Optimising estimates of mesospheric neutral wind using the TIGER SuperDARN radar

Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) HF backscatter radars scan 16 beam directions over a field of view of ∼52°. In the common mode of operation, data is collected using 45-km range gates and 7-s integrations on each beam. Application of a beam-swinging algorithm permits mesospheric neutral winds to be estimated from the line-of-sight (LOS) Doppler velocity of meteor echoes detected at near ranges (<600 km). Larger meteor echo detection rates better constrain the solutions and thereby increase the accuracy of wind estimates. Greater rates also lead to wind estimates with better time and height resolution. In this study, meteor echo detection rates were increased by running dedicated radar control programs on the Tasman Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER) Tasmania radar (147.2°E, 43.4°S). This involved the use of shorter 15-km range gates and 2-s integration times. The Doppler characteristics of different echo types at meteor echo ranges were identified. The echoes were then filtered according to these characteristics, and their suitability for estimating neutral winds investigated. One echo type was clearly of ionospheric origin, forming thin, continuous traces decreasing in group range from ∼1200 to ∼300 km before midnight. These “descending plasma streams” (DPS) merged into and contaminated the meteor scatter observed by TIGER. However, they will be less of a problem for the planned network of “storm time” SuperDARN radars to be deployed at mid-latitudes for the study of major substorms and storms which occur less frequently.