The length of ionized meteor trails

By studying the rate of coincident detection of meteors at two widely separated locations, as a function of the differential time of first detection, it is possible to deduce the distribution in length of the meteoric ionization columns. A precise determination would require, in addition, that the velocity of the individual meteors used in the test be known. However, in the absence of such data, an approximate distribution of trail lengths whose mean value is probably representative of actual conditions, can still be deduced. For equipment generating about a kilowatt of continuous wave output, and capable of detecting meteors at a total rate of 450 meteors per hour, the mean trail length was found to be 25 or 30 km. Calculations based upon this value of trail length, and upon the use of a corrected rate of meteoric arrival, show that meteors up to the sixth magnitude were detected during the test. The method described provides a measure of trail length dependent upon the ability of the trail to reflect a signal at normal incidence. The accuracy of the determination of frequency of occurrence of trails of various lengths is independent of the rate of detection, but is proportional to the square root of the period of observation.