Meteor observations with an MF radar

We conducted meteor echo observations using the Buckland Park MF radar (35 degrees S, 138 degrees E) at 00:40-05:45 LT on October 22, 1997. In additio n to the usual full correlation analysis (FCA) technique to measure horizon tal wind velocities from 60 to 100 km MF radars have a potential to detect meteor echoes and infer winds through their Doppler frequency shifts. Becau se of the relatively low radio frequency employed MF radars have a great ad vantage of providing meteor wind well above 100 km altitude, where very few techniques can measure wind velocities. There is a limitation which should be noted as well. The observations are possible only during night time whe n the electron density of E-region is low enough for the radio wave to pene trate into the upper region. We detected 233 underdense meteor echoes from 80 km to 120 km with a mean height of 104.4 km. Although the transmitting a ntenna beams were steered toward off-zenith angles of 25 degrees, almost al l the echoes were received outside of the main lobe, indicating that conven tional MF radar systems with a broad transmitting beam can work well for me teor observations. Bi-hourly wind profiles were obtained from 94 to 114 km altitudes. The profiles revealed a clear wave structure with a downward pha se progression with time. FCA winds from XO to 100 km were also estimated, and a continuous wind structure was obtained from FCA to meteor heights. No te that the present observations happened to be conducted during a major me teor shower activity. However, a majority of the underdense echoes were fro m non-shower meteors, and observations during non-shower periods will also yield enough information.