Simultaneous observations of meteors and the equatorial electrojet at Jicamarca

Observations of meteor echoes at Jicamarca in August of 1990, 1991, and 1992 reveal some unusual properties. The echo durations are very long ($\sim$2 s to 3 minutes), radio wave scattering is non-specular (echoes are detected simultaneously over an $\sim$10 to 15 km altitude range centered about 97 km), and the Doppler spectra of the scattered signals contain components shifted by as much as $\sim$400 ms$\sp{{-}1}$ immediately after the onset of the echoes. These unusual properties are attributed to the growth and propagation of plasma irregularities along meteor trails deposited within the equatorial electrojet. It is suggested that trails at electrojet heights must carry intense transient currents that excite two-stream and/or gradient drift instabilities for irregularity growth. The direction of electron motion responsible for the transient current agrees with the Doppler shift of the high-frequency components in meteor echo signals. Nighttime Jicamarca electrojet data with simultaneous meteor observations are studied in detail and compared with the plasma irregularity explanation.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Chapin, Elaine

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kudeki, Erhan

• Geophysics
• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1996 Chapin, Elaine

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9625120
(UMI)AAI9625120

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/20558