Welcome to Meers Oppenheim's Home Page
Department of Astronomy and Center for Space Physics
Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215
Work phone: (617) 353-6139 FAX: (617) 353-5704
e-mail: meerso@bu.edu
I am an Associate Professor in the Boston
University Astronomy Department and a member of the Center for
Space
Physics. I received my Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1995 for
research on the nonlinear behavior of a specific type of wave found in
the E-region of the ionosphere. I also study plasma turbulence in
the upper ionosphere, magnetosphere, Earth's Foreshock region,
and
in laboratory plasmas meant to imitate space plasmas (what a tangled
web
we weave ...). Lately, I have been performing research on meteors as
they disintegrate in the ionosphere. I use some of the
world's largest supercomputers
to simulate these phenomena.
Classes taught: Principles
of Astronomy (AS202), fall 2003
Classes taught: The
Solar
System (AS101) ,
spring 2000
Cosmic Plasma
Physics
(AS727), fall 2002
Introduction to
Space Physics, Spring 2004
Some Research pages:
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 of electron phase-space holes rolling around
click
here
Animations from simulations of the Farley-Buneman (modified
two-stream)
instability click
here.
Recent Papers:
-
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)
Click here
for
a list of interesting and useful places.
Click here for
some of my bookmarks
Collaborators with links:
Niels Otani
Related links:
Space
Plasma
Physics Research Group at Cornell University
Max-Plank-Institut fur
Aeronomie
Other links:
Meers Oppenheim: meerso@bu.edu