Enhanced meteoroid trajectory and speed reconstruction using a forward scatter radio network: Pre-t0 phase technique and uncertainty analysis

This study presents an enhanced method for reconstructing meteoroid trajectories and speeds using the Belgian RAdio Meteor Stations forward scatter radio network. A novel extension of the pre-t0 phase technique, originally developed for backscatter radars, has been adapted for forward scatter continuous wave systems. This method leverages phase data recorded before the meteoroid reaches the specular reflection point t0 to improve speed estimations. Additionally, we combine this newly determined pre-t0 speed information with time of flight measurements into the trajectory solver to reduce uncertainties in meteoroid path and speed reconstructions. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo method is employed to propagate measurement uncertainties to the trajectory parameters. The reconstructed trajectories and speeds are validated against optical data from the CAMS-BeNeLux network. The results show significant improvements in the accuracy and robustness of speed and inclination determination.