Dynamic radio spectra from two fireballs
Abstract
We present dynamic spectra from the Long Wavelength Array telescope of two large meteors (fireballs) observed to emit between 37 and 54 MHz. These spectra show the first ever recorded broadband measurements of this newly discovered VHF emission. The spectra show that the emission is smooth and steep, getting very bright at lower frequencies. We suggest that this signal is possibly emission of Langmuir waves and that these waves could be excited by a bump‐on‐tail instability within the trail. The spectra of one fireball display broadband temporal frequency sweeps. We suggest that these sweeps are evidence of individual expanding clumps of emitting plasma. While some of these proposed clumps may have formed at the very beginning of the fireball event, others must have formed seconds after the initial event.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1002/2015ja021229
Entities
People
- C. S. Lin
- F. K. Schinzel
- G. Taylor
- J. Dowell
- K. S. Obenberger
- K. Stovall
Organizations
- Boston College
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- University of New Mexico