The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Western meteor physics group operates a triple-frequency, meteor orbital radar 100 km from London (near Tavistock, Ontario) where  we record ~2500 meteoroid orbits per day. CMOR is a multi-frequency HF/ VHF radar used to detect the ionized trails associated with ablating meteoroids. It has been in single-station operation (echoes) since 1999 and multi-station (orbits) since January of 2002. The radar produces data on the range, angle of arrival, and velocity/orbit in some instances. To the end of 2009 we have measured 4 million individual orbits

 

 

Radar Overview:

 

Scientific Questions Addressed by CMOR

CMOR Basics

The Remote Sites

How orbits are computed by CMOR

Examples of CMOR Results

CMOR daily operations

CMOR Research Publications

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Scientific Questions Addressed by CMOR

  • The sporadic meteor background - flux, velocity, and radiant distribution
       - Origin and evolution of interplanetary meteoroid population (comet vs. asteroid)

  • Stream-parent body linkages
       - Find and measure radar meteor showers and link orbits to original parents

  • Interstellar meteoroids
       - Flux and origin based on radar measurements of orbits - distinct sources?

  • Ablation studies of meteoroids
       - What are the densities and likely chemical compositions of meteoroids?

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