(meteorobs) Strange Lightcurves

[Roberto G.]

>From: "mark_vornhusen" <mark at vornhusen.de>


>Hi,
>I noticed that some meteors become nearly invisible for a moment and
>then reappear again. Here are two examples, taken with an xx1332 image
>intensifierer and 120mm lens (crops from original 720x576 pixel video,
>1/25s per frame):
>http://www.parhelia.de/storm/2007/meteor_20070910_013826.gif
>http://www.parhelia.de/storm/2007/meteor_20070912_022427.gif
>
>I'm looking for an explanation of this phenomenon. Any ideas?
>
>Mark

Sorry for the bad English.

Once I have seen a meteor to cover a long trajectory and to disappear
and to appear 3-4 times, I have assumed that it was bounced several
times outside of the atmosphere (or more up of the level in which
begin the ionization) like a stone it is bounced on the water.  In an other
occasion I have seen to appear rather slow an ordinary meteor, then to
disappear, for an intuition I have continued to follow where it had 
to continue and have seen to appear an luminous dot without wake
that after it was not more visible.
In a generalized manner when a meteor disappears it's because
it has lost all the external layer in order then to begin newly
to become ionized.
Best greetings.
Roberto Gorelli