Meteor head echoes – observations and models

• Main Author: A. Pellinen-wannberg
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: EISCAT
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.210.1949; http://www.ann-geophys.net/23/201/2005/angeo-23-201-2005.pdf

Abstract. Meteor head echoes – instantaneous echoes moving with the velocities of the meteors – have been recorded since 1947. Despite many attempts, this phenomenon did not receive a comprehensive theory for over 4 decades. The High Power and Large Aperture (HPLA) features, combined with present signal processing and data storage capabilities of incoherent scatter radars, may give an explanation for the old riddle. The meteoroid passage through the radar beam can be followed with simultaneous spatial-time resolution of about 100 m-ms class. The current views of the meteor head echo process will be presented and discussed. These will be related to various EISCAT observations, such as dualfrequency target sizes, altitude distributions and vector velocities. Key words. Interplanetary physics (Interplanetary dust) – Radio science (General and miscellaneous) – General and miscellaneous (New fields)