Meteor head echo radar data: Mass–velocity selection effects

Abstract. We report Geminid meteor head echo observations with the high-power large-aperture (HPLA) Shigaraki middle and upper atmosphere (MU) radar in Japan (34.85° N, 136.10° E). The MU radar observation campaign was conducted from 13 December 2010, 08:00 UTC to 15 December, 20:00 UTC and resulted in 48 h of radar data. A total of ~ 270 Geminids were observed among ~ 8800 meteor head echoes with precisely determined orbits. The Geminid head echo activity is consistent with an earlier peak than the visual Geminid activity determined by the International Meteor Organization (IMO). The observed flux of Geminids is a factor of ~ 3 lower than the previously reported flux of the 2009 Orionids measured with an identical MU~radar setup. We use the observed flux ratio to discuss the relation between the head echo mass–velocity selection effect, the mass distribution indices of meteor showers and the mass threshold of the MU radar.

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On the meteoric head echo radar cross section angular dependence

Geophysical Research Letters ◽

10.1029/2008gl033402 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 35 (7) ◽

pp. n/a-n/a ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

J. Kero ◽

C. Szasz ◽

G. Wannberg ◽

A. Pellinen-Wannberg ◽

A. Westman

Keyword(s):

Angular Dependence ◽

Cross Section ◽

Radar Cross Section ◽

Head Echo ◽

Echo Radar

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Meteor velocity determination with plasma physics

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-4-1247-2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 1247-1268 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. P. Dyrud ◽

K. Denney ◽

S. Close ◽

M. Oppenheim ◽

L. Ray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plasma Physics ◽

Radar Data ◽

New Method ◽

Altitude Range ◽

Meteor Trail ◽

Radar Reflection ◽

Head Echo ◽

Meteor Trails ◽

Plasma Reflection ◽

Field Aligned Irregularities

Abstract. Understanding the global meteor flux at Earth requires the measurement of meteor velocities. While several radar methods exist for measuring meteor velocity, they may be biased by plasma reflection mechanisms. This paper presents a new method for deriving meteoroid velocity from the altitudinal extent of non-specular trails. This method employs our recent discoveries on meteor trail plasma instability. Dyrud et al. (2002) demonstrated that meteor trails are unstable over a limited altitude range, and that the precise altitudes of instability are dependent on the meteoroid velocity that generated the trail. Since meteor trail instability results in field aligned irregularities (FAI) that allow for radar reflection, non-specular trail observations may be used to derive velocity. We use ALTAIR radar data of combined head echos and non-specular trails to test non-specular trail derived velocity against head echo velocities. Meteor velocities derived from non-specular trail altitudinal width match to within 5 km/s when compared with head echo range rates from the same meteor. We apply this technique to Piura radar observations of hundreds of non-specular trails to produce histograms of occurrence of meteor velocity based solely on this non-specular trails width criterion. The results from this study show that the most probable velocity of meteors seen by the Piura radar is near 50 km/s which is comparable with modern head echo studies.

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Meteor velocity determination with plasma physics

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-4-817-2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 817-824 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

L. P. Dyrud ◽

K. Denney ◽

S. Close ◽

M. Oppenheim ◽

J. Chau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plasma Physics ◽

Radar Data ◽

New Method ◽

Altitude Range ◽

Meteor Trail ◽

Radar Reflection ◽

Head Echo ◽

Meteor Trails ◽

Plasma Reflection ◽

Field Aligned Irregularities

Abstract. Understanding the global meteor flux at Earth requires the measurement of meteor velocities. While several radar methods exist for measuring meteor velocity, they may be biased by plasma reflection mechanisms. This paper presents a new method for deriving meteoroid velocity from the altitudinal extent of non-specular trails. This method employs our recent discoveries on meteor trail plasma instability. Dyrud et al. (2002) demonstrated that meteor trails are unstable over a limited altitude range, and that the precise altitudes of instability are dependent on the meteoroid that generated the trail. Since meteor trail instability results in field aligned irregularities (FAI) that allow for radar reflection, non-specular trail observations may be used to derive velocity. We use ALTAIR radar data of combined head echos and non-specular trails to test non-specular trail derived velocity against head echo velocities. Meteor velocities derived from non-specular trail altitudinal width match to within 5 km/s when compared with head echo range rates from the same meteor. We apply this technique to Piura radar observations of hundreds of non-specular trails to produce histograms of occurrence of meteor velocity based solely on this non-specular trails width criterion. The results from this study show that the most probable velocity of meteors seen by the Piura radar is near 50 km/s, which is comparable with modern head echo studies.

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Plasma and Electromagnetic Simulations of Meteor Head Echo Radar Reflections

Advances in Meteoroid and Meteor Science ◽

10.1007/978-0-387-78419-9_54 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 383-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lars Dyrud ◽

Derek Wilson ◽

Steiner Boerve ◽

Jan Trulsen ◽

Hans Pecseli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electromagnetic Simulations ◽

Head Echo ◽

Echo Radar

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VHF antenna pattern characterization by the observation of meteor head echoes

10.5194/amt-2016-320 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Toralf Renkwitz ◽

Carsten Schult ◽

Ralph Latteck

Keyword(s):

Radiation Pattern ◽

Middle Atmosphere ◽

Radar Data ◽

Lower Atmosphere ◽

Beam Forming ◽

Flexible Beam ◽

Phased Array Antenna ◽

Active Experiments ◽

Head Echo ◽

Actual Radiation

Abstract. The Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar SYstem (MAARSY) with its active phased array antenna is designed and used for studies of phenomena in the mesosphere and lower atmosphere. The flexible beam forming and steering combined with a large aperture array allows observations with high temporal and angular resolution. For both, the analysis of the radar data and the configuration of experiments, the actual radiation pattern needs to be known. For that purpose various simulations as well as passive and active experiments have been conducted. Here, results of meteor head echo observations are presented, which allow derivation of detailed information of the actual radiation pattern for different beam pointing positions and the current health status of the entire radar. For MAARSY, the described method offers robust beam pointing and width estimations for a minimum of a few days of observations.

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VHF antenna pattern characterization by the observation of meteor head echoes

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques ◽

10.5194/amt-10-527-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 527-535 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Toralf Renkwitz ◽

Carsten Schult ◽

Ralph Latteck

Keyword(s):

Radiation Pattern ◽

Middle Atmosphere ◽

Radar Data ◽

Lower Atmosphere ◽

Beam Forming ◽

Flexible Beam ◽

Phased Array Antenna ◽

Active Experiments ◽

Head Echo ◽

Actual Radiation

Abstract. The Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) with its active phased array antenna is designed and used for studies of phenomena in the mesosphere and lower atmosphere. The flexible beam forming and steering combined with a large aperture array allows for observations with a high temporal and angular resolution. For both the analysis of the radar data and the configuration of experiments, the actual radiation pattern needs to be known. For that purpose, various simulations as well as passive and active experiments have been conducted. Here, results of meteor head echo observations are presented, which allow us to derive detailed information of the actual radiation pattern for different beam-pointing positions and the current health status of the entire radar. For MAARSY, the described method offers robust beam pointing and width estimations for a minimum of a few days of observations.

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The Geminid meteor shower during the ECOMA sounding rocket campaign: specular and head echo radar observations

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-31-473-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 473-487 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

G. Stober ◽

C. Schult ◽

C. Baumann ◽

R. Latteck ◽

M. Rapp

Keyword(s):

Middle Atmosphere ◽

Meteor Shower ◽

Sounding Rocket ◽

Radar Observations ◽

Smoke Particles ◽

Meteor Flux ◽

Launch Site ◽

Meteoric Smoke ◽

Head Echo ◽

Echo Radar

Abstract. The ECOMA (Existence of Charge state Of meteoric smoke particles in the Middle Atmosphere) sounding rocket campaign was conducted during the Geminid meteor shower in December 2010 in order to explore whether there is a change of the properties of meteoric smoke particles due to the stream. In parallel to the rocket flights, three radars monitored the Geminid activity located at the launch site in Northern Norway and in Northern Germany to gain information about the meteor flux into the atmosphere. The results presented here are based on specular meteor radar observations measuring the radiant position, the velocity and the meteor flux into the atmosphere during the Geminids. Further, the MAARSY (Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System) radar was operated to conduct meteor head echo experiments. The interferometric capabilities of MAARSY permit measuring the meteor trajectories within the radar beam and to determine the source radiant and geocentric meteor velocity, as well as to compute the meteor orbit.

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