Specular meteor observations and full wave scattering modelling: observing faint meteors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunter Stober ◽  
Peter Brown ◽  
Carsten Schult ◽  
Rob Weryk ◽  
Margaret Campbell-Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decay Time ◽  
Wave Scattering ◽  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Scattering Model ◽  
Resonance Effects ◽  
Atmospheric Molecules ◽  
Triple Frequency ◽  
Full Wave ◽  
Electron Line

<p>There is a continuous flux of meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere, which are decelerated and heated by collisions with atmospheric molecules, and, depending on the meteoroid kinetic energy, they vaporize and form an ambipolar diffusing plasma trail, which is easily detectable using radar remote sensing. Specular meteor observations are a widely used radar technique to measure winds at the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT). The altitude dependent lifetime (decay time) of the meteor plasma columns provides valuable information about the mean temperature of the atmosphere.  Part of the success of these systems is based on the efficient scattering process compared to meteor head echoes.</p><p>Here we present observations with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System to detect the faintest observable meteors using the specular geometry, but a focused beam with a beamwidth of 3.6° and the full power of 866kW of the system. We compare our observations to an orbital dynamics model of JFC comets and derive a meteor velocity distribution for the observed population.</p><p>Further, we performed extensive modeling using a full-wave scattering model based on the model presented in Poulter and Baggaley, 1977. We conducted extensive simulations with the full-wave scattering model to investigate how different plasma distributions would affect the detectability of the meteoric plasma cylinders considering the initial trail radius, diffusion, and electron line density. The obtained reflection coefficients are validated with the triple frequency CMOR (Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar) measurements convolving them with the Fresnel integrals. Our results indicate that the plasma distribution can significantly alter the detectability. Further, the model shows that the observed decay time depends on the polarization of the transmitted wave relative to the meteor trajectory, which also revealed resonance effects for certain critical plasma frequencies. </p>

scholarly journals Large-Scale Waves in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Observed by SABER

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 4384-4399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolando R. Garcia ◽  
Ruth Lieberman ◽  
James M. Russell ◽  
Martin G. Mlynczak
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Normal Modes ◽  
Zonal Winds ◽  
Broadband Emission ◽  
Summer Hemisphere ◽  
Mean Structure ◽  
Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Observations made by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on board NASA’s Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite have been processed using Salby’s fast Fourier synoptic mapping (FFSM) algorithm. The mapped data provide a first synoptic look at the mean structure and traveling waves of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) since the launch of the TIMED satellite in December 2001. The results show the presence of various wave modes in the MLT, which reach largest amplitude above the mesopause and include Kelvin and Rossby–gravity waves, eastward-propagating diurnal oscillations (“non-sun-synchronous tides”), and a set of quasi-normal modes associated with the so-called 2-day wave. The latter exhibits marked seasonal variability, attaining large amplitudes during the solstices and all but disappearing at the equinoxes. SABER data also show a strong quasi-stationary Rossby wave signal throughout the middle atmosphere of the winter hemisphere; the signal extends into the Tropics and even into the summer hemisphere in the MLT, suggesting ducting by westerly background zonal winds. At certain times of the year, the 5-day Rossby normal mode and the 4-day wave associated with instability of the polar night jet are also prominent in SABER data.

Middle Atmosphere Temperature Changes Derived from SABER Observations during 2002-2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
X. R. Zhao ◽  
Z. Sheng ◽  
H. Q. Shi ◽  
L. B. Weng ◽  
Y. He
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cycle ◽  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Atmosphere Temperature ◽  
Temperature Responses

AbstractUsing temperature data measured by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument from February 2002 to March 2020, the temperature linear trend and temperature responses to the solar cycle (SC), Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were investigated from 20 km to 110 km for the latitude range of 50°S-50°N. A four-component harmonic fit was used to remove the seasonal variation from the observed monthly temperature series. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to analyze the linear trend, SC, QBO, and ENSO terms. In this study, the near-global mean temperature shows consistent cooling trends throughout the entire middle atmosphere, ranging from -0.28 to -0.97 K/decade. Additionally, it shows positive responses to the solar cycle, varying from -0.05 to 4.53 K/100sfu. A solar temperature response boundary between 50°S and 50°N is given, above which the atmospheric temperature is strongly affected by solar activity. The boundary penetrates deep below the stratopause to ~ 42 km over the tropical region and rises to higher altitudes with latitude. Temperature responses to the QBO and ENSO can be observed up to the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. In the equatorial region, 40%-70% of the total variance is explained by QBO signals in the stratosphere and 30%-50% is explained by the solar signal in the upper middle atmosphere. Our results, obtained from 18-year SABER observations, are expected to be an updated reliable estimation of the middle atmosphere temperature variability for the stratospheric ozone recovery period.

Formation of the double stratopause and elevated stratopause associated with the major stratospheric sudden warming in 2018/19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruka Okui ◽  
Kaoru Sato ◽  
Dai Koshin ◽  
Shingo Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Baroclinic Instability ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Lower Atmosphere ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Residual Circulation ◽  
Stratospheric Sudden Warming

<p>After several recent stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events, the stratopause disappeared and reformed at a higher altitude, forming an elevated stratopause (ES). The relative roles of atmospheric waves in the mechanism of ES formation are still not fully understood. We performed a hindcast of the 2018/19 SSW event using a gravity-wave (GW) permitting general circulation model containing the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), and analyzed dynamical phenomena throughout the entire middle atmosphere. An ES formed after the major warming on 1 January 2019. There was a marked temperature maximum in the polar upper mesosphere around 28 December 2018 prior to the disappearance of the descending stratopause associated with the SSW. This temperature structure with two maxima in the vertical is referred to as a double stratopause (DS). We showed that adiabatic heating from the residual circulation driven by GW forcing (GWF) causes barotropic and/or baroclinic instability before DS formation, causing in situ generation of planetary waves (PWs). These PWs propagate into the MLT and exert negative forcing, which contributes to DS formation. Both negative GWF and PWF above the recovered eastward jet play crucial roles in ES formation. The altitude of the recovered eastward jet, which regulates GWF and PWF height, is likely affected by the DS structure. Simple vertical propagation from the lower atmosphere is insufficient to explain the presence of the GWs observed in this event.</p>

scholarly journals Electromagnetic wave scattering on imperfect cloaking devices

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-250
Author(s):  
G. Isic ◽  
A. Beltaos ◽  
R. Gajic ◽  
K. Hingerl
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Wave ◽  
Scattering Theory ◽  
Wave Scattering ◽  
Singular Values ◽  
Shell Material ◽  
Electromagnetic Wave Scattering ◽  
Material Parameters ◽  
Full Wave ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Theoretical Results

Cloaking devices based on the coordinate transform approach enable, in principle, a perfect concealment of a region in space provided that the material composing the cloaking shell meets certain criteria. To achieve ideal cloaking it is necessary that the shell material parameters have singular values on the surface bounding the cloaked region which is unphysical. In this paper we assume finite values of cloak parameters and apply the scattering theory formalism to give an estimate of the overall performance of an 'imperfect' cloak. We perform full-wave numerical calculations and use our theoretical results to discuss them.

scholarly journals Horizontally resolved structures of radar backscatter from polar mesospheric layers

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 285-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Latteck ◽  
W. Singer ◽  
M. Rapp ◽  
T. Renkwitz ◽  
G. Stober
Keyword(s):  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Beam Steering ◽  
Lower Thermosphere ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Phased Array Antenna ◽  
Vhf Radar ◽  
The North ◽  
Expansion Stage ◽  
Arctic Atmosphere ◽  
High Flexibility

Abstract. The Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Kühlungsborn, Germany (IAP) installed a new powerful VHF radar on the North-Norwegian island Andøya (69.30° N, 16.04° E) from 2009 to 2011. The new Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) replaces the existing ALWIN radar which has been in continuous operation on Andøya for more than 10 yr. MAARSY is a monostatic radar operated at 53.5 MHz with an active phased array antenna consisting of 433 Yagi antennas each connected to its own transceiver with independent control of frequency, phase and power of the transmitted signal. This arrangement provides a very high flexibility of beam forming and beam steering. It allows classical beam swinging operation as well as experiments with simultaneous multiple beams and the use of modern interferometric applications for improved studies of the Arctic atmosphere from the troposphere up to the lower thermosphere with high spatial-temporal resolution. The installation of the antenna was completed in August 2009. An initial expansion stage of 196 transceiver modules was installed in spring 2010, upgraded to 343 transceiver modules in December 2010 and the installation of the radar was completed in spring 2011. Beside standard observations of tropospheric winds and Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes, multi-beam experiments using up to 91 beams quasi-simultaneously in the mesosphere have been carried out using the different expansion stages of the system during campaigns in 2010 and 2011. These results provided a first insight into the horizontal variability of Polar Mesosphere Summer and Winter Echoes in an area of about 80 km by 80 km with time resolutions between 3 and 9 min.

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