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Re: (meteorobs) Sporadics and wavelets

Hi Lewis,

You wrote:

"This is quite close to Dr. Meisel's view, I suspect, and seems one of the
main reasons why his efforts have focused so much on radio observing in
recent years - some would say to the detriment of AMS's other programs. I
guess I just keep hoping us humble visual (and maybe telescopic and photo)
observers might also be able to contribute data to this intriguing
research..."


The opening is very much there, Lewis, although I will admit that the
visual data is somewhat more difficult to work with due to its intermittent
nature.  Recording the time for each meteor is prefered, although "bin
counting" techniques can be used.  A 45 minute bin is used because 1 hour
bins can produce aliasing problems with the multiple even houred
modulations present in the diurnal flux variation.  Since most visual
observers today record discrete times for each event, the problem is not so
much one of data type, but in "piecing together" the scattered samples that
visual observers produce.  

i have a paper from Dr. Meisel dating back to 1985 when he first began
looking to Fourier techniques for solving such problems.  While we have
used the radiometeor data to develope and improve our methodologies, the
visual data is next on the list.  We are taking this work a step at a time.

The radiometeor project may be my baby, but the visual program was, and has
remained, my first love.  I have been pushing the AMS staff hard for the
last year or so to move towards modernizing and computerizing the visual
program, and we are making progress in this effort.  As the new AMS
Operations Manager, I fully intend that the AMS Visual program will move
forward WITH the Radiometeor Project.  I would certainly like to have some
of you folks on board along with us.

At the risk of violating copyright, I would like to include an excerpt from
what is nearly my bible:  McKinley, D. W. R. (1961) "Meteor Science and
Engineering," McGraw-Hill Book Co.  This is the opening to Chapter 3,
introducing visual and photographic meteor work:

----------------------------------------

     The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, it is intended to point
out to the radio worker some ways in which the nonradio techniques can
be of considerable assistance to his major program of radio observations,
without demanding of him a highly specialized background or imposing
on him an undue burden of expense. Second, whether or not he ever
employs these tools himself, the radio scientist should have at least a
nodding acquaintance with a representative sample of these methods, if
for no other reason than to provide some background for an understand-
ing of the visual and photographic results. These optical data form the
solid core of observational evidence underlying modern meteor theory,
and they will be discussed in some detail in later chapters. Without
this explanation, the visual and photographic experts could rightly corn-
plain of the seemingly secondary roles here assigned to their fields.
>>>>>>> In meteor studies, as in other areas of research where the old, sharp
boundaries between classical fields of science are fast becoming blurred,
the most rapid advances are likely to be made by an organization which
can boast of many experts with diverse specialities, all working together
on a comprehensive and interlocking program-always provided that the
teamwork doctrine is never allowed to crush out the spark of individual
genius. <<<<<<<<<
Almost inevitably the average working group will fall short of
this ideal in some respects, but any specialist-in our case the radio
scientist or engineer-cannot fail to profit from contacts with allied
fields, particularly when it may be shown how easily and effectively he
himself can learn and use some of the other man's techniques.

----------------------------------------

In effect, Dr. McKinley's wordsare even more true today, due to the lack of
funds for extensive radio work and other expensive endeavours.  Meteor
radars have been shut down worldwide, or operate only intermittently.  The
opportunities are present for a higher degree of professional - amateur
collaboration in a variety of areas, with no area functioning to the
"detriment" of the others.

Take care,

     Jim


James Richardson
Graceville, Florida
richardson@digitalexp.com

Operations Manager / Radiometeor Project Coordinator
American Meteor Society (AMS)
http://www.serve.com/meteors
References: