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Titel |
Diurnal variation of non-specular meteor trails |
VerfasserIn |
J. Hinrichs, L. P. Dyrud, J. Urbina |
Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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ISSN |
0992-7689
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Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: Annales Geophysicae ; 27, no. 5 ; Nr. 27, no. 5 (2009-05-04), S.1961-1967 |
Datensatznummer |
250016514
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Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/angeo-27-1961-2009.pdf |
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Zusammenfassung |
We present results of simulated radar observations of meteor trails in an
effort to show how non-specular meteor trails are expected to vary as a
function of a number of key atmospheric, ionospheric and meteoroid
parameters. This paper identifies which geophysical sources effect the
variability in non-specular trail radar observations, and provides an
approach that uses some of these parameter dependencies to determine
meteoroid and atmospheric properties based upon the radar meteor
observations. The numerical model used follows meteor evolution from
ablation and ionization to head echo plasma generation and through formation
of field aligned irregularities (FAI). Our main finding is
that non-specular meteor trail duration is highly sensitive to the presence
of lower thermospheric winds or electric fields and the background
ionospheric electron density. In an effort to make key predictions we
present the first results of how the same meteoroid is expected to produce
dramatically different meteor trails as a function of location and local
time. For example, we show that mid-latitude trail durations are often
shorter lasting than equatorial trail observations because of the difference
in mid-latitude wind speed and equatorial drift speed. The simulated trails
also account for observations showing that equatorial nighttime non-specular
meteor trails last significantly longer and are observed more often than
daytime trails. |
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