Premium
Temperatures Using radar‐meteor decay times
Author(s) -
Hocking W. K.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl003618
Subject(s) - mesopause , meteor (satellite) , mesosphere , ambipolar diffusion , radar , atmospheric sciences , latitude , range (aeronautics) , diffusion , bay , environmental science , thermosphere , geology , meteorology , physics , geodesy , geophysics , stratosphere , materials science , oceanography , nuclear physics , ionosphere , thermodynamics , telecommunications , plasma , computer science , composite material
Experimental studies of the temperature and pressure dependence of the ambipolar diffusion coefficient in the mesopause region have been undertaken by studying meteor trail decay times with radars at a variety of sites in North America, with latitudes between 75N and 35N. The site at Resolute Bay, Canada, has proven especially useful, due to the wide range of mesopause temperatures experienced at that site between summer and winter. Theoretical predictions have been confirmed, and an algorithm is outlined which permits meteor decay times to be used to determine absolute measurements of mesospheric temperatures.