(meteorobs) Possible alternative way to quantify radio meteors

[James Beauchamp]

Just as a quick note, there a couple of complications with using the scatter strength for determining size.

The received signal is an end product (combination) of ion density, radar cross-section, path length, and where it falls in the beam pattern.  Doppler effects will also spread the power product at the receiver.

From the several years of using the AF space radar, I can tell you the variability is extremely high. Amazing events that occur off-axis may not have a signal at all. Conversely, meteors in the main beam that are barely visible have overwhelmed the receiver with amazing persistence.

If I were to make a qualitative estimate, distance and beam axis seem to be the biggest variability factors.  

Optical correlation seems to be the most reliable factor, to me.  

Sent from my iPhone

On May 10, 2013, at 11:19, Thomas Ashcraft <ashcraft at heliotown.com> wrote:

> I proposed this idea some years ago here on the meteorobs list but didn't get any response then. Here is the idea again.
> 
> So, along with the standard count and tally of individual radio meteors, I think there would be scientific value in quantifying the mass of the accumulated radio meteor reflections as received on radio meteor software like SpectrumLab. Essentially this would be quantifying the meteor induced ionization.
> 
> After sunrise on May 6th the over-dense radio reflections from the eta-Aquariids started to run together which made counting individual meteors futile. But the accumulation of radio reflections in intensity and duration still shows the apparent passage of Earth through the ETA comet dust.
> 
> I posted a rough sketch time-lapse of my SpectrumLab charts for May 6, 2013. 
> http://www.heliotown.com/FB_eta_spec_May062013_0720_2004_Ashcraft.mp4
> 
> You can see individual sporadic background meteors as dots before the radiant rises at my location and during a possible peak at the 1200 UT hour the fireball trails of reflective ionization stream together. This obliterates an accurate count but the meteor shower activity is obvious by the density of ionization.
> 
> It would be a trivial matter to scan spectrograms and quantify meteor reception as mass of ionization.
> 
> Thomas Ashcraft - Heliotown - New Mexico
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