A comparative study on the effects of Leonid meteor shower on the propagation of sferics and transmitted signal

The Leonid meteors are debris shed into face by the Tempel-Tuttle comet, which swings through the inner solar system at intervals of 33 years. The Leonid shower has now become an annual feature with its activity from 16th November to 20th November. In the Department of Physics of Tripura University two receivers, one sferics receiver tuned at 21.5 kHz and another transmitted signal receiver tuned at 40 kHz, were set up to study the effect of Leonid meteor shower activity on propagation conditions during the period of Leonid meteor shower in 2004. We recorded the data of both the atmospherics and transmitted signal strengths during the meteor shower for several days. A typical zigzag pattern in the field amplitudes of both the sferics and transmitted signal are observed as a signature of meteor activity. During the peak activity of meteor shower enhancement in both sferics and transmitted signal level are observed ranging between 1 dB to 12 dB. Whereas, decrement in both the signal strengths are observed within 1 dB to 9 dB ranges. The calculated value of attachment coefficient using 21.5 kHz sferics and 40 kHz signal is found to be different from each other. During day time the value of attachment coefficient is found to be little higher in case of 21.5 kHz sferics while that during night the value is higher for 40 kHz transmitted signal