Radar studies of the orbits of small meteoroids

A description is given of a radar facility operating in New Zealand which measures the atmospheric trajectories and hence heliocentric orbits of earth-impacting meteoroids having radiants with declinations +5 degs less than delta less than -30 degs down to a limiting radar meteor magnitude of +13 (corresponding to particle sizes of approximately 100 microns, masses approximately 10^-6 g). The data handling capacity of the facility permits recording, orbit reduction and efficient presentation of orbital data using graphical packages to be carried out on a routine basis. The daily yield is approximately 1500 individual orbits with greater than 3 x 10⁵ secured to date; this is greater than the number determined in all previous meteoroid orbit surveys combined and forms a major southern hemisphere database for dynamical studies of the solar system meteoroid population.