  Burns et al. (1979) use the parameter beta to describe the ratio of radiation
pressure to gravity experienced by a small particle in the solar system. The
central potential that these particles experience is effectively reduced by a
factor of (1 - beta), lowering the escape velocity. Burns et al. (1979) also
provide a simple expression for the value of beta at which particles ejected
from a comet follow parabolic orbits and thus leave the solar system; this
paper expands on this to calculate critical beta values that take ejection
velocity into account. We first derive an expression for the speed at which
particles are ejected from a comet that is valid at all particle sizes. We then
calculate beta values for both idealized and real materials to determine which
particles will be lost from meteor streams. We perform these calculations for
cometary ejecta leading, trailing, and following the parent comet's nucleus for
10 major meteor showers. These values bound mass regimes within which
meteoroids are ejected from the solar system and therefore cannot contribute to
meteor showers.
