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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 106, NO. A10, PAGES 21,517–21,524, 2001

Observations of persistent Leonid meteor trails 1. Advection of the “Diamond Ring”

Jack D. Drummond

Starfire Optical Range, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico


Brent W. Grime

Starfire Optical Range, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico


Chester S. Gardner

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois


Alan Z. Liu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois


Xinzhao Chu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois


Timothy J. Kane

Department of Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania


Abstract

From a single image of a persistent trail left by a −1.5 magnitude Leonid meteor on November 17, 1998, the relative winds between 92.5 and 98 km altitude are derived, where the altitudes are determined by a sodium lidar. These are converted to true winds 82 sec after the appearance of the meteor by fixing the winds at 98 km to match the results of following the trail with the lidar for twelve minutes. The image and winds reveal a fine example of the effects of a gravity wave having a vertical wavelenth of 5.50 ± 0.02 km, a horizontal wavelength of 2650 ± 60 km, an intrinsic period of 19.5 ± 0.4 hours, and an observed period of 8.6 ± 0.1 hours. Effects of the gravity wave are still present in the wind field 70 min later.

Received 16 May 2000; accepted 13 February 2001.

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Citation: Drummond, J. D., B. W. Grime, C. S. Gardner, A. Z. Liu, X. Chu, and T. J. Kane (2001), Observations of persistent Leonid meteor trails 1. Advection of the “Diamond Ring”, J. Geophys. Res., 106(A10), 21,517–21,524.