Retrieving meteoroids trajectories using BRAMS data : preliminary simulations

1. Retrieving meteoroids trajectories using BRAMS data : preliminary simulations Hervé Lamy & Cédric Tétard Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy METRO annual meeting 2016 Brussels – 29 November 2016

2. Forward scattering of radio waves

3. Specularreflection Wislez et al (2005) = 0

4. Specularreflection 2 equations for a & b x (and y,z) of tangential point

5. Idea of Nedeljkovic (2005) If n receiving stations detect the same meteor, then the meteoroid trajectory must be tangential to a set of ellipsoids with a common focus T and various focii R1, R2, R3

6. Model for simulations 106 trajectories are simulated using a point (intersection of the trajectory and the ground) and a direction (two angles for elevation θ and azimuth ϕ). We calculate the positions of each tangential point for several combinations T-R1, T-R2, …

7. First criterion Altitude of the reflection point must lie between 95 and 110 km

8. Number of trajectoriesremaining With 3 stations, Uccle, Ottignies and Seneffe The number of remaining trajectories does not decrease drastically when O and S are added to U, probably because of the rather similar T-R geometry for the 3 stations.

9. Second criterion Power received at a given station must be > 10-17 W • Numerator : •   6m, PT = 150 W, re = Bohr radius •  = polarisation • GT (,) and GR (,) are antenna gains •  : electron line density at the specular point

10. Polarisation • Can only be measured using a crossed Yagi antenna (in BEHUMA or BEUCCL) • Otherwise, assume we receive 50% of the power (so sin2 = ½) • Assumption to check statistically on a large set of meteor echoes observed at Humain or Uccle

11. Influence of electron line density Uccle Station

12. Thirdcriterion : time delays For each remaining trajectory, we compute the distance between tangent points and the corresponding time delays (assuming the velocity of the meteor) and we choose the trajectory that matches the observed time delays. One possible trajectory and position of the 3 tangential points Uccle . . . Ottignies Seneffe Dourbes V=20 km/s

13. Example of detection of the same meteors in Uccle, Seneffe and Ottignies OTTIGNIES – 02/09/2015 UCCLE – 02/09/2015 SENEFFE – 02/09/2015

14. Conclusions & perspectives • Method of Nedeljkovic difficult to apply in practice but useful for simulations & comparisons with optical observations • To be done: try reconstruction from observations from at least 6 stations (3 DF for one point, 2 for direction, 1 for speed). In practice : very often difficult to find data from at least 6 stations. New strategy for future receiving stations.

15. BEGRIM BEOTTI BEHAAC BESENE BEKAMP BEUCCL

16. Conclusions & perspectives • Next step: reconstruction from observations of the interferometer + 3 stations nearby (only 4 DL left) Not enough stations close to Humain Install 3 new stations close to Humain in early 2017