The Simulations and Theory Group in the Center for Space Physics

Meteor Radar Project
Professor Meers Oppenheim and his collaborators study the millions of small particles that rain down upon the Earth each day.  Large radars and wide-field cameras generate detailed measurements of some of these particles.   Their group builds physics based models and perform supercomputer simulations to understand these measurements.  The results of this work allow scientists to better characterize the particle environment of the solar system and the effects of particles on the atmosphere.

Animations from simulations of the Farley-Buneman (modified two-stream) instability  click here.

• Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Through E -region Turbulence: 1. Energy Budget by Y. Dimant and M. Oppenheim J. Geophys. Res.,, V. 116, A9, A09303, 2011
• Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Through E -region Turbulence: Anomalous Conductivities and Frictional Heating by Y. Dimant and M. Oppenheim J. Geophys. Res. V. 116, A9, A09304, 2011
• Particle-in-cell simulation of incoherent scatter radar spectral distortions related to beam-plasma interactions in the auroral ionosphere by Diaz, M. A.; Oppenheim, M.; Semeter, J. L.; Zettergren, M.; J. Geophys. Res., V. 116,A00K10 , 2011
• Polarization and scattering of a long-duration meteor trail; by Close, S.; Kelley, M.; Vertatschitsch, L.; Colestock, P.; Oppenheim, M.; Yee, J.; J. Geophys. Res., V. 116, A1, A01309, 10.1029/2010JA015968, 2011
• Comparison of methods of determining meteoroid range rates from linear frequency modulated chirped pulses by Loveland, R.; Macdonell, A.; Close, S.; Oppenheim, M.; Colestock, P.; Radio Science, V. 46, 2, RS2007, 10.1029/2010RS004479, 2011
• Analysis of beam plasma instability effects on incoherent scatter spectra, by Diaz, M. A.; Semeter, J. L.; Oppenheim, M.; Zettergren, M. Annales Geophysicae, V. 28, I.12, 2010, pp. 2169-2175
• Interaction of plasma cloud with external electric field in lower ionosphere; by Y. Dimant and M. Oppenheim Annales Geophysicae, V. 28, I. 3, 2010, pp.719-736, 10.5194/angeo-28-719-2010
• Nonspecular meteor trail altitude distributions and durations observed by a 50 MHz high-power radar by Sugar, G.; Oppenheim, M.~M.; Bass, E.; Chau, J.~L.~; J. Geophys. Res., Vol.~115, No.~A12, A12334; 10.1029/2010JA015705
• Remote sensing lower thermosphere wind profiles using non-specular meteor echoes by Oppenheim, Meers M., Sugar, G., Slowey, N.~O.; Bass, E.~; Chau, J.~L.; Close, S.~, Geophysical Research Letters, V.~36, I.~9, CiteID L09817, 2009
• Meteor Plasma Trails: Effects Of External Electric Field by Dimant, Y.~S., Oppenheim, M.~; Milikh, G.~M., Annales Geophysicae, V.~27, I~1, 2009
• Structure functions and intermittency in ionospheric plasma turbulence by Dyrud, L., Krane, B., Oppenheim, M., Pécseli, H.~L., Trulsen, J., Wernik, A.~W. Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, V.~15, I.~6, 2008, pp.847-862
• Improving the Accuracy of Meteoroid Mass Estimates from Head Echo Deceleration by Bass, Elizabeth; Oppenheim, Meers; Chau, Jorge; Olmstead, Alice; Earth, Moon, and Planets, V. 102, I. 1-4, pp. 379-382, 06/2008
• Dependence of radar signal strength on frequency and aspect angle of nonspecular meteor trails, by Close, S.; Hamlin, T.; Oppenheim, M.; Cox, L.; Colestock, P.; J.~Geophys.~Res, V.~113, A6, A06203, 2008
• Large-scale simulations of 2D fully kinetic Farley-Buneman turbulence by Oppenheim, Y.~S.~Dimant, and L.~P.~Dyrud , Annales Geophsy., V.~26,I.~3, pp.543-553, 2008.
• Day to night variation in meteor trail measurements: Evidence for a new theory of plasma trail evolution, by Oppenheim, M. M., G. Sugar, E. Bass, Y. S. Dimant, and J. Chau Geophysical Research Letters, 35, L03102, doi:10.1029/2007GL032347, 2008
• Meteor Induced Ridge and Trough Formation and the Structuring of the Nighttime E-Region Ionosphere by M. Oppenheim and Y. Dimant, Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 111, CiteID:L24105, DOI:10.1029/2006GL028267, 2006
• Meteor head echo radar data: Mass-velocity selection effects, by Close, S., P. Brown, M. Campbell-Brown, M. Oppenheim, P. Colestock, Icarus , Vol. 170, p. 547-556, 2006, DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.007
• Meteor trail diffusion: 1. Simulations by Y. Dimant and M. Oppenheim Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 111, CiteID:pre-print, DOI:10.1029/2006JA011797, 2006
• Meteor trail diffusion: 2. Analytical theory by Y. Dimant and M. Oppenheim, Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 111, CiteID:pre-print, DOI:10.1029/2006JA011798, 2006
• Saturation of the Farley-Buneman instability via three-mode coupling by Niels F. Otani and Meers M. Oppenheim, Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 111, Issue A3, CiteID A03302, DOI: 10.1029/2005JA011215, 2006
• Low-frequency electrostatic waves in the ionospheric E region: a comparison of rocket observations and numerical simulations. by L. Dyrud, B. Krane, M. Oppenheim, H.L. Pécseli, K. Schlegel, J. Trulsen and A.W. Wernik, Ann. Geophysicae, 24, 2959-2979 (2006).
• Electron holes, ion waves, and anomalous resistivity in space plasmas by Lars P. Dyrud and Meers M. Oppenheim, Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 111, Issue A1, CiteID A01302, DOI: 10.1029/2004JA010482, 2006
• A new method for determining meteoroid mass from head echo data Close, S.; Oppenheim, M.; Durand, D.; Dyrud, L. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 110, Issue A9, CiteID A09308, DOI: 10.1029/2004JA010950, 2005
• Modelling high-power large-aperture radar meteor trails Dyrud, Lars P.; Ray, Licia; Oppenheim, Meers; Close, Sigrid; Denney, Kelly Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Volume 67, Issue 13, p. 1171-1177, DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2005.06.016, 2005
• Ion Thermal Effects on E-Region Instabilities: 2-D Kinetic Simulations by M. M. Oppenheim and Y. S. Dimant. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics,, Volume 66, Issue 17, p. 1655-1668. DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2004.07.007, 2004
• Ion Thermal Effects On E-Region Instabilities: Linear Theory by Y. S. Dimant and M. M. Oppenheim Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, , Volume 66, Issue 17, p. 1639-1654, DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2004.07.006, 2004
• A Technique for Calculating Meteor Plasma Density and Meteoroid Mass from Radar Head Echo Scattering by S. Close, M. Oppenheim, S. M. Hunt, A. Coster, Icarus , Vol. 168, p. 43-52, 2004, DOI:10.1016/j.icarus.2003.11.018
• Determination of the Meteoroid Velocity Distribution Using High Gain Radar by S. M. Hunt, M. Oppenheim, S. Close, P. Brown, F. McKeen and M. Minardi, Icarus , Vol. 168, p. 34-42, 2004, DOI:10.1016/j.icarus.2003.08.006
• Plasma Instabilities in Meteor Trails: 2-D Simulation Studies by M. M. Oppenheim, L. P. Dyrud, A. vom Endt, J. of Geophys. Res. , 108(A2), 10.1029/2002JA009549, 2003
• Plasma Instabilities in Meteor Trails: Linear Theory by M. M. Oppenheim, L. P. Dyrud, L. Ray, J. of Geophys. Res. , 108(A2), 10.1029/2002JA009549, 2003
• Interpretation of Non-Specular Radar Meteor Trails by Lars P. Dyrud, Meers M. Oppenheim, Sigrid Close and Stephen Hunt, Geophys. Res. Lett., 2002GL015953, 2002
• Scattering characteristics of high-resolution meteor head echoes detected at multiple frequencies by S. Close, M. M. Oppenheim, S. Hunt and L. P. Dyrud, J. of Geophys. Res. , Vol 107, 10.1029/2002JA009253, 2002
• Theory and Simulations of Field-Aligned Irregularities in Meteor Trails by M. M. Oppenheim, L. P. Dyrud, S. Close and S. Hunt in Meteoroids 2001
• The anomalous diffusion of meteor trails by L. P. Dyrud, M. M. Oppenheim and A. F. vom Endt in Geophys. Res. Lett. , Vol. 28,p. 2775, 2001.
• Evolution of electron phase-space holes due in 3D by M. M. Oppenheim, G. Vetoulis, D. L. Newman, and M.V. Goldman in Geophys. Res. Lett. , Vol. 28, No. 9, 1891, 2001.
• Electrostatic mode excitation in electron holes due to electron bounce resonances by Georgios Vetoulis and Meers Oppenheim in Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 86, No. 7, 1235, 2001
• Electrodynamics of meteor trail evolution in the equatorial E--region ionosphere by Meers M. Oppenheim, Axel F. vom Endt, and Lars P. Dyrud in Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 27, No. 19, 3173, 2000
• Turbulence Driven by Two-Stream Instability in a Magnetized Plasma by M. V. Goldman, D. Newman, F. Crary, and M. M. Oppenheim in Physics of Plasmas , Vol. 7, No. 5, 1732, 2000
• Evolution of Electron Phase-Space Holes in a 2-D Magnetized Plasma by M. Oppenheim, D. L. Newman and M. V. Goldman in Phys Rev Lett, Vol 23, Issue 11, 1999
• Nonlinear two-stream instabilities as an explanation for auroral bipolar wave structures by M. V. Goldman, M. M. Oppenheim and D. L. Newman in Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 26, No. 13, 1821-1824, 1999
• Theory of localized bipolar wave-structures and nonthermal particle distributions in the auroral ionosphere by M. V. Goldman, M. M. Oppenheim and D. L. Newman in Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, Vol. 6, 221-228, 1999
• PIC Simulations of Bipolar Wave Structures Driven by Dense Beams in the Auroral Ionosphere by M. Goldman, M. Oppenheim and D. Newman, Physics of Space Plasmas, No. 15, 1998
• A saturation mechanism for the Farley-Buneman Instability by N. Otani and M. Oppenheim,  published in Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 25, No. 11, 1833, 1998, (PDF file from the AGU)
• New Insights into how beam-excited instabilities saturate by M. Goldman, D. Newman, and M. Oppenheim,  Physica Scripta, Vol. T75, 52-57, 1998
• Evidence and effects of a wave-driven nonlinear current in the equatorial electrojet (172KB pdf) by M. Oppenheim, published in Ann. Geophysicae 15, 899, 1997
• A wave-driven nonlinear current in the E-region ionosphereby Meers Oppenheim, Geophys. Res. Let. , Vol. 23, 3,333, 1996 Download Preprint in PDF
• Nonlinear Simulations and Theory of the Farley-Buneman Instability in the E-Region Ionosphere a thesis by Meers Oppenheim, Cornell University, May 1995
• Spectral Characteristics of the Farley-Buneman Instability: Simulations vs. Observationsby Meers Oppenheim and Niels Otani, J. Geophys. Res. - Space Physics , Vol. 101, 24, 5731, 1996 Download Preprint in PDF
• Saturation of the Farley-Buneman instability via nonlinear electron ExB driftsby Meers Oppenheim, Niels Otani and Corrado Ronchi, J. Geophys. Res. - Space Physics , Vol. 101, 17,273, 1996 Download Preprint in PDF
• Simulations of the Saturated Farley-Buneman Instability in the Ionosphereby Meers Oppenheim, Niels Otani and Corrado Ronchi, published in Geophysical Research Letters , 22, 353-356, 1995. Download Preprint in (gzip) Compressed Postscript (232KB)

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