Wind and temperature induced effects on mesospheric ion composition and infrared minor constituents
Document ID: 281
Kopp, E.1
Philbrick, C. Russell2
1 University of Bern, Physikalisches Institut, Bern, Switzerland
2 USAF, Geophysics Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, Bedford, MA, U.S.A.
Abstract
The positive ion composition, temperature and wind profiles were measured independently by rockets during the Energy Budget Campaign. Ion chemical models of the D region predict a strong temperature dependence for the density distribution of the proton hydrates with different hydration order. Mesospheric temperature profiles derived from a steady state ion chemical model are compared with measured scale height temperature from the accelerometer instrument falling sphere experiments. The effect of strong horizontal neutral air transport and ion drag become evident in the total positive ion density profiles, derived from the ion mass spectrometer measurements. Nitric oxide profiles, inferred from the ion composition measurements, reveal a pronounced density depletion at 97 km and at 93 km. In both cases the features correlate with regions of high wind and may result from transport effects on the nitric oxide.
Keywords: D-region, ionospheric ion density, temperature effects, wind effects, energy budgets, ionospheric conductivity, mass spectroscopy, nitric oxide, rocket sounding, temperature profiles, wind profiles
| Citation: | "Wind and temperature induced effects on mesospheric ion composition and infrared minor constituents", Kopp, E., C. R. Philbrick, ESA Sixth ESA Symp. on European Rocket and Balloon Programs and Related Res, ESA Proceedings, June 1983, pp. 41 - 46, SEE N83-33397 21-46, 1983ESASP.183...41K |