Quadrantids 2008 and 2009: Detection of Dust in the Atmosphere by Polarization Twilight Sky Measurements

TL;DR

This study used polarization measurements of twilight sky to detect meteoric dust in Earth's upper atmosphere during the Quadrantids meteor shower in 2008 and 2009, revealing a subtle depolarization effect at high altitudes.

Contribution

It presents a novel application of polarization twilight sky measurements to detect meteoric dust during meteor shower activity.

Findings

Detected depolarization effect above 90 km altitude after Quadrantids maximum

Depolarization linked to meteoric dust presence in the upper atmosphere

Demonstrated polarization measurements as a tool for atmospheric dust detection

Abstract

The paper contains the results of the polarization measurements of twilight sky background during the wintertime including the epoch of Quadrantids activity in January 2008 and 2009 in Crimea (Ukraine). Analysis of the twilight sky polarization behavior had shown the barely detectable depolarization effect at the scattering altitudes above 90 km right after the Quadrantids maximum. This effect can be related with the meteoric dust in the upper atmosphere of the Earth.