Meteor smoke particle properties derived from Arecibo incoherent scatter radar observations

Abstract

[1] We present a new algorithm to infer information on the properties of charged meteoric smoke particles (MSPs) from the shape of incoherent scatter radar spectra. We show that in the presence of charged MSPs the spectrum can be approximated as the sum of two Lorentzians. These two distinct spectral lines correspond to two diffusion modes in the D-region plasma, i.e., one due the presence of positive ions and one because of heavy charged MSPs. The widths and amplitudes of these two spectral lines yield information on the radius and number density (the latter only for positively charged particles) of the charged MSPs. We apply this new algorithm to measurements obtained with the 430 MHz ISR at Arecibo and demonstrate that the observed spectra indeed bear the features anticipated in the presence of charged MSPs. Resulting values of retrieved MSP number densities and radii fall well within the range of values expected from models and independent in situ observations. Citation: Strelnikova, I., M. Rapp, S. Raizada, and M. Sulzer (2007), Meteor smoke particle properties derived from Arecibo incoherent scatter radar observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L15815,

In situ observations of meteor smoke particles (MSP) during the Geminids 2010: constraints on MSP size, work function and composition

“…Among these are the nucleation of mesospheric ice particles (e.g., Rapp and Thomas, 2006), the mesospheric metal chemistry , the D-region charge balance (e.g., Rapp and Lübken, 2001), the heterogeneous formation of water vapour in the mesosphere (Summers et al, 2001), and even the nucleation of polar stratospheric cloud particles which play a major role in the formation of the ozone hole (e.g., Voigt et al, 2005). While some progress regarding the experimental investigation of these atmospheric trace species has been made over the past years with sounding rockets (e.g., Schulte and Arnold, 1992;Gelinas et al, 1998;Horányi et al, 2000;Rapp et al, 2005;Lynch et al, 2005;Barjatya and Swenson, 2006;Amyx et al, 2008;Strelnikova et al, 2009;Rapp et al, 2010), incoherent scatter radars Strelnikova et al, 2007;Fentzke et al, 2009), satellites (Hervig et al, 2009(Hervig et al, , 2012, and laboratory studies (Saunders and Plane, 2006), much of our knowledge about these particles still relies on model results (e.g., Hunten et al, 1980;Gabrielli et al, 2004;Megner et al, 2006Megner et al, , 2008Bardeen et al, 2008). Among other things, very little is still known about the physical and chemical properties of MSPs such as their composition and their electrical and optical properties.…”

Estimate of size distribution of charged MSPs measured in situ in winter during the WADIS-2 sounding rocket campaign

“…Typical values for Sc found in PMSEs are several hundred on average and can often be several thousands (Lübken et al, 1994;Li et al, 2010;Rapp et al, 2011;Strelnikov and Rapp, 2011). The same mechanism but involving MSPs was proposed to explain the PMWEs in the case when neutral turbulence is not sufficiently large (e.g., Kavanagh et al, 2006;Lübken et al, 2007;Kero et al, 2008;La Hoz and Havnes, 2008;Havnes and Kassa, 2009;Havnes et al, 2011;Strelnikova and Rapp, 2013;Stebel et al, 2004;Belova et al, 2008). The latter has not yet been confirmed by direct measurement.…”

“…It has been shown that MSPs are important for the D-region charge balance (Friedrich et al, 2011Baumann et al, 2013Baumann et al, , 2015Robertson et al, 2014;Asmus et al, 2015). Moving with the background flow and bound to neutral air turbulence, charged MSPs are also suggested to be potentially involved in the formation of so-called polar mesospheric winter echoes (PMWEs) (e.g., Kavanagh et al, 2006;Lübken et al, 2007;Kero et al, 2008;La Hoz and Havnes, 2008;Havnes and Kassa, 2009;Havnes et al, 2011;Strelnikova and Rapp, 2013;Stebel et al, 2004;Belova et al, 2008). There are also theories explaining the formation of PMWEs by neutral turbulence and an increased electron density (e.g., Lübken et al, 2006).…”

“…The existence of these so-called meteor smoke particles (MSPs) has been mainly shown by rocket-borne measurements (e.g., Gelinas et al, 1998;Lynch, 2005;Rapp et al, 2005Rapp et al, , 2008Rapp et al, , 2011Robertson et al, 2014). In addition, indirect remote sensing techniques such as incoherent scatter radars and satellite-based measurements have been used to study MSP properties Strelnikova et al, 2007;Fentzke et al, 2009;Hervig et al, 2009). It has been shown that MSPs are important for the D-region charge balance (Friedrich et al, 2011Baumann et al, 2013Baumann et al, , 2015Robertson et al, 2014;Asmus et al, 2015).…”

Secondary electron emission from meteoric smoke particles inside the polar ionosphere

“…These MSPs are particles, which originate from extraterrestrial matter that is injected into the atmosphere by evaporating meteors (Rosinski and Snow, 1961;Megner et al, 2006). The existence of these MSPs was proven by in situ measurements on sounding rockets (e.g., Havnes et al, 1996;Rapp et al, 2012), by spectrometers on board satellites (Hervig et al, 2009) and by means of incoherent-scatter radars (Strelnikova et al, 2007). MSPs have effects on the nucleation of ice particles in the mesosphere (e.g., Wilms et al, 2016, and references therein) and influences on the ionospheric charge balance Baumann et al, 2013;Plane et al, 2014;Asmus et al, 2015) and ion chemistry (Baumann et al, 2015) of the D region.…”