Articles | Volume 20, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-20-1857-2002
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-20-1857-2002
30 Nov 2002
 | 30 Nov 2002

On the influence of neutral turbulence on ambipolar diffusivities deduced from meteor trail expansion

C. M. Hall

Abstract. By measuring fading times of radar echoes from underdense meteor trails, it is possible to deduce the ambipolar diffusivities of the ions responsible for these radar echoes. It could be anticipated that these diffusivities increase monotonically with height akin to neutral viscosity. In practice, this is not always the case. Here, we investigate the capability of neutral turbulence to affect the meteor trail diffusion rate.

Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmosphere dynamics; turbulence)