Meteor Radar Study of Ionospheric Wind at Kyoto

Abstract

This paper describes the results of meteor radar observations which have been carried out at Kyoto University since December, 1977. The radar, a coherent pulse doppler radar with a transmitting frequency of 31.57 MHz and a nominal peak power of 10 kW, is able to detect wind fields at meteor regions of 80-110 km. The solar semidiurnal tide generally dominates the wind oscillations at these heights, while a diurnal tide of comparable magnitude reveals itself in a less regular manner. Some anomalies in the amplitude and phase characteristics of the tides are shown, which might be related to a possible interaction with winds and waves, or to some disturbed conditions in the earth's atmosphere. Also planetary scale waves such as quasi-2-day oscillations and resonantly magnified gravity-mode waves have also been found there. Hence, the meteor radar, together with its cooperation with other observations, will helps us understand the dynamical process of atmospheric waves on a global scale.