DIURNAL VARIATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF SHOWER METEORS DETECTED BY THE FORWARD-SCATTERING OF RADIO WAVES: PART I. THEORY

Abstract

Various observational factors affect the number of shower meteors which can be detected, in a given time interval, by the scattering of radio waves from the ionized meteor trails. The pertinent factors in the case of forward-scattering, where the transmitter and receiver are widely separated, are expressed approximately as functions of the position of the shower radiant. In combination, they provide an observational weight factor which may change appreciably as the radiant moves in the course of a day. The consequent diurnal variation in the occurrence of scattered signals may then be determined, and distinguished from variations due to random changes in the incidence rate of the meteors.