The applications of radio-wave scattering theory to radio-meteor observations

The observation of radio meteors is an important technique providing information on the neutral atmosphere in the height range 80–110 km. Reliable interpretations of such observations require a knowledge of the process of radio-wave reflection from meteoric ionization. It is shown that recent theoretical results modify the interpretations based on approximate scattering models whose use may result in serious errors in the values of such parameters as ambipolar diffusion coefficients, diffusion scale heights, neutral atmosphere wind velocities and associated wind shears.