducing a priori observational inputs: the calibration with real data can be made in orbit by validation with "characterized" meteor streams. Computations are made for different values of the entry velocity (12 to 72 km/s) and angle of impact of the meteoroid when entering the atmosphere, with initial-mass values ranging from 10(-12) kg to the kg size encompassing the transition from microyneteorites (M < 10(-9)-10(-8) kg) to the "ablation" regime typical of larger masses. The data are presented rising units in UV Magnitudo to facilitate direct comparison with the common literature in the field. The results concern observations of the atmosphere up to M-UV = 18 by a height of 400 km above the Earth surface (average for the International Space Station ISS), with reference to the mission "Extreme Universe Space Observatory-EUSO" designed as an external payload for the module "Columbus" of the European Space Agency. Meteors represent for EUSO an observable as a slow UV phenomenon with seconds to minutes characteristic time duration, to be compared to the fast phenomenon typical of the Extensive Air Shower (EAS) induced by the energetic cosmic radiation, ranging from microseconds to milliseconds. Continuous wide-angle observation by EUSO with its high inclination orbit and sensitivity reaching M-UV = 18 will allow the in-depth exploration of the meteor "sporadic" component and to isolate the contribution of minor "streams".