2009 Workshop:Meteors and the Upper Atmosphere
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Meteors and the Upper Atmosphere
Zia, 1300-1500, 30 June 2009
Conveners
Workshop Categories
Altitudes: MLT - Latitudes: global - Inst/Model: radar - Other: and modeling and optical
Agenda of the Workshop
Panel and Short Presentations
PANEL
Panel members will be given a few minutes prior to panel discussion to introduce their results and the topic relating to Radar Observations of Non-uniform/non-smooth Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) Meteor Head Echoes, and what these observations can teach us about meteoroids and the deposition of metals in the upper atmosphere. Panel Members: John Plane John Mathews Koki Chau: Jicamarca examples of meteor ablation and fragmentation Meers Oppenheim
SHORT PRESENTATIONS
Speakers: Diego Janches Observation of Differential ablation Jonathan Fentzke* Meteoric Smoke Particles Observed with Arecibo Jonathon Sparks* Temporal and Geographical variability of the meteor altitude distribution Elizabeth Bass* Julio Urbina The Nittany Meteor Radar: Current Status Laura Vertatschitsch* Polarization Properties of Meteor Head Echoes Jason Hinrichs* Global modeling of the variability of non-specular meteor trails Eli Hibit* Modeling and radar observations of mid-latitude non-specular meteors Lars Dyrud Differential Ablation and non-specular meteor trails Siming Zhao* On the role of geomagnetic field in meteor detection Akshay Malhotra* Meers Oppenheim The 3D evolution of meteor plasma: Fully kinetic simulation results Joe Grebowsky GOME measurements of Neutral and ionized Mg and Fe Ingemar Hagsstroem Eiscat Meteor Observations
* indicates student speaker
Estimated attendance
50-80
Special technology requests
none
Description
Every year approximately 100,000 tons of meteoric material impacts Earth's atmosphere near 100 km altitude. However, many questions remain on this meteor mass and energy flux and the impact of this flux on upper atmospheric chemistry and ionization. For example, global yearly mass flux estimates are not constrained to within an order of magnitude. Of particular importance to the CEDAR community is that meteors account for all of the dust, metal neutral and ionized particles in the upper atmosphere (since there is no convection or diffusion of atoms or particles of this size from the ground all the way to 100 km). Further, meteoric dust is also thought to provide the condensation nuclei for polar mesospheric clouds PMC (high altitude clouds near 80 km), which is the focuses of a current NASA mission (AIM). Yet it remains unclear whether variability in meteor flux generates variability in PMC occurrence. Additionally, CEDAR researchers have used radar reflections from meteor trails to remotely sense winds and temperatures near the mesopause (a very difficult place to take meausurements, too high for lidar to low for fabry-perot measurements). With some success for winds but little success for temperatures. To address these issues, we invite presentations on the physics of meteors and their interaction with the atmosphere and ionosphere. Specific discussion is encouraged on the observation of meteors with NSF and CEDAR supported facilities, or the theoretical interpretation of such observations.
We encourage contributions of research attempting to better understand meteors or general aeronomy via meteor observations, including upper atmospheric chemistry and metal layers. We also invite presentations of radar, Lidar and optical observations. Theoretical studies or simulations of the meteors and meteor trail interactions with the atmosphere/ionosphere are also invited.
This year we will also hold a panel discussion on the following topic. "Differential ablation or fragmentation: how do we make sense of non-smooth radar “light curves”?"
This topic has been the result of a number of recent papers, and disagreement between different researchers. We look forward to a very interesting discussion amongst panel members and would also encourage all those that are interested to attend, and those that have data or ideas on the subject are welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion.
Workshop Summary
This is where the final summary workshop report will be.
Presentation Resources
Upload presentation and link to it here. Links to other resources.
- Add links to your presentations here, including agendas, that are uploaded above. Please add bullets to separate talks. See further information on how to upload a file and link to it.
- pdf of Fentzke et al. MSP Talk
