Formation of plasma around a small meteoroid: 2. Implications for radar head echo

TL;DR

This paper derives analytical expressions for plasma density distribution around small meteoroids, crucial for understanding radar head echoes, by applying kinetic theory to model plasma behavior at various distances from the meteoroid.

Contribution

It provides the first analytical model of plasma density distribution around meteoroids, enhancing radar echo analysis and interpretation.

Findings

Plasma density drops as 1/R within a mean-free-path from the meteoroid surface.

Beyond the mean-free-path, plasma density decreases as 1/R^2.

Results improve modeling accuracy for radar head echoes.

Abstract

This paper calculates the spatial distribution of the plasma responsible for radar head echoes by applying the kinetic theory developed in the companion paper (Dimant and Oppenheim, arXiv:1608.08524). This results in a set of analytic expressions for the plasma density as a function of distance from the meteoroid. It shows that, at distances less than a collisional mean-free-path from the meteoroid surface, the plasma density drops in proportion to $1/R$ where $R$ is the distance from the meteoroid center; and, at distances much longer than the mean-free-path behind the meteoroid, the density diminishes at a rate proportional to $1/R^{2}$. The results of this paper should be used for modeling and analysis of radar head echoes.