Global Investigation of the Mg Atom and ion Layers using SCIAMACHY/Envisat Observations between 70 km and 150 km Altitude and WACCM-MG Model Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langowski, M.; vonSavigny, C.; Burrows, J. P.; Feng, W.; Plane, J. M. C.; Marsh, D. R.; Janches, Diego; Sinnhuber, M.; Aikin, A. C.

2014-01-01

Mg and Mg+ concentration fields in the upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere (UMLT) region are retrieved from SCIAMACHY/Envisat limb measurements of Mg and Mg+ dayglow emissions using a 2-D tomographic retrieval approach. The time series of monthly means of Mg and Mg+ for number density as well as vertical column density in different latitudinal regions are shown. Data from the limb mesosphere-thermosphere mode of SCIAMACHY/Envisat are used, which covers the 50 km to 150 km altitude region with a vertical sampling of 3.3 km and a highest latitude of 82 deg. The high latitudes are not covered in the winter months, because there is no dayglow emission during polar night. The measurements were performed every 14 days from mid-2008 until April 2012. Mg profiles show a peak at around 90 km altitude with a density between 750 cm(exp-3) and 2000 cm(exp-3). Mg does not show strong seasonal variation at mid-latitudes. The Mg+ peak occurs 5-15 km above the neutral Mg peak at 95-105 km. Furthermore, the ions show a significant seasonal cycle with a summer maximum in both hemispheres at mid- and high-latitudes. The strongest seasonal variations of the ions are observed at mid-latitudes between 20-40 deg and densities at the peak altitude range from 500 cm(exp-3) to 6000 cm(exp-3). The peak altitude of the ions shows a latitudinal dependence with a maximum at mid-latitudes that is up to 10 km higher than the peak altitude at the equator. The SCIAMACHY measurements are compared to other measurements and WACCM model results. In contrast to the SCIAMACHY results, the WACCM results show a strong seasonal variability for Mg with a winter maximum, which is not observable by SCIAMACHY, and globally higher peak densities. Although the peak densities do not agree the vertical column densities agree, since SCIAMACHY results show a wider vertical profile. The agreement of SCIAMACHY and WACCM results is much better for Mg+, showing the same seasonality and similar peak densities. However, there are the following minor differences: there is no latitudinal dependence of the peak altitude for WACCM and the density maximum, passing the equatorial region during equinox conditions, is not reduced as for SCIAMACHY.

Comment on the paper "Mars Express radio occultation data: A novel analysis approach" by Grandin et al. (2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pätzold, M.; Bird, M. K.; Häusler, B.; Peter, K.; Tellmann, S.; Tyler, G. L.

2016-10-01

In their recent paper, Grandin et al. (2014) claim to have developed a novel approach, principally a ray tracing method, to analyze radio sounding data from occulted spacecraft signals by planetary atmospheres without the usual assumptions of the radio occultation inversion method of a stratified, layered, symmetric atmosphere. They apply their "new approach" to observations of the Mars Express Radio Science (MaRS) experiment and compare their resulting temperature, neutral number density, and electron density profiles with those from MaRS, claiming that there is good agreement with the observations. The fact is, however, that there are serious disagreements in the most important altitude ranges. Their temperature profile shows a 30 K shift or a 300σ (1σ standard deviation = 0.1 K for the MaRS profile near the surface) difference toward warmer temperatures at the surface when compared with MaRS, while the MaRS profile is in best agreement with the profile from the Mars Climate Data Base V5.0 (MCD V5.0). Their full temperature profile from the surface to 250 km altitude deviates significantly from the MCD V5.0 profile. Their ionospheric electron density profile is considerably different from that derived from the MaRs observations. Although Grandin et al. (2014) claim to derive the neutral number density and temperature profiles above 200 km, including the asymptotic exosphere temperature, it is simply not possible to derive this information from what is essentially noise.

Mars Aerocapture and Validation of Mars-GRAM with TES Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Duvall, Aleta; Keller, Vernon W.

2005-01-01

Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) is a widely-used engineering- level Mars atmospheric model. Applications include systems design, performance analysis, and operations planning for aerobraking, entry descent and landing, and aerocapture. Typical Mars aerocapture periapsis altitudes (for systems with rigid-aeroshell heat shields) are about 50 km. This altitude is above the 0-40 km height range covered by Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) nadir observations. Recently, TES limb sounding data have been made available, spanning more than two Mars years (more than 200,000 data profiles) with altitude coverage up to about 60 km, well within the height range of interest for aerocapture. Results are presented comparing Mars-GRAM atmospheric density with densities from TES nadir and limb sounding observations. A new Mars-GRAM feature is described which allows individual TES nadir or limb profiles to be extracted from the large TES databases, and to be used as an optional replacement for standard Mars-GRAM background (climatology) conditions. For Monte-Carlo applications such as aerocapture guidance and control studies, Mars-GRAM perturbations are available using these TES profile background conditions.

Gravity waves in Titan's atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedson, A. James

1994-01-01

Scintillations (high frequency variations) observed in the radio signal during the occultation of Voyager 1 by Titan (Hinson and Tyler, 1983) provide information concerning neutral atmospheric density fluctuations on scales on hundreds of meters to a few kilometers. Those seen at altitudes higher than 25 km above the surface were interpreted by Hinson and Tyler as being caused by linear, freely propagating (energy-conserving) gravity waves, but this interpretation was found to be inconsistent with the scintillation data below the 25-km altitude level. Here an attempt is made to interpret the entire scintillation profile between the surface and the 90-km altitude level in terms of gravity waves generated at the surface. Numerical calculations of the density fluctuations caused by two-dimensional, nonhydrostatic, finite-amplitude gravity waves propagating vertically through Titan's atmosphere are performed to produce synthetic scintillation profiles for comparison with the observations. The numerical model accurately treats the effects of wave transience, nonlinearity, and breakdown due to convective instability in the overturned part of the wave. The high-altitude scintillation data were accurately recovered with a freely propagating wave solution, confirming the analytic model of Hinson and Tyler. It is found that the low-altitude scintillation data can be fit by a model where a component of the gravity waves becomes convectively unstable and breaks near the 15 km level. The large-scale structure of the observed scintillation profile in the entire altitude range between 5 and 85 km can be simulated by a model where the freely propagating and breaking waves are forced at the surface simultaneously. Further analysis of the Voyager 1 Titan low-altitude scintillation data, using inversion theory appropriate for strong scattering, could potentially remove some of the ambiguities remaining in this analysis and allow a better determination of the strength and source of the waves.

Initial performance of the radio occultation experiment in the Venus orbiter mission Akatsuki

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imamura, Takeshi; Ando, Hiroki; Tellmann, Silvia; Pätzold, Martin; Häusler, Bernd; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Sato, Takao M.; Noguchi, Katsuyuki; Futaana, Yoshifumi; Oschlisniok, Janusz; Limaye, Sanjay; Choudhary, R. K.; Murata, Yasuhiro; Takeuchi, Hiroshi; Hirose, Chikako; Ichikawa, Tsutomu; Toda, Tomoaki; Tomiki, Atsushi; Abe, Takumi; Yamamoto, Zen-ichi; Noda, Hirotomo; Iwata, Takahiro; Murakami, Shin-ya; Satoh, Takehiko; Fukuhara, Tetsuya; Ogohara, Kazunori; Sugiyama, Ko-ichiro; Kashimura, Hiroki; Ohtsuki, Shoko; Takagi, Seiko; Yamamoto, Yukio; Hirata, Naru; Hashimoto, George L.; Yamada, Manabu; Suzuki, Makoto; Ishii, Nobuaki; Hayashiyama, Tomoko; Lee, Yeon Joo; Nakamura, Masato

2017-10-01

After the arrival of Akatsuki spacecraft of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency at Venus in December 2015, the radio occultation experiment, termed RS (Radio Science), obtained 19 vertical profiles of the Venusian atmosphere by April 2017. An onboard ultra-stable oscillator is used to generate stable X-band downlink signals needed for the experiment. The quantities to be retrieved are the atmospheric pressure, the temperature, the sulfuric acid vapor mixing ratio, and the electron density. Temperature profiles were successfully obtained down to 38 km altitude and show distinct atmospheric structures depending on the altitude. The overall structure is close to the previous observations, suggesting a remarkable stability of the thermal structure. Local time-dependent features are seen within and above the clouds, which is located around 48-70 km altitude. The H2SO4 vapor density roughly follows the saturation curve at cloud heights, suggesting equilibrium with cloud particles. The ionospheric electron density profiles are also successfully retrieved, showing distinct local time dependence. Akatsuki RS mainly probes the low and middle latitude regions thanks to the near-equatorial orbit in contrast to the previous radio occultation experiments using polar orbiters. Studies based on combined analyses of RS and optical imaging data are ongoing.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Retrieval of sodium number density profiles in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere from SCIAMACHY limb emission measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langowski, M. P.; von Savigny, C.; Burrows, J. P.; Rozanov, V. V.; Dunker, T.; Hoppe, U.-P.; Sinnhuber, M.; Aikin, A. C.

2016-01-01

An algorithm has been developed for the retrieval of sodium atom (Na) number density on a latitude and altitude grid from SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY) limb measurements of the Na resonance fluorescence. The results are obtained between 50 and 150 km altitude and the resulting global seasonal variations of Na are analyzed. The retrieval approach is adapted from that used for the retrieval of magnesium atom (Mg) and magnesium ion (Mg+) number density profiles recently reported by Langowski et al. (2014). Monthly mean values of Na are presented as a function of altitude and latitude. This data set was retrieved from the 4 years of spectroscopic limb data of the SCIAMACHY mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) measurement mode (mid-2008 to early 2012). The Na layer has a nearly constant peak altitude of 90-93 km for all latitudes and seasons, and has a full width at half maximum of 5-15 km. Small but significant seasonal variations in Na are identified for latitudes less than 40°, where the maximum Na number densities are 3000-4000 atoms cm-3. At middle to high latitudes a clear seasonal variation with a winter maximum of up to 6000 atoms cm-3 is observed. The high latitudes, which are only measured in the summer hemisphere, have lower number densities, with peak densities being approximately 1000 Na atoms cm-3. The full width at half maximum of the peak varies strongly at high latitudes and is 5 km near the polar summer mesopause, while it exceeds 10 km at lower latitudes. In summer the Na atom concentration at high latitudes and at altitudes below 88 km is significantly smaller than that at middle latitudes. The results are compared with other observations and models and there is overall a good agreement with these.

Shapes of Magnetically Controlled Electron Density Structures in the Dayside Martian Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diéval, C.; Kopf, A. J.; Wild, J. A.

2018-05-01

Nonhorizontal localized electron density structures associated with regions of near-radial crustal magnetic fields are routinely detected via radar oblique echoes on the dayside of Mars with the ionospheric sounding mode of the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) radar onboard Mars Express. Previous studies mostly investigated these structures at a fixed plasma frequency and assumed that the larger apparent altitude of the structures compared to the normal surrounding ionosphere implied that they are bulges. However, the signal is subjected to dispersion when it propagates through the plasma, so interpretations based on the apparent altitude should be treated with caution. We go further by investigating the frequency dependence (i.e., the altitude dependence) of the shape of 48 density structure events, using time series of MARSIS electron density profiles corrected for signal dispersion. Four possible simplest shapes are detected in these time series, which can give oblique echoes: bulges, dips, downhill slopes, and uphill slopes. The altitude differences between the density structures and their edges are, in absolute value, larger at low frequency (high altitude) than at high frequency (low altitude), going from a few tens of kilometers to a few kilometers as frequency increases. Bulges dominate in numbers in most of the frequency range. Finally, the geographical extension of the density structures covers a wide range of crustal magnetic fields orientations, with near-vertical fields toward their center and near-horizontal fields toward their edges, as expected. Transport processes are suggested to be a key driver for these density structures.

Atmospheric constituent density profiles from full disk solar occultation experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lumpe, J. D.; Chang, C. S.; Strickland, D. J.

1991-01-01

Mathematical methods are described which permit the derivation of the number of density profiles of atmospheric constituents from solar occultation measurements. The algorithm is first applied to measurements corresponding to an arbitrary solar-intensity distribution to calculate the normalized absorption profile. The application of Fourier transform to the integral equation yields a precise expression for the corresponding number density, and the solution is employed with the data given in the form of Laguerre polynomials. The algorithm is employed to calculate the results for the case of uniform distribution of solar intensity, and the results demonstrate the convergence properties of the method. The algorithm can be used to effectively model representative model-density profiles with constant and altitude-dependent scale heights.

Computer simulation of supersonic rarefied gas flow in the transition region, about a spherical probe; a Monte Carlo approach with application to rocket-borne ion probe experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, B. E.; Bowhill, S. A.

1971-01-01

This report describes a Monte Carlo simulation of transition flow around a sphere. Conditions for the simulation correspond to neutral monatomic molecules at two altitudes (70 and 75 km) in the D region of the ionosphere. Results are presented in the form of density contours, velocity vector plots and density, velocity and temperature profiles for the two altitudes. Contours and density profiles are related to independent Monte Carlo and experimental studies, and drag coefficients are calculated and compared with available experimental data. The small computer used is a PDP-15 with 16 K of core, and a typical run for 75 km requires five iterations, each taking five hours. The results are recorded on DECTAPE to be printed when required, and the program provides error estimates for any flow field parameter.

Electrostatic-probe measurements of plasma parameters for two reentry flight experiments at 25000 feet per second

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. L., Jr.; Cross, A. E.

1972-01-01

Unique plasma diagnostic measurements at high altitudes from two geometrically similar blunt body reentry spacecraft using electrostatic probe rakes are presented. The probes measured the positive ion density profiles (shape and magnitude) during the two flights. The probe measurements were made at eight discrete points (1 cm to 7 cm) from the vehicle surface in the aft flow field of the spacecraft over the altitude range of 85.3 to 53.3 km (280,000 to 175,000 ft) with measured densities of 10 to the 8th power to 10 to the 12th power electrons/cu cm, respectively. Maximum reentry velocity for each spacecraft was approximately 7620 meters/second (25,000 ft/sec). In the first flight experiment, water was periodically injected into a flow field which was contaminated by ablation products from the spacecraft nose region. The nonablative nose of the second spacecraft thereby minimized flow field contamination. Comparisons of the probe measured density profiles with theoretical calculations are presented with discussion as to the probable cause of significant disagreement. Also discussed are the correlation of probe measurements with vehicle angle of attack motions and the good high altitude agreement between electron densities inferred from the probe measurements, VHF antenna measurements, and microwave reflectometer diagnostic measurements.

Macroscopic time and altitude distribution of plasma turbulence induced in ionospheric modification experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rose, H.; Dubois, D.; Russell, D.

1996-03-01

This is the final report of a three-year Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This research concentrated on the time dependence of the heater, induced-turbulence, and electron-density profiles excited in the ionosphere by a powerful radio-frequency heater wave. The macroscopic density is driven by the ponderomotive pressure and the density self-consistently determines the heater propagation. For typical parameters of the current Arecibo heater, a dramatic quasi-periodic behavior was found. For about 50 ms after turn-on of the heater wave, the turbulence is concentrated at the first standing-wave maximum of the heater near reflectionmore » altitude. From 50--100 ms the standing-wave pattern drops by about 1--2 km in altitude and the quasi-periodicity reappears at the higher altitudes with a period of roughly 50 ms. This behavior is due to the half-wavelength density depletion grating that is set up by the ponderomotive pressure at the maxima of the heater standing-wave pattern. Once the grating is established the heater can no longer propagate to higher altitudes. The grating is then unsupported by the heater at these altitudes and decays, allowing the heater to propagate again and initiate another cycle. For stronger heater powers, corresponding to the Arecibo upgrade and the HAARP heater now under construction, the effects are much more dramatic.« less

Evidence for the existence of negative ions in the D and lower E regions at twilight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kane, J. A.

1972-01-01

Evidence for negative ions in the lower ionosphere is based on the difference between simultaneously measured profiles of electron and positive ion density. The electron density profiles reported were obtained from ground-to-rocket radio wave absorption measurements while Gerdien ion traps were used to measure the positive ion profiles. Results from a series of three rockets launched from Thumba, India near sunset on 27 March, 1970 indicate that a significant number of negative ions are formed at altitudes as high as 95 km at twilight.

Characterization of thunderstorm induced Maxwell current densities in the middle atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baginski, Michael Edward

1989-01-01

Middle atmospheric transient Maxwell current densities generated by lightning induced charge perturbations are investigated via a simulation of Maxwell's equations. A time domain finite element analysis is employed for the simulations. The atmosphere is modeled as a region contained within a right circular cylinder with a height of 110 km and radius of 80 km. A composite conductivity profile based on measured data is used when charge perturbations are centered about the vertical axis at altitudes of 6 and 10 km. The simulations indicate that the temporal structure of the Maxwell current density is relatively insensitive to altitude variation within the region considered. It is also shown that the electric field and Maxwell current density are not generally aligned.

MAVEN observations of dayside peak electron densities in the ionosphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Marissa F.; Withers, Paul; Fallows, Kathryn; Andersson, Laila; Girazian, Zachary; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Benna, Mehdi; Elrod, Meredith K.; Connerney, John E. P.; Espley, Jared R.; Eparvier, Frank G.; Jakosky, Bruce M.

2017-01-01

The peak electron density in the dayside Martian ionosphere is a valuable diagnostic of the state of the ionosphere. Its dependence on factors like the solar zenith angle, ionizing solar irradiance, neutral scale height, and electron temperature has been well studied. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft's September 2015 "deep dip" orbits, in which the orbital periapsis was lowered to 125 km, provided the first opportunity since Viking to sample in situ a complete dayside electron density profile including the main peak. Here we present peak electron density measurements from 37 deep dip orbits and describe conditions at the altitude of the main peak, including the electron temperature and composition of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere. We find that the dependence of the peak electron density and the altitude of the main peak on solar zenith angle are well described by analytical photochemical theory. Additionally, we find that the electron temperatures at the main peak display a dependence on solar zenith angle that is consistent with the observed variability in the peak electron density. Several peak density measurements were made in regions of large crustal magnetic field, but there is no clear evidence that the crustal magnetic field strength influences the peak electron density, peak altitude, or electron temperature. Finally, we find that the fractional abundance of O2+ and CO2+ at the peak altitude is variable but that the two species together consistently represent 95% of the total ion density.

A sporadic third layer in the ionosphere of Mars.

PubMed

Pätzold, M; Tellmann, S; Häusler, B; Hinson, D; Schaa, R; Tyler, G L

2005-11-04

The daytime martian ionosphere has been observed as a two-layer structure with electron densities that peak at altitudes between about 110 and 130 kilometers. The Mars Express Orbiter Radio Science Experiment on the European Mars Express spacecraft observed, in 10 out of 120 electron density profiles, a third ionospheric layer at altitude ranges of 65 to 110 kilometers, where electron densities, on average, peaked at 0.8 x 10(10) per cubic meter. Such a layer has been predicted to be permanent and continuous. Its origin has been attributed to ablation of meteors and charge exchange of magnesium and iron. Our observations imply that this layer is present sporadically and locally.

Physiological Adjustments and Circulating MicroRNA Reprogramming Are Involved in Early Acclimatization to High Altitude in Chinese Han Males

PubMed Central

Liu, Bao; Huang, He; Wang, Shou-Xian; Wu, Gang; Xu, Gang; Sun, Bing-Da; Zhang, Er-Long; Gao, Yu-Qi

2016-01-01

Background: Altitude acclimatization is a physiological process that restores oxygen delivery to the tissues and promotes oxygen use under high altitude hypoxia. High altitude sickness occurs in individuals without acclimatization. Unraveling the molecular underpinnings of altitude acclimatization could help understand the beneficial body responses to high altitude hypoxia as well as the altered biological events in un-acclimatized individuals. This study assessed physiological adjustments and circulating microRNA (cmiRNA) profiles in individuals exposed to high altitude, aiming to explore altitude acclimatization in humans. Methods: Ninety volunteers were enrolled in this study. Among them, 22 individuals provided samples for microRNA arrays; 68 additional individuals constituted the validation set. Un-acclimatized individuals were identified by the Lake Louise Scoring System. Thirty-three phenotypes were recorded pre- and post-exposure to high altitude, including stress hormones, lipid profiles, hematological indices, myocardial enzyme spectrum, and liver and kidney function related enzymes. CmiRNA expression profiles were assessed using miRCURYTM LNA Array (v.18.0) screening, with data validated by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, associations of plasma microRNA expression with physiological adjustments were evaluated. The biological relevance of the main differentially expressed cmiRNAs was explored by bioinformatics prediction. Results: Nineteen of the 33 phenotypes were significantly altered during early altitude acclimatization, including hematological indices, lipid profiles, and stress hormones; meanwhile, 86 cmiRNAs (79 up-regulated and 7 down-regulated) showed differential expression with statistical significance. Among them, 32 and 25 microRNAs were strongly correlated with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and total cholesterol elevations, respectively. In addition, 22 microRNAs were closely correlated with cortisol increase. In un-acclimatized individuals, 55 cmiRNAs were up-regulated and 36 down-regulated, compared with acclimatized individuals. The HIF signaling pathway was suppressed in un-acclimatized individuals. Conclusion: Physiological adjustments, including the hematological system, stress hormones, and lipid molecules contributed to early altitude acclimatization, and showed strong correlations with cmiRNA reprogramming. Moreover, acclimatized and un-acclimatized individuals showed different cmiRNA profile. Suppression of the HIF-1 signaling pathway by microRNA regulation may play a key role in the pathogenesis of un-acclimatization with high altitude hypoxia. PMID:27994555

Errors in Viking Lander Atmospheric Profiles Discovered Using MOLA Topography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Withers, Paul; Lorenz, R. D.; Neumann, G. A.

2002-01-01

Each Viking lander measured a topographic profile during entry. Comparing to MOLA (Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter), we find a vertical error of 1-2 km in the Viking trajectory. This introduces a systematic error of 10-20% in the Viking densities and pressures at a given altitude. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

The High Accuracy Measurement of CO2 Mixing Ratio Profiles Using Ground Based 1.6 μm CO2-DIAL with Temperature Measurement Techniques in the Lower-Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abo, M.; Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.

2017-12-01

We have developed a ground based direct detection three-wavelength 1.6 μm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) to achieve measurements of vertical CO2 concentration and temperature profiles in the atmosphere. As the spectra of absorption lines of any molecules are influenced basically by the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere, it is important to measure them simultaneously so that the better accuracy of the DIAL measurement is realized. Conventionally, we have obtained the vertical profile of absorption cross sections using the atmospheric temperature profile by the objective analysis and the atmospheric pressure profile calculated by the pressure height equation. Comparison of atmospheric pressure profiles calculated from this equation and those obtained from radiosonde observations at Tateno, Japan is consistent within 0.2 % below 3 km altitude. But the temperature dependency of the CO2 density is 0.25 %/°C near the surface. Moreover, the CO2 concentration is often evaluated by the mixing ratio. Because the air density is related by the ideal gas law, the mixing ratio is also related by the atmospheric temperature. Therefore, the temperature affects not only accuracy of CO2 concentration but the CO2 mixing ratio. In this paper, some experimental results of the simultaneous measurement of atmospheric temperature profiles and CO2 mixing ratio profiles are reported from 0.4 to 2.5 km altitude using the three-wavelength 1.6 μm DIAL system. Temperature profiles of CO2 DIAL measurement were sometimes different from those of objective analysis below 1.5 km altitude. These differences are considered to be due to regionality at the lidar site. The temperature difference of 5.0 °C corresponds to a CO2 mixing ratio difference of 8.0 ppm at 500 m altitude. This cannot be ignored in estimates of regional sources and sinks of CO2. This three-wavelength CO2 DIAL technique can estimate accurately temporal behavior of CO2 mixing ratio profiles in the lower atmosphere. This work was financially supported by the System Development Program for Advanced Measurement and Analysis of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

The Effects of Thunderstorm Static and Quasi-Static Electric Fields on the Lower Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, Mohammad Ahmad

Thunderstorms and their lightning discharges are of great interest to many areas of geophysics and atmospheric electricity. A thunderstorm is an electric generator; it can produce both electrostatic and quasi-electrostatic fields in the overhead atmospheric D region. The D region is the lower part of the ionosphere that extends from about 40-90 km altitude where the electrons and ions are sufficient enough to affect the propagation of radio waves. In contrast to the electrostatic field, the quasi-electrostatic fields can be much stronger in magnitude, but shorter in duration, and can trigger halos. A halo is one type of the transient luminous events (TLEs) and typically appears within 1-2 ms after an intense cloud to ground lightning discharge. It looks like a relatively homogeneous glow in the shape of a pancake that is centered around 75-80 km altitude with a horizontal extent of tens of kilometers and vertical thickness of several kilometers. The goals of this dissertation research are to investigate the electrical effects of thunderstorm electrostatic and quasi-electrostatic fields on the nighttime lower ionosphere, and their covert relation to the formation of atmospheric halos. This work entails numerical and theoretical modeling analyses, and comparison of current theory and simulation results with the actual observations. For the first part of this study we have demonstrated that, under steady state conditions, electrostatic fields of <0.4Ek values (not strong enough to produce TLEs) can be established in the lower ionosphere due to underlying thunderstorms. We utilized the simplified nighttime ion chemistry model described in the work of Liu [2012] to investigate how these fields affect the lower ionosphere ion density profile. The three-body electron attachment, through which electrons can be converted to negative ions, is the only process whose rate constant depends on the field values within the above-mentioned limit. As a result of the variation of the rate constant with the electric field, the nighttime steady state electron density profile can be reduced by ˜40% or enhanced by a factor of ˜6. We have improved our model in order to self-consistently calculate the steady state conductivity of the lower ionosphere above a thunderstorm. The new model takes into account the heating effects of thunderstorm electrostatic fields on the free electrons. The modeling results indicate that under steady state condition, although the electron density is generally increased, the nighttime lower ionospheric conductivity can be reduced by up to 1-2 orders of magnitude because electron mobility is significantly reduced due to the electron heating effect. Because of this reduction, it is found that for a typical ionospheric density profile, the resulting changes in the reflection heights of ELF and VLF waves are 5 and 2 km, respectively. In the second part of this dissertation, a one-dimensional plasma discharge fluid model is developed to study the response of the nighttime lower ionosphere to the quasi-electrostatic field produced by cloud-to-ground lightning flashes. When the quasi-electrostatic field reaches and exceeds about E k, a halo can be triggered in the lower ionosphere. The modeling results indicate that the ionospheric perturbation is determined by the ambient ionospheric density profile, the charge. moment change, and charge transfer time. Tenuous ambient profiles result in larger changes in the ionospheric electron density. Cloud-to-ground lightning discharges, with larger charge moment changes and shorter charge transfer times, result in a larger change in the ionospheric electron density. In particular, the enhancement in the lower ionospheric electron density due to impulsive negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes has been investigated. It is found that the enhancement can reach up to about 3 orders of magnitude above ˜70 km altitude in a few seconds. Below ˜75 km altitude, this enhancement recovers in a few seconds due to the fast electron attachment process. The recovery time of the electron enhancement above ˜75 km altitude is controlled by a slower recombination process; it depends on the ambient density profile and can last for tens of minutes to hours. Finally, the modeling results of the lower ionosphere recovery time are analyzed to investigate the role of halos in producing early VLF events with long recovery time. It is found that these events can be explained when sufficient ionization is produced around ˜80 km altitude. Such ionization can be produced by the impact of impulsive negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes with a relatively large charge moment change on a tenuous ionospheric density profile.

An analytical investigation: Effect of solar wind on lunar photoelectron sheath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S. K.; Misra, Shikha

2018-02-01

The formation of a photoelectron sheath over the lunar surface and subsequent dust levitation, under the influence of solar wind plasma and continuous solar radiation, has been analytically investigated. The photoelectron sheath characteristics have been evaluated using the Poisson equation configured with population density contributions from half Fermi-Dirac distribution of the photoemitted electrons and simplified Maxwellian statistics of solar wind plasma; as a consequence, altitude profiles for electric potential, electric field, and population density within the photoelectron sheath have been derived. The expression for the accretion rate of sheath electrons over the levitated spherical particles using anisotropic photoelectron flux has been derived, which has been further utilized to characterize the charging of levitating fine particles in the lunar sheath along with other constituent photoemission and solar wind fluxes. This estimate of particle charge has been further manifested with lunar sheath characteristics to evaluate the altitude profile of the particle size exhibiting levitation. The inclusion of solar wind flux into analysis is noticed to reduce the sheath span and altitude of the particle levitation; the dependence of the sheath structure and particle levitation on the solar wind plasma parameters has been discussed and graphically presented.

Longitudinal Ionospheric Variability Observed by LITES on the ISS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephan, A. W.; Finn, S. C.; Cook, T.; Geddes, G.; Chakrabarti, S.; Budzien, S. A.

2017-12-01

The Limb-Imaging Ionospheric and Thermospheric Extreme-Ultraviolet Spectrograph (LITES) is an imaging spectrograph designed to measure altitude profiles (150-350 km) of extreme- and far-ultraviolet airglow emissions that originate from photochemical processes in the ionosphere and thermosphere. During the daytime, LITES observes the bright O+ 83.4 nm emission from which the ionospheric profile can be inferred. At night, recombination emissions at 91.1 and 135.6 nm provide a direct measure of the electron content along the line of sight. LITES was launched and installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in late February 2017 where it has been operating along with the highly complementary GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometry - Colocated (GROUP-C) experiment. We will present some of the first observations from LITES in April 2017 that show longitudinal patterns in ionospheric density and the daily variability in those patterns. LITES vertical imaging from a vantage point near 410 km enables a particularly unique perspective on the altitude of the ionospheric peak density at night that can complement and inform other ground- and space-based measurements, and track the longitude-altitude variability that is reflective of changes in equatorial electrodynamics.

Electron temperatures and densities in the venus ionosphere: pioneer venus orbiter electron temperature probe results.

PubMed

Brace, L H; Theis, R F; Krehbiel, J P; Nagy, A F; Donahue, T M; McElroy, M B; Pedersen, A

1979-02-23

Altitude profiles of electron temperature and density in the ionosphere of Venus have been obtained by the Pioneer Venus orbiter electron temperatutre probe. Elevated temperatutres observed at times of low solar wind flux exhibit height profiles that are consistent with a model in which less than 5 percent of the solar wind energy is deposited at the ionopause and is conducted downward through an unmagnetized ionosphere to the region below 200 kilomneters where electron cooling to the neutral atmosphere proceeds rapidly. When solar wind fluxes are higher, the electron temperatures and densities are highly structured and the ionopause moves to lower altitudes. The ionopause height in the late afternoon sector observed thus far varies so widely from day to (day that any height variation with solar zenith angle is not apparent in the observations. In the neighborhood of the ionopause, measuremnents of plasma temperatures and densities and magnetic field strength indicate that an induced magnetic barrier plays an important role in the pressure transfer between the solar wind and the ionosphere. The bow, shock is marked by a distinct increase in electron current collected by the instrument, a featutre that provides a convenient identification of the bow shock location.

Observations of the vertical distributions of summertime atmospheric pollutants and the corresponding ozone production in Shanghai, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Chengzhi; Liu, Cheng; Wang, Shanshan; Chan, Ka Lok; Gao, Yang; Huang, Xin; Su, Wenjing; Zhang, Chengxin; Dong, Yunsheng; Fan, Guangqiang; Zhang, Tianshu; Chen, Zhenyi; Hu, Qihou; Su, Hang; Xie, Zhouqing; Liu, Jianguo

2017-12-01

Ground-based multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) and lidar measurements were performed in Shanghai, China, during May 2016 to investigate the vertical distribution of summertime atmospheric pollutants. In this study, vertical profiles of aerosol extinction coefficient, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) concentrations were retrieved from MAX-DOAS measurements using the Heidelberg Profile (HEIPRO) algorithm, while vertical distribution of ozone (O3) was obtained from an ozone lidar. Sensitivity study of the MAX-DOAS aerosol profile retrieval shows that the a priori aerosol profile shape has significant influences on the aerosol profile retrieval. Aerosol profiles retrieved from MAX-DOAS measurements with Gaussian a priori profile demonstrate the best agreements with simultaneous lidar measurements and vehicle-based tethered-balloon observations among all a priori aerosol profiles. Tropospheric NO2 vertical column densities (VCDs) measured with MAX-DOAS show a good agreement with OMI satellite observations with a Pearson correlation coefficient (R) of 0.95. In addition, measurements of the O3 vertical distribution indicate that the ozone productions do not only occur at surface level but also at higher altitudes (about 1.1 km). Planetary boundary layer (PBL) height and horizontal and vertical wind field information were integrated to discuss the ozone formation at upper altitudes. The results reveal that enhanced ozone concentrations at ground level and upper altitudes are not directly related to horizontal and vertical transportation. Similar patterns of O3 and HCHO vertical distributions were observed during this campaign, which implies that the ozone productions near the surface and at higher altitudes are mainly influenced by the abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the lower troposphere.

A model for simulating random atmospheres as a function of latitude, season, and time

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, J. W.

1977-01-01

An empirical stochastic computer model was developed with the capability of generating random thermodynamic profiles of the atmosphere below an altitude of 99 km which are characteristic of any given season, latitude, and time of day. Samples of temperature, density, and pressure profiles generated by the model are statistically similar to measured profiles in a data base of over 6000 rocket and high-altitude atmospheric soundings; that is, means and standard deviations of modeled profiles and their vertical gradients are in close agreement with data. Model-generated samples can be used for Monte Carlo simulations of aircraft or spacecraft trajectories to predict or account for the effects on a vehicle's performance of atmospheric variability. Other potential uses for the model are in simulating pollutant dispersion patterns, variations in sound propagation, and other phenomena which are dependent on atmospheric properties, and in developing data-reduction software for satellite monitoring systems.

Vertical and Lateral Electron Content in the Martian Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paetzold, M. P.; Peter, K.; Bird, M. K.; Häusler, B.; Tellmann, S.

2016-12-01

The radio-science experiment MaRS (Mars Express Radio Science) on the Mars Express spacecraft sounds the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars since 2004. Approximately 800 vertical profiles of the ionospheric electron density have been acquired until today. The vertical electron content (TEC) is easily computed from the vertical electron density profile by integrating along the altitude. The TEC is typically a fraction of a TEC unit (1E16 m^-2) and depends on the solar zenith angle. The magnitude of the TEC is however fully dominated by the electron density contained in the main layer M2. The contributions by the M1 layer below M2 or the topside is marginal. MaRS is using two radio frequencies for the sounding of the ionosphere. The directly observed differential Doppler from the two received frequencies is a measure of the lateral electron content that means along the ray path and perpendicular to the vertical electron density profile. Combining both the vertical electron density profile, the vertical TEC and the directly observed lateral TEC describes the lateral electron density distribution in the ionosphere.

Seasonal Variation in Meteor Decay Time Profiles Measured by a Meteor Radar at King Sejong Station (62°S, 58°W), Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.; Kim, J.; Lee, C.; Jee, G.

2008-12-01

A VHF meteor radar at King Sejong Station (62°S, 58°W), Antarctica has been detecting echoes from more than 20,000 meteors per day since March 2007. Meteor echoes are decayed typically within seconds as meteor trail plasma spread away or are neutralized. Assuming that diffusion is the only process for decay of meteor echo signals, the atmospheric temperatures and pressures have been inferred from the measured meteor decay times at the peak meteor altitudes around 90 km. In this study, we analyze altitude profiles of meteor decay times in each month, which clearly show a maximum at 80 ~ 85 km. The maximum appears at higher altitude during austral summer than winter. The fast decay of meteor signals below the maximum cannot be explained by atmospheric diffusion which decreases with increasing atmospheric densities. We find that the measured meteor decay time profiles can be fitted with a loss rate profile, in addition to diffusion, with a peak altitude of 55 ~ 73 km and a peak rate of 4 ~ 15 sec- 1. The additional loss of meteor plasma may be due to electron absorption by icy particles in the mesosphere, but the estimated peak altitudes are much lower than the layers of NLC or PME. The estimated peak loss rates seem to be too large to be accounted by absorption by icy or dust particles. We will discuss other processes to explain the fast meteor times and their variation over season.

First Ionospheric Results From the MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withers, Paul; Felici, M.; Mendillo, M.; Moore, L.; Narvaez, C.; Vogt, M. F.; Jakosky, B. M.

2018-05-01

Radio occultation observations of the ionosphere of Mars can span the full vertical extent of the ionosphere, in contrast to in situ measurements that rarely sample the main region of the ionosphere. However, most existing radio occultation electron density profiles from Mars were acquired without clear context for the solar forcing or magnetospheric conditions, which presents challenges for the interpretation of these profiles. Here we present 48 ionospheric electron density profiles acquired by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission (MAVEN) Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE) from 5 July 2016 to 27 June 2017 at solar zenith angles of 54° to 101°. Latitude coverage is excellent, and comprehensive context for the interpretation of these profiles is provided by other MAVEN instruments. The profiles show a 9-km increase in ionospheric peak altitude in January 2017 that is associated with a lower atmospheric dust storm, variations in electron densities in the M1 layer that cannot be explained by variations in the solar soft X-ray flux, and topside electron densities that are larger in strongly magnetized regions than in weakly magnetized regions. MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment electron density profiles are publicly available on the NASA Planetary Data System.

Variability of Martian Turbopause Altitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slipski, Marek; Jakosky, Bruce; Benna, Mehdi; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Elrod, Meredith K.; Kass, David M.; Gonzalez-Galindo, Francisco

2017-10-01

The transition region between the well-mixed, turbulent lower atmosphere and the diffusive upper atmosphere - the turbopause - is an area of coupled physical processes that can have significant impacts on the structure and dynamics of the mesosphere and thermosphere. Above the turbopause, molecular diffusion dominates and species fractionate according to their masses. Below, turbulence is strong and waves dissipate and break. We have used density measurements from MAVEN's NGIMS instrument and temperatures from MRO's MCS to calculate turbopause altitudes over the course of a Martian year.The homopause, or "mixing-turbopause,” is defined with respect to the mixing ratio of a given atmospheric species. The mean molecular mass of the atmosphere remains essentially constant below, but each species has its own scale height above. We determined this altitude for each MAVEN orbit between Feb 2015 - Dec 2016 by extrapolating the ratio of N2 and 40Ar densities downward to where their ratio equals that measured by Curiosity. To determine the "wave-turbopause" (Offermann et al., 2007) we used variations in monthly-averaged temperature profiles of the upper and lower atmosphere. Because the dissipation of waves produces turbulence the turbopause altitude is set by the transition from strong to weak dissipation. If no energy were lost, the amplitude of a vertically propagating gravity wave would increase exponentially with altitude. Using the monthly standard deviation in temperatures as a proxy for wave amplitude, we show that waves are strongly dissipated at low altitudes but freely propagating in the lower thermosphere. The altitude at which the standard deviation begins to increase substantially from low values at mid-altitudes determines the altitude of the "wave-turbopause."The observed range of turbopause altitudes is 80-140 km. The turbopause is highest during the day and for Ls values near 270°. Homopause altitudes correlate well with changes in CO2 densities. The variation in turbopause altitudes means that energy, mass, and momentum transported vertically are deposited at different altitudes across the planet, which can have a substantial effect on the thermal and dynamical state of the middle-upper atmosphere.

Constraints on atmospheric structure and helium abundance of Saturn from Cassini/UVIS and CIRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskinen, Tommi; Guerlet, Sandrine

2017-10-01

We combine results from stellar occultations observed by Cassini/UVIS and infrared emissions observed by Cassini/CIRS to create empirical models of atmospheric structure on Saturn corresponding to the locations probed by the UVIS stellar occultations. These models span multiple occultation locations at different latitudes from 2005 to the end of 2015. In summary, we connect the temperature-pressure profiles retrieved from the CIRS data to the temperature-pressure profiles in the thermosphere retrieved from the occultations. A corresponding altitude scale is calculated and matched to the altitude scale of the density profiles that are retrieved directly from the occultations. In addition to the temperature structure, our ability to match the altitudes in the occultation light curves depends on the mean molecular weight of the atmosphere. We use the UVIS occultations to constrain the abundance of methane near the homopause, allowing us to constrain the eddy mixing rate of the atmosphere. In addition, our preliminary results are consistent with a mixing ratio of about 11% for helium in the lower atmosphere. Our results provide an important reference for future models of Saturn’s upper atmosphere.

Ion and aerosol precursor densities in Titan's ionosphere: A multi-instrument case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shebanits, O.; Wahlund, J.-E.; Edberg, N. J. T.; Crary, F. J.; Wellbrock, A.; Andrews, D. J.; Vigren, E.; Desai, R. T.; Coates, A. J.; Mandt, K. E.; Waite, J. H.

2016-10-01

The importance of the heavy ions and dust grains for the chemistry and aerosol formation in Titan's ionosphere has been well established in the recent years of the Cassini mission. In this study we combine independent in situ plasma (Radio Plasma and Wave Science Langmuir Probe (RPWS/LP)) and particle (Cassini Plasma Science Electron Spectrometer, Cassini Plasma Science Ion Beam Spectrometer, and Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer) measurements of Titan's ionosphere for selected flybys (T16, T29, T40, and T56) to produce altitude profiles of mean ion masses including heavy ions and develop a Titan-specific method for detailed analysis of the RPWS/LP measurements (applicable to all flybys) to further constrain ion charge densities and produce the first empirical estimate of the average charge of negative ions and/or dust grains. Our results reveal the presence of an ion-ion (dusty) plasma below 1100 km altitude, with charge densities exceeding the primary ionization peak densities by a factor ≥2 in the terminator and nightside ionosphere (ne/ni ≤ 0.1). We suggest that ion-ion (dusty) plasma may also be present in the dayside ionosphere below 900 km (ne/ni < 0.5 at 1000 km altitude). The average charge of the dust grains (≥1000 amu) is estimated to be between -2.5 and -1.5 elementary charges, increasing toward lower altitudes.

Modeling the Entry of Micrometeoroids into the Atmospheres of Earth-like Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pevyhouse, A. R.; Kress, M. E.

2011-01-01

The temperature profiles of micrometeors entering the atmospheres of Earth-like planets are calculated to determine the altitude at which exogenous organic compounds may be released. Previous experiments have shown that flash-heated micrometeorite analogs release organic compounds at temperatures from roughly 500 to 1000 K [1]. The altitude of release is of great importance because it determines the fate of the compound. Organic compounds that are released deeper in the atmosphere are more likely to rapidly mix to lower altitudes where they can accumulate to higher abundances or form more complex molecules and/or aerosols. Variables that are explored here are particle size, entry angle, atmospheric density profiles, spectral type of the parent star, and planet mass. The problem reduces to these questions: (1) How much atmosphere does the particle pass through by the time it is heated to 500 K? (2) Is the atmosphere above sufficient to attenuate stellar UV such that the mixing timescale is shorter than the photochemical timescale for a particular compound? We present preliminary results that the effect of the planetary and particle parameters have on the altitude of organic release.

Mars Gravity Field and Upper Atmosphere from MGS, Mars Odyssey, and MRO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genova, A.; Goossens, S. J.; Lemoine, F. G.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2015-12-01

The NASA orbital missions Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Odyssey (ODY), and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have been exploring and monitoring the planet Mars since 1997. MGS executed its mapping mission between 1999 and 2006 in a frozen sun-synchronous, near-circular, polar orbit with the periapsis altitude at ~370 km and the dayside equatorial crossing at 2 pm Local Solar Time (LST). The spacecraft was equipped with onboard instrumentation to acquire radio science data and to measure spacecraft ranges to the Martian surface (Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter). These measurements resulted in static and time-varying gravity field and high-resolution global topography of the planet. ODY and MRO are still orbiting about Mars in two different sun-synchronous orbits, providing radio tracking data that indirectly measure both the static and time-varying gravity field and the atmospheric density. The orbit of ODY has its periapsis at ~390 km altitude and descending node at 4-5 pm LST. However, the spacecraft also collected measurements at lower altitudes (~220 km) in 2002 prior to the mapping phase. Since November 2006, MRO is in a low-altitude orbit with a periapsis altitude of 255 km and descending node at 3 pm LST. Radio data from MRO help improve the resolution of the static gravity field and measure the mass distribution of the polar caps, but the atmospheric drag at those altitudes may limit the benefits of these radio tracking observations. We present a combined solution of the Martian gravity field to degree and order 110 and atmospheric density profiles with radio tracking data from MGS, ODY and MRO. The gravity field solution is combined with the MOLA topography yielding an updated map of Mars crustal thickness. We also show our solution of the Love number k2 and time-variable gravity zonal harmonics (C20 and C30, in particular). The recovered atmospheric density profiles may be used in atmospheric models to constrain the long-term variability of the constituents in the upper atmosphere.

Nighttime ionization by energetic particles at Wallops Island in the altitude region 120 to 200 km

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voss, H. D.; Smith, L. G.

1979-01-01

Five Nike Apache rockets, each including an energetic particle spectrometer and an electron density-electron temperature experiment, have been launched from Wallops Island (L = 2.6) near midnight under varying geomagnetic conditions. On the most recent of these (5 January 1978) an additional spectrometer with a broom magnet, and a 391.4 nm photometer were flown. The data from this flight indicate that the energetic particle flux consists predominantly of protons, neutral hydrogen and possibly other energetic nuclei. The energy spectrum becomes much softer and the flux more intense with increasing Kp for 10-100 keV. The pitch angle distribution at 180 km is asymmetrical with a peak at 90 deg indicating that the majority of particles are near their mirroring altitude. Ionization rates are calculated based on the measured energy spectrum and mirror height distribution. The resulting ionization rate profile is found to be nearly constant with altitude in the region 120 to 200 km. The measured energetic particle flux and calculated ionization rate from the five flights are found to vary with magnetic activity (based on the Kp and Dst indexes) in the same way as the independently derived ionization rates deduced from the electron density profile.

A Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer /SUMS/ experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanchard, R. C.; Duckett, R. J.; Hinson, E. W.

1982-01-01

A magnetic mass spectrometer is currently being adapted to the Space Shuttle Orbiter to provide repeated high altitude atmosphere data to support in situ rarefied flow aerodynamics research, i.e., in the high velocity, low density flight regime. The experiment, called Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer (SUMS), is the first attempt to design mass spectrometer equipment for flight vehicle aerodynamic data extraction. The SUMS experiment will provide total freestream atmospheric quantitites, principally total mass density, above altitudes at which conventional pressure measurements are valid. Experiment concepts, the expected flight profile, tradeoffs in the design of the total system and flight data reduction plans are discussed. Development plans are based upon a SUMS first flight after the Orbiter initial development flights.

Initial observations of the nightside ionosphere of venus from pioneer venus orbiter radio occultations.

PubMed

Kliore, A J; Patel, I R; Nagy, A F; Cravens, T E; Gombosi, T I

1979-07-06

Pioneer Venus orbiter dual-frequency radio occultation measurements have produced many electron density profiles of the nightside ionosphere of Venus. Thirty-six of these profiles, measured at solar zenith angles (chi) from 90.60 degrees to 163.5 degrees , are discussed here. In the "deep" nightside ionosphere (chi > 110 degrees ), the structure and magnitude of the ionization peak are highly variable; the mean peak electron density is 16,700 +/- 7,200 (standard deviation) per cubic centimeter. In contrast, the altitude of the peak remains fairly constant with a mean of 142.2 +/- 4.1 kilometers, virtually identical to the altitude of the main peak of the dayside terminator ionosphere. The variations in the peak ionization are not directly related to contemporal variations in the solar wind speed. It is shown that electron density distributions similar to those observed in both magnitude and structure can be produced by the precipitation on the nightside of Venus of electron fluxes of about 108 per square centimeter per second with energies less than 100 electron volts. This mechanism could very likely be responsible for the maintenance of the persistent nightside ionosphere of Venus, although transport processes may also be important.

Meteoric Magnesium Ions in the Martian Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pesnell, William Dean; Grebowsky, Joseph

1999-01-01

From a thorough modeling of the altitude profile of meteoritic ionization in the Martian atmosphere we deduce that a persistent layer of magnesium ions should exist around an altitude of 70 km. Based on current estimates of the meteoroid mass flux density, a peak ion density of about 10(exp 4) ions/cm is predicted. Allowing for the uncertainties in all of the model parameters, this value is probably within an order of magnitude of the correct density. Of these parameters, the peak density is most sensitive to the meteoroid mass flux density which directly determines the ablated line density into a source function for Mg. Unlike the terrestrial case, where the metallic ion production is dominated by charge-exchange of the deposited neutral Mg with the ambient ions, Mg+ in the Martian atmosphere is produced predominantly by photoionization. The low ultraviolet absorption of the Martian atmosphere makes Mars an excellent laboratory in which to study meteoric ablation. Resonance lines not seen in the spectra of terrestrial meteors may be visible to a surface observatory in the Martian highlands.

A method for the retrieval of atomic oxygen density and temperature profiles from ground-based measurements of the O(+)(2D-2P) 7320 A twilight airglow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fennelly, J. A.; Torr, D. G.; Richards, P. G.; Torr, M. R.; Sharp, W. E.

1991-01-01

This paper describes a technique for extracting thermospheric profiles of the atomic-oxygen density and temperature, using ground-based measurements of the O(+)(2D-2P) doublet at 7320 and 7330 A in the twilight airglow. In this method, a local photochemical model is used to calculate the 7320-A intensity; the method also utilizes an iterative inversion procedure based on the Levenberg-Marquardt method described by Press et al. (1986). The results demonstrate that, if the measurements are only limited by errors due to Poisson noise, the altitude profiles of neutral temperature and atomic oxygen concentration can be determined accurately using currently available spectrometers.

Results from the 1995 Stratospheric Ozone Profile Intercomparison at Mauna Loa (MLO3)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McPeters, R. D.; Hofmann, D. J.; Clark, M.; Flynn, L.; Froidevaux, L.; Gross, M.; Johnson, B.; Koenig, G.; Liu, X.; McDermid, S.;

The effects of wind and altitude in the 400-m sprint.

PubMed

Quinn, Mike D

2004-01-01

In this paper I use a mathematical model to simulate the effect of wind and altitude on men's and women's 4400-m race performances. Both wind speed and direction were altered to calculate the effect on the velocity profile and the final time of the sprinter. The simulation shows that for a constant wind velocity, changing the wind direction can produce a large variation in the race time and velocity profile. A wind of velocity 2 m x s(-1) is generally a disadvantage to the 400-m runner but this is not so for all wind directions. Constant winds blowing from some directions can provide favourable conditions for the one-lap runner. Differences between the running lanes can be reduced or exaggerated depending on the wind direction. For example, a wind blowing behind the runner in the back straight increases the advantage of lane 8 over lane 1. Wind conditions can change the velocity profile and in some circumstances produce a maximum velocity much later than is evident in windless conditions. Lower air density at altitude produces a time advantage of around 0.06 s for men (0.07 s for women) for each 500-m increase in elevation.

Utilizing field-aligned current profiles derived from Swarm to estimate the peak emission height of 630 nm auroral arcs: a comparison of methods and discussion of associated error estimates in the ASI data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, D. M.; Knudsen, D. J.; Donovan, E.; Jackel, B. J.; Gillies, R.; Spanswick, E.

2017-12-01

We compare field-aligned currents (FACs) measured by the Swarm constellation of satellites with the location of red-line (630 nm) auroral arcs observed by all-sky imagers (ASIs) to derive a characteristic emission height for the optical emissions. In our 10 events we find that an altitude of 200 km applied to the ASI maps gives optimal agreement between the two observations. We also compare the new FAC method against the traditional triangulation method using pairs of all-sky imagers (ASIs), and against electron density profiles obtained from the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar-Canadian radar (RISR-C), both of which are consistent with a characteristic emission height of 200 km. We also present the spatial error associated with georeferencing REdline Geospace Observatory (REGO) and THEMIS all-sky imagers (ASIs) and how it applies to altitude projections of the mapped image. Utilizing this error we validate the estimated altitude of redline aurora using two methods: triangulation between ASIs and field-aligned current profiles derived from magnetometers on-board the Swarm satellites.

Interrelated structure of high altitude atmospheric profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engler, N. A.; Goldschmidt, M. A.

1972-01-01

A preliminary development of a mathematical model to compute probabilities of thermodynamic profiles is presented. The model assumes an exponential expression for pressure and utilizes the hydrostatic law and equation of state in the determination of density and temperature. It is shown that each thermodynamic variable can be factored into the produce of steady state and perturbation functions. The steady state functions have profiles similar to those of the 1962 standard atmosphere while the perturbation functions oscillate about 1. Limitations of the model and recommendations for future work are presented.

Results of the Mariner 6 and 7 Mars occultation experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, J. S.; Stewart, R. W.; Rasool, S. I.; Russell, L. H.

1972-01-01

Final profiles of temperature, pressure, and electron density on Mars were obtained for the Mariner 6 and 7 entry and exit cases, and results are presented for both the lower atmosphere and ionosphere. The results of an analysis of the systematic and formal errors introduced at each stage of the data-reduction process are also included. At all four occulation points, the lapse rate of temperature was subdadiabatic up to altitudes in excess of 20 km. A pronounced temperature inversion was present above the surface at the Mariner 6 exit point. All four profiles exhibit a sharp, superadiabatic drop in temperature at high altitudes, with temperatures falling below the frost point of CO2. These results give a strong indication of frozen CO2 in the middle atmosphere of Mars.

Sensitivity study of the inverse problem on retrieval of the altitude profile of ozone from emission intensities of the molecular oxygen in the MLT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martyshenko, Kseniia; Yankovsky, Valentine

2015-04-01

Retrieval of the ozone density altitude profile is important problem for energetics of the upper atmosphere. For comparison of methods of retrieval of altitude profiles of ozone concentration from emissions of excited oxygen molecule and atom was used a modern model of electronic-vibrational kinetics of the products of O3 and O2 photolysis YM-2011 [1]. This study uses only a part of the complete model YM-2011 related to population of levels O2(b1Σ+g, v=0-2), O2(a1Δg, v=0-5) and metastable atom O(1D). Thereby, we obtained solutions of the inverse problem of [O3] retrieval from five proxies O2(a1Δg, v = 0), O2(b1Σ+g, v = 0, 1, 2) and O (1D). Theoretically, every proposed emission of excited component could be promising sources of information about [O3], because it depends on [O3] both in production and in quenching. Detailed analysis of the solutions of the inverse problem of [O3] retrieval were conducted by the sensitivity study of these levels for variations of all model parameters at altitudes of z=40-105 km. The maximum values of sensitivity coefficient to [O3] variations have the following components: O2(b1Σ+g, v = 1), O2(a1Δg, v = 0) and O(1D). The sensitivity of all excited component to variations of ozone decreases sharply above 105 km due to a drastic fall of ozone concentration. [O2(b1Σ+g, v=2)] does not depend on ozone completely at the proposed altitudes, and [O2(b1Σ+g, v=0)] has the lowest sensitivity to variations of [O3] among rest components. Based on the results of the sensitivity study authors investigated the ozone altitude profiles retrieval accuracy taking into account uncertainties of all input parameters (solar excitation and photodissociation rates, quantum yields of products and rate constants of aeronomical reactions). Uncertainties of retrieval of altitude profiles of [O3] from [O(1D)] don't exceed 10% in the interval 40-85 km were obtained. Profile of [O2(b1Σ+g, v=1] allows us to retrieval of [O3] with 21% uncertainty at z =40-95 km, and [O2(b1Σ+g, v=0] - 29% at altitudes up to 97 km. Uncertainties of retrieval of altitude profiles of ozone from [O2(a1Δg, v=0)] achieved 21% at altitudes of z=40-89 km, but it's not uniform in height and in the 77-85 km don't exceed 10%. Overall, optimal methods of retrieval of altitude profiles of ozone concentration is the observation volume emission rate of the molecule O2(b1Σ+g, v=1) in the MLT region. 1. Yankovsky V. A., Manuilova R. O., Babaev A. S., Feofilov A. G., Kutepov A. A. 2011. Model of electronic-vibrational kinetics of the O3 and O2 photolysis products in the middle atmosphere: applications to water vapor retrievals from SABER/TIMED 6.3 µm radiance measurements. International Journal of Remote Sensing, V. 33, N. 12, P. 3065-3078.

Comparison of Water Vapor Measurements by Airborne Sun Photometer and Diode Laser Hygrometer on the NASA DC-8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Livingston, J. M.; Schmid, Beat; Russell, P. B.

In January-February 2003 the 14-channel NASA Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer 30 (AATS) and the NASA Langley/Ames Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH) were flown on the NASA DC-8 aircraft. AATS measured column water vapor on the aircraft-to-sun path, while DLH measured local water vapor in the free stream between the aircraft fuselage and an outboard engine cowling. The AATS and DLH measurements were compared for two DC-8 vertical profiles by differentiating the AATS column measurement and/or integrating the DLH local measurement over the altitude range of each profile (7.7-10 km and 1.2-12.5 km). These comparisons extend, for the first time, tests ofmore » AATS water vapor retrievals to altitudes >~6 km and column contents <0.1 g cm-2. To our knowledge this is the first time suborbital spectroscopic water vapor measurements using the 940-nm band have been tested in conditions so high and dry. For both profiles layer water vapor (LWV) from AATS and DLH were highly correlated, with r2 0.998, rms difference 7.2% and bias (AATS minus DLH) 0.9%. For water vapor densities AATS and DLH had r2 0.968, rms difference 27.6%, and bias (AATS minus DLH) -4.2%. These results compare favorably with previous comparisons of AATS water vapor to in situ results for altitudes <~6 km, columns ~0.1 to 5 g cm-2 and densities ~0.1 to 17 g m-3.« less

Meteoroid stream flux densities and the zenith exponent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molau, Sirko; Barentsen, Geert

2013-01-01

The MetRec software was recently extended to measure the limiting magnitude in real-time, and to determine meteoroid stream flux densities. This paper gives a short overview of the applied algorithms. We introduce the MetRec Flux Viewer, a web tool to visualize activity profiles on- line. Starting from the Lyrids 2011, high-quality flux density profiles were derived from IMO Video Network observations for every major meteor shower. They are often in good agreement with visual data. Analyzing the 2011 Perseids, we found systematic daily variations in the flux density profile, which can be attributed to a zenith exponent gamma > 1.0. We analyzed a number of meteor showers in detail and found zenith exponent variations from shower to shower in the range between 1.55 and 2.0. The average value over all analyzed showers is gamma = 1.75. In order to determine the zenith exponent precisely, the observations must cover a large altitude range (at least 45 degrees).

Occultation Experiment: Results of the First Direct Measurement of Mars's Atmosphere and Ionosphere.

PubMed

Kliore, A; Cain, D L; Levy, G S; Eshleman, V R; Fjeldbo, G; Drake, F D

1965-09-10

Changes in the frequency, phase, and amplitude of the Mariner IV radio signal, caused by passage through the atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars, were observed immediately before and after occultation by the planet. Preliminary analysis of these effects has yielded estimates of the refractivity and density of the atmosphere near the surface, the scale height in the atmosphere, and the electron density profile of the Martian ionosphere. The atmospheric density, temperature, and scale height are lower than previously predicted, as are the maximum density, temperature, scale height, and altitude of the ionosphere.

Seasonal variation of meteor decay times observed at King Sejong Station (62.22°S, 58.78°W), Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeong-Han; Kim, Yong Ha; Lee, Chang-Sup; Jee, Geonhwa

2010-07-01

We analyzed meteor decay times measured by a VHF radar at King Sejong Station by classifying strong and weak meteors according to their estimated electron line densities. The height profiles of monthly averaged decay times show a peak whose altitude varies with season at altitudes of 80-85 km. The higher peak during summer is consistent with colder temperatures that cause faster chemical reactions of electron removal. By adopting temperature dependent empirical recombination rates from rocket experiments and meteor electron densities of 2×105-2×106 cm-3 in a decay time model, we are able to account for decreasing decay times below the peak for all seasons without invoking meteor electron removal by hypothetical icy particles.

Photochemical escape of oxygen from Mars: constraints from MAVEN in situ measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillis, R. J.; Deighan, J.; Fox, J. L.; Bougher, S. W.; Lee, Y.; Cravens, T.; Rahmati, A.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Andersson, L.; Combi, M. R.; Benna, M.; Jakosky, B. M.; Gröller, H.

2016-12-01

One of the primary goals of the MAVEN mission is to characterize rates of atmospheric escape from Mars at the present epoch and relate those escape rates to solar drivers. Photochemical escape of oxygen is expected to be a significant channel for atmospheric loss, particularly in the early solar system when extreme ultraviolet (EUV) fluxes were much higher. We use near-periapsis (<400 km altitude) data from three instruments. The Langmuir Probe and Waves (LPW) instrument measures electron density and temperature, the Suprathermal And Thermal Ion Composition (STATIC) experiment measures ion temperature and the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) measures neutral and ion densities. For each profile of in situ measurements, we make a series of calculations, each as a function of altitude. The first uses electron and ion temperatures to calculate the probability distribution for initial energies of hot O atoms. The second calculates the probability that a hot atom born at that altitude will escape. The third takes calculates the production rate of the hot O atoms. We then multiply together the profiles of hot atom production and escape probability to get profiles of the production rate of escaping atoms. We integrate with respect to altitude to give us the escape flux of hot oxygen atoms for that periapsis pass. We will present escape fluxes and derived escape rates from the first Mars year of data collected. Total photochemical loss over time is not very useful to calculate from such escape fluxes derived from current conditions because a thicker atmosphere and much higher solar EUV in the past may change the dynamics of escape dramatically. In the future, we intend to use 3-D Monte Carlo models of global atmospheric escape, in concert with our in situ and remote measurements, to fully characterize photochemical escape under current conditions and carefully extrapolate back in time using further simulations with new boundary conditions.

Comparison of SAGE II ozone measurements and ozone soundings at Uccle (Belgium) during the period February 1985 to January 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De Muer, D.; De Backer, H.; Zawodny, J. M.; Veiga, R. E.

1990-01-01

The ozone profiles obtained from 24 balloon soundings at Uccle (50 deg 48 min N, 4 deg 21 min E) made with electrochemical ozonesondes were used as correlative data for SAGE II ozone profiles retrieved within a distance of at most 600 km from Uccle. The agreement between the two data sets is in general quite good, especially for profiles nearly coincident in time and space, and during periods of little dynamic activity over the area considered. The percent difference between the ozone column density of the mean balloon and SAGE profile is 4.4 percent (-3.3) percent in the altitude region between 10 and 26 km. From a statistical analysis it appears that there is a small but meaningful difference between the mean profiles at the level of the ozone maximum and around the 30-km level. An error analysis of both data sets give similar results, leading to the conclusion that these differences are instrumentally induced. However, differences between the mean profiles in the lower stratosphere are probably real and due to the high ozone variability in time and space in that altitude region.

Simulated Altitude Performance of Combustor of Westinghouse 19XB-1 Jet-Propulsion Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Childs, J. Howard; McCafferty, Richard J.

1948-01-01

A 19XB-1 combustor was operated under conditions simulating zero-ram operation of the 19XB-1 turbojet engine at various altitudes and engine speeds. The combustion efficiencies and the altitude operational limits were determined; data were also obtained on the character of the combustion, the pressure drop through the combustor, and the combustor-outlet temperature and velocity profiles. At altitudes about 10,000 feet below the operational limits, the flames were yellow and steady and the temperature rise through the combustor increased with fuel-air ratio throughout the range of fuel-air ratios investigated. At altitudes near the operational limits, the flames were blue and flickering and the combustor was sluggish in its response to changes in fuel flow. At these high altitudes, the temperature rise through the combustor increased very slowly as the fuel flow was increased and attained a maximum at a fuel-air ratio much leaner than the over-all stoichiometric; further increases in fuel flow resulted in decreased values of combustor temperature rise and increased resonance until a rich-limit blow-out occurred. The approximate operational ceiling of the engine as determined by the combustor, using AN-F-28, Amendment-3, fuel, was 30,400 feet at a simulated engine speed of 7500 rpm and increased as the engine speed was increased. At an engine speed of 16,000 rpm, the operational ceiling was approximately 48,000 feet. Throughout the range of simulated altitudes and engine speeds investigated, the combustion efficiency increased with increasing engine speed and with decreasing altitude. The combustion efficiency varied from over 99 percent at operating conditions simulating high engine speed and low altitude operation to less than 50 percent at conditions simulating operation at altitudes near the operational limits. The isothermal total pressure drop through the combustor was 1.82 times as great as the inlet dynamic pressure. As expected from theoretical considerations, a straight-line correlation was obtained when the ratio of the combustor total pressure drop to the combustor-inlet dynamic pressure was plotted as a function of the ratio of the combustor-inlet air density to the combustor-outlet gas density. The combustor-outlet temperature profiles were, in general, more uniform for runs in which the temperature rise was low and the combustion efficiency was high. Inspection of the combustor basket after 36 hours of operation showed very little deterioration and no appreciable carbon deposits.

Description, accessibility and usage of SOIR/Venus Express atmospheric profiles of Venus distributed in VESPA (Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trompet, L.; Geunes, Y.; Ooms, T.; Mahieux, A.; Wilquet, V.; Chamberlain, S.; Robert, S.; Thomas, I. R.; Erard, S.; Cecconi, B.; Le Sidaner, P.; Vandaele, A. C.

2018-01-01

Venus Express SOIR profiles of pressure, temperature and number densities of different constituents of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere of Venus are the only experimental data covering the 60 km to 220 km range of altitudes at the terminator of Venus. This unique dataset is now available in the open access VESPA infrastructure. This paper describes the content of these data products and provides some use cases.

Influence of ablation impurities on blunt body re-entry ionization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schexnayder, C. J., Jr.; Evans, J. S.

1974-01-01

Electron density profiles which include the effect of an ablated sodium impurity were computed for the boundary layer on a blunt-nosed body re-entering the atmosphere at 7.62 km/sec. Profiles are computed from the nose to a distance of four diameters along the RAM C-payload. A finite-difference, laminar, nonequilibrium chemistry boundary-layer program was used. Comparison of theory with S-band diagnostic antenna results, electron concentration deduced from X- and C-band attenuation data, and Langmuir probe data at several different aft body locations show that agreement is good at high altitude. At the lower altitudes there is disagreement between theory and S-band antenna data where the apparent discrepancy is attributed to the three-body recombination rate constant used for deionization of sodium coupled with the effect of angle of attack.

Estimating the D-Region Ionospheric Electron Density Profile Using VLF Narrowband Transmitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. C.; Cohen, M.

2016-12-01

The D-region ionospheric electron density profile plays an important role in many applications, including long-range and transionospheric communications, and coupling between the lower atmosphere and the upper ionosphere occurs, and estimation of very low frequency (VLF) wave propagation within the earth-ionosphere waveguide. However, measuring the D-region ionospheric density profile has been a challenge. The D-region is about 60 to 90 [km] in altitude, which is higher than planes and balloons can fly but lower than satellites can orbit. Researchers have previously used VLF remote sensing techniques, from either narrowband transmitters or sferics, to estimate the density profile, but these estimations are typically during a short time frame and over a single propagation path.We report on an effort to construct estimates of the D-region ionospheric electron density profile over multiple narrowband transmission paths for long periods of time. Measurements from multiple transmitters at multiple receivers are analyzed concurrently to minimize false solutions and improve accuracy. Likewise, time averaging is used to remove short transient noise at the receivers. The cornerstone of the algorithm is an artificial neural network (ANN), where input values are the received amplitude and phase for the narrowband transmitters and the outputs are the commonly known h' and beta two parameter exponential electron density profile. Training data for the ANN is generated using the Navy's Long-Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) model. Results show the algorithm performs well under smooth ionospheric conditions and when proper geometries for the transmitters and receivers are used.

Preliminary measurements of mesospheric OH X 2Pi by ISO on Atlas 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, M. F.; Torr, D. G.; Torr, M. R.

1993-01-01

The Imaging Spectrometric Observatory (ISO) carried by the Atlas 1 mission conducted observations of the resonance fluorescence of the OH radical, on whose bases a density profile has been determined at 70-80 km altitude. OH observations were conducted during most of the dayside phases during the mission, covering much of the Northern Hemisphere to 57 deg N latitude. Attention is given to results from an observation at 39 deg N, where OH densities rapidly decreased above 80 km.

Vertical Profiles of Aerosol Volume from High Spectral Resolution Infrared Transmission Measurements: Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldering, Annmarie; Kahn, Brian H.; Mills, Franklin P.; Irion, Fredrick W.; Steele, Helen M.; Gunson, Michael R.

2004-01-01

The high-resolution infrared absorption spectra of the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment are utilized to derive vertical profiles of sulfate aerosol volume density and extinction coefficient. Following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991, the ATMOS spectra obtained on three Space Shuttle missions (1992, 1993, and 1994) provide a unique opportunity to study the global stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer shortly after a major volcanic eruption and periodically during the decay phase. Synthetic sulfate aerosol spectra are fit to the observed spectra, and a global fitting inversion routine is used to derive vertical profiles of sulfate aerosol volume density. Vertical profiles of sulfate aerosol volume density for the three missions over portions of the globe are presented, with the peak in aerosol volume density occurring from as low as 10 km (polar latitudes) to as high as 20 km (subtropical latitudes). Derived aerosol volume density is as high as 2-3.5 (mu)m(exp 3) per cubic centimeter +/-10% in 1992, decreasing to 0.2-0.5 (mu)m(exp 3) per cubic centimeter +/-20% in 1994, in agreement with other experiments. Vertical extinction profiles derived from ATMOS are compared with profiles from Improved Stratospheric And Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) and Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) that coincide in space and time and show good general agreement. The uncertainty of the ATMOS vertical profiles is similar to CLAES and consistently smaller than ISAMS at similar altitudes.

HICO and RAIDS Experiment Payload - Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System (RAIDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Budzien, Scott

2009-01-01

The HICO and RAIDS Experiment Payload - Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System (HREP-RAIDS) experiment will provide atmospheric scientists with a complete description of the major constituents of the thermosphere (layer of the Earth's atmosphere) and ionosphere (uppermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere), global electron density profiles at altitudes between 100 - 350 kilometers.

December anomaly in ionosphere using FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC electron density profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dashnyam, G.; Lin, C. C. H.; Rajesh, P. K.; Lin, J. T.

2017-12-01

December anomaly in ionosphere refers to the observation of greater value of global average ionospheric peak electron density (NmF2) in December-January months than in June-July months. So far there has been no satisfactory explanation to account for this difference, which is also known as annual asymmetry, leading to the speculation that forcing from lower atmosphere may be important. In this work, FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC electron density profiles are used to investigate the characteristics of December anomaly at different local times and longitudes in varying levels of solar activity. The observations in the years 2008, 2009 and 2012 are used for the study. The results suggest that the anomaly exists in all the three years, and is pronounced during day. Detailed analysis is carried out using latitude-altitude electron density profiles at selected longitude sectors, revealing that neutral wind may play dominant role. SAMI2 model is used to further examine the role of neutral wind influencing the electron density in different solstices. Tidal decomposition of the wind is carried out to understand the dominant tidal components that give rise to the larger electron density in the December-January months.

Densities inferred from ESA's Venus Express aerobraking campaign at 130 km altitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruinsma, Sean; Marty, Jean-Charles; Svedhem, Håkan; Williams, Adam; Mueller-Wodarg, Ingo

2015-04-01

In June-July 2014, ESA performed a planned aerobraking campaign with Venus Express to measure neutral densities above 130 km in Venus' atmosphere by means of the engineering accelerometers. To that purpose, the orbit perigee was lowered to approximately 130 km in order to enhance the atmospheric drag effect to the highest tolerable levels for the spacecraft; the accelerometer resolution and precision were not sufficient at higher altitudes. This campaign was requested as part of the Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE). A total of 18 orbits (i.e. days) were processed using the attitude quaternions to correctly orient the spacecraft bus and solar arrays in inertial space, which is necessary to accurately compute the exposed surface in the ram direction. The accelerometer data provide good measurements approximately from 130-140 km altitude; the length of the profiles is about 85 seconds, and they are on the early morning side (LST=4.5) at high northern latitude (70°N-82°N). The densities are a factor 2-3 larger than Hedin's VTS-3 thermosphere model, which is consistent with earlier results obtained via classical precise orbit determination at higher altitudes. Wavelike structures with amplitudes of 20% and more are detected, with wavelengths of about 100-500 km. We cannot entirely rule out that these waves are caused by the spacecraft or due to some unknown instrumental effect, but we estimate this probability to be very low.

One-Dimensional Hybrid Satellite Track Model for the Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deng, Wei; Killeen, T. L.; Burns, A. G.; Johnson, R. M.; Emery, B. A.; Roble, R. G.; Winningham, J. D.; Gary, J. B.

1995-01-01

A one-dimensional hybrid satellite track model has been developed to calculate the high-latitude thermospheric/ionospheric structure below the satellite altitude using Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) satellite measurements and theory. This model is based on Emery et al. satellite track code but also includes elements of Roble et al. global mean thermosphere/ionosphere model. A number of parameterizations and data handling techniques are used to input satellite data from several DE 2 instruments into this model. Profiles of neutral atmospheric densities are determined from the MSIS-90 model and measured neutral temperatures. Measured electron precipitation spectra are used in an auroral model to calculate particle impact ionization rates below the satellite. These rates are combined with a solar ionization rate profile and used to solve the O(+) diffusion equation, with the measured electron density as an upper boundary condition. The calculated O(+) density distribution, as well as the ionization profiles, are then used in a photochemical equilibrium model to calculate the electron and molecular ion densities. The electron temperature is also calculated by solving the electron energy equation with an upper boundary condition determined by the DE 2 measurement. The model enables calculations of altitude profiles of conductivity and Joule beating rate along and below the satellite track. In a first application of the new model, a study is made of thermospheric and ionospheric structure below the DE 2 satellite for a single orbit which occurred on October 25, 1981. The field-aligned Poynting flux, which is independently obtained for this orbit, is compared with the model predictions of the height-integrated energy conversion rate. Good quantitative agreement between these two estimates has been reached. In addition, measurements taken at the incoherent scatter radar site at Chatanika (65.1 deg N, 147.4 deg W) during a DE 2 overflight are compared with the model calculations. A good agreement was found in lower thermospheric conductivities and Joule heating rate.

High resolution mesospheric sodium properties for adaptive optics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfrommer, T.; Hickson, P.

2014-05-01

Context. The performance of laser guide star adaptive optics (AO) systems for large optical and infrared telescopes is affected by variability of the sodium layer, located at altitudes between 80 and 120 km in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The abundance and density structure of the atomic sodium found in this region is subject to local and global weather effects, planetary and gravity waves and magnetic storms, and is variable on time scales down to tens of milliseconds, a range relevant to AO. Aims: It is therefore important to characterize the structure and dynamical evolution of the sodium region on small, as well as large spatial and temporal scales. Parameters of particular importance for AO are the mean sodium altitude, sodium layer width and the temporal power spectrum of the centroid altitude. Methods: We have conducted a three-year campaign employing a high-resolution lidar system installed on the 6-m Large Zenith Telescope (LZT) located near Vancouver, Canada. During this period, 112 nights of useful data were obtained. Results: The vertical density profile of atomic sodium shows remarkable structure and variability. Smooth Gaussian-shaped profiles rarely occur. Multiple internal layers are frequently found. These layers often have sharp lower edges, with scale heights of just a few hundred meters, and tend to drift downwards at a typical rate of one kilometer every two to three hours. Individual layers can persist for many hours, but their density and internal structure can be highly variable. Sporadic layers are seen reaching peak densities several times the average, often in just a few minutes. Coherent vertical oscillations are often found, typically extending over tens of kilometers in altitude. Regions of turbulence are evident and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability are sometimes seen. The mean value of the centroid altitude is found to be 90.8 ± 0.1 km. The sodium layer width was determined by computing the altitude range that contains a specified fraction of the returned sodium light. We find a mean value of 13.1 ± 0.3 km for the range containing 95% of the photons, with a maximum width of 21 km. The temporal power spectral density of fluctuations of the centroid altitude is well described by a power law having an index that ranges from -1.6 to -2.3 with a mean value of -1.87 ± 0.02. This is significantly steeper than the value of -5/3 that would be expected if the dynamics were dominated by Kolmogorov turbulence, indicating that other factors such as gravity waves play an important role. The amplitude of the power spectrum has a mean value of 34+6-5~m2 Hz-1 at a frequency of 1 Hz, but ranges over two orders of magnitude. The annual means of the index and amplitude show a variation that is well beyond the calculated error range. Long-term global weather patterns may be responsible for this effect. The database is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/565/A102

A Model for Negative Ion Chemistry in Titan’s Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukundan, Vrinda; Bhardwaj, Anil

2018-04-01

We developed a one-dimensional photochemical model for the dayside ionosphere of Titan for calculating the density profiles of negative ions under steady-state photochemical equilibrium condition. We concentrated on the T40 flyby of the Cassini orbiter and used the in situ measurements from instruments on board Cassini as input to the model. Using the latest available reaction rate coefficients and dissociative electron attachment cross sections, the densities of 10 anions are calculated. Our study shows CN‑ as the dominant anion, followed by C3N‑, which agrees with the results of previous calculations. We suggest that H‑ could be an important anion in Titan’s ionosphere and is the second most abundant anion at altitudes greater than 1200 km. The main production channel of the major ion CN‑ is the reaction of H‑ with HCN. The H‑ also play a major role in the production of anions C2H‑, C6H‑, and OH‑. We present a comparison of the calculated ion density profiles with the relative density profiles derived using recently reported Cassini CAPS/ELS observations.

MAVEN/IUVS Periapse Lyman-alpha Observations: Variability and Constraints on H and CO2 Abundance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, A. C. G.; Chaffin, M.; Mierkiewicz, E. J.; Chaufray, J. Y.; Deighan, J.; Schneider, N. M.; Thiemann, E.; Clarke, J. T.; Mayyasi, M.; Jain, S. K.; Crismani, M. M. J.; Stiepen, A.; Montmessin, F.; Epavier, F.; Stewart, I. F.; McClintock, B.; Holsclaw, G.; Jakosky, B. M.

2017-12-01

The abundance of spectroscopic and geomorphologic evidence demonstrating that liquid water once flowed on Mars raises significant questions regarding the history of Martian water and the evolution of the atmosphere into the current hyper-arid climate. Using data from the Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, we evaluate the hydrogen Lyman-alpha emission (121.6 nm) across multiple Martian years and solar zenith angles. We create altitude-intensity profiles of atmospheric hydrogen emission using periapse data from all MAVEN orbits to-date. Due to the optically thin emission of the UV-doublet scale height of mid-ultraviolet IUVS data, we are able to indirectly probe the temperature of the atmosphere. By combining mid-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet IUVS data, we extract temperatures and densities of the upper atmosphere and fit the data using a radiative transfer forward model. Below 120 km, the H Lyman-alpha emission is absorbed by CO2, providing constraint on CO2 in the lower thermosphere. Fitting the altitude-intensity curves below 120 km altitude and comparing spatial and temporal variations of the profiles allows us to constrain CO2 abundances. The results of this work, in combination with other MAVEN findings, will provide better constraints on Martian H and CO2 densities and determining neutral temperatures, as well as a more thorough understanding of the evolution of the Martian atmosphere through time.

Re-examination of the metallic ion layers of comet Siding Spring origin measured by IUVS/MAVEN and MARSIS/MEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narukull, V. R.; Schneider, N. M.; Yaswanth, C.; MohanaManasa, P.; Crismani, M. M. J.; Deighan, J.; Jain, S.

2017-12-01

The close encounter of comet Siding Spring (C/2013 A1, CSS) with Mars on 19 October 2014 had several aftermath effects on the Martian upper atmosphere. Instruments on several spacecraft, such as the IUVS and NGIMS on MAVEN, MARSIS on MEX, and the SHARAD on MRO reported the atmospheric effects of the CSS event. In this study, we re-examined the IUVS and MARSIS observations to get further insight into the CSS effects on the Martian upper atmosphere. The IUVS repeated its observations over the same location with an interval of 22.5 hours. By using these repeated observations, we computed the rate of vertical transport of metallic ions at a given location. This analysis is repeated over several locations. We found that the lifetime of the metallic ion layer increases with increase in altitude and the high-density layers decay faster than the low-density ones, in agreement with model simulations. These vertical transport rates are then used to examine time of the peak in metallic ion layer measured by NGIMS at 185 km. Previous studies have shown that there is an ambiguity in the altitude of the peak of metallic ion layer and that of the electron density layer due to CSS with the former being 60 km higher than the later. By re-analyzing the observations of IUVS and MARSIS, we addressed the ambiguity in altitude. The ambiguity in the altitude is mainly because of the differences in the orbital passes of the two spacecraft, the global inhomogeneity of the initial dust deposition, and the dispersion effects of the electron density profiles in the MARSIS observations.

The auroral 6300 A emission - Observations and modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Stanley C.; Hays, Paul B.; Abreu, Vincent J.

1988-01-01

A tomographic inversion is used to analyze measurements of the auroral atomic oxygen emission line at 6300 A made by the atmosphere explorer visible airglow experiment. A comparison is made between emission altitude profiles and the results from an electron transport and chemical reaction model. Measurements of the energetic electron flux, neutral composition, ion composition, and electron density are incorporated in the model.

Estimating Parameters for the Earth-Ionosphere Waveguide Using VLF Narrowband Transmitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. C.; Cohen, M.

2017-12-01

Estimating the D-region (60 to 90 km altitude) ionospheric electron density profile has always been a challenge. The D-region's altitude is too high for aircraft and balloons to reach but is too low for satellites to orbit at. Sounding rocket measurements have been a useful tool for directly measuring the ionosphere, however, these types of measurements are infrequent and costly. A more sustainable type of measurement, for characterizing the D-region, is remote sensing with very low frequency (VLF) waves. Both the lower ionosphere and Earth's ground strongly reflect VLF waves. These two spherical reflectors form what is known as the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. As VLF waves propagate within the waveguide, they interact with the D-region ionosphere, causing amplitude and phase changes that are polarization dependent. These changes can be monitored with a spatially distributed array of receivers and D-region properties can be inferred from these measurements. Researchers have previously used VLF remote sensing techniques, from either narrowband transmitters or sferics, to estimate the density profile, but these estimations are typically during a short time frame and over a narrow propagation region. We report on an effort to improve the understanding of VLF wave propagation by estimating the commonly known h' and beta two parameter exponential electron density profile. Measurements from multiple narrowband transmitters at multiple receivers are taken, concurrently, and input into an algorithm. The cornerstone of the algorithm is an artificial neural network (ANN), where input values are the received narrowband amplitude and phase and the outputs are the estimated h' and beta parameters. Training data for the ANN is generated using the Navy's Long-Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) model. Emphasis is placed on profiling the daytime ionosphere, which has a more stable and predictable profile than the nighttime. Daytime ionospheric disturbances, from high solar activity, are also analyzed.

Mars Ionosphere Meteoritic Ion Distributions -A Mixture of Earth and Venus Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebowsky, J. M.; Benna, M.; Collinson, G.; Mahaffy, P. R.

2016-12-01

The Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission repeatedly observes metallic ions on MAVEN's traversals below 155 kilometers during special deep-dipping orbital campaigns. On such orbits which sample the topside of the main metal ion peak in the ablation region, three of the major metal ions seen at Earth (Na+, Mg+ and Fe+) are always detected. The relative composition of these species varies with the planetary locations of the deep-dip orbits as does the complexity of the altitude profiles of the metal ion concentrations. Quite frequently the decrease of the concentrations with altitude (observed on inbound or outbound legs of the orbit relative to periapsis) tracks the atmospheric density scale height, but only in the average sense. The individual concentration altitude profiles themselves typically have large coherent oscillations indicative of atmospheric gravity wave effects. The monotonically decreasing altitude trends are most characteristic of observations in the northern hemisphere, but there are orbits that encounter large concentration disturbances in the metal ion profiles. The latter are more prevalent in the southern hemisphere. The major background environment differences between the northern and southern hemispheres are the existence of large remanent magnetic fields in the southern hemisphere atmosphere, but not the north. It appears that there are two types of metal ion distributions. One type is associated with vertical diffusion profiles from the main metal ion peak arising in weak or no-magnetic field regions (like Venus). The other type exhibits the complex disturbances. The latter occur in regions where transport of the metal ions is controlled by the magnetic fields, through externally imposed electric fields and/or neutral wind-driven electrodynamic processes as at Earth. A comparison is made between the onset of the disturbed metal ion profiles with the ambient magnetic fields to isolate the underlying physics in the context of what is known of the terrestrial processes.

Mesospheric sodium over Gadanki during Geminid meteor shower 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lokanadham, B.; Rakesh Chandra, N.; Bhaskara Rao, S. Vijaya; Raghunath, K.; Yellaiah, G.

Resonance LIDAR system at Gadanki has been used for observing the mesospheric sodium during the night of 12-13 Dec 2007 when the peak activity of Geminid meteor shower occurred. Geminid meteor shower is observed along with the co-located MST radar in the altitude range 80-110 km. Sodium density profiles have been obtained with a vertical resolution of 300 m and a temporal resolution of 120 s with sodium resonance scattering LIDAR system. The sodium layers were found to exist in the altitude range 90-100 km. The enhanced Geminid meteor rates were recorded with the co-located MST radar in the same altitude range. The sodium concentration in the atmospheric altitude of ~93 km is estimated to be 2000 per cc where the meteoric concentration of Geminid is maximum and reduced to around 800 on the non activity of Geminid. These observations showed that the sodium levels in the E-region are found to be increasing during meteor shower nights at least by a factor of two.

Equatorial ion composition, 140-200 km, based on Atmosphere Explorer E data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, N. J.; Grebowsky, J. M.; Hedin, A. E.; Spencer, N. W.

1993-01-01

We have used in situ measurements of ion composition and horizontal winds, taken from equatorial orbiting Atmosphere Explorer E in eccentric orbit during 1975-1976 to investigate the bottomside ionosphere at altitudes 140-200 km. Representative daytime altitude profiles of ionization were stable against wide variations in horizontal wind patterns. Special features that sometimes appeared in the structured nightside ionization were apparent ion composition waves, intermediate layers of enhanced ionization, and ionization depletions similar to equatorial ionization bubbles. Apparent ion composition waves displayed a horizontal wave length of about 650 km. Enhanced layers of ionization appeared to be newly separated from the bottomside midnight F layer; its ions were primarily NO(+) and O2(+) without significant densities of metallic ions, an indication that metallic ions are not required to produce the layers at altitudes above 140 km. Equatorial ionization depletions were observed at lower altitudes than previously reported and displayed molecular ion depletions as well as O(+) depletions.

Spectral line profiles for a planetary corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlain, J. W.

1976-01-01

The Lyman and Balmer emissions of a planetary corona depend on the exospheric temperature, the integrated column density of solar-illuminated hydrogen, and the region of phase space occupied by particles. Measurements of the intensity alone are incapable of defining the exosphere unambiguously. Line profiles with high spectral resolution can show whether a nonthermal component of the escaping hydrogen is present and can indicate at what altitude orbits of hydrogen atoms are depleted. It is necessary, however, to plan the observations carefully if they are to be fitted usefully to a model.

A comparison of the temperature and density structure in high and low speed thermal proton flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raitt, W. J.; Schunk, R. W.; Banks, P. M.

1975-01-01

Steady-state altitude profiles of H(+) density, drift velocity, and temperature and O(+) density and temperature were deduced for a wide range of H(+) outflow velocities from subsonic to supersonic flow for plasma densities typical of both undisturbed and trough regions of the ionsophere. Allowance was made for the effects of inertia, parallel stress, and the velocity dependence of the H(+) collision frequencies. It was found that at supersonic outflow velocities there is a decrease in H(+) temperature with increasing outflow velocity. The H(+) temperatures are substantially increased above the O(+) temperatures when H(+) is flowing, with T(H+)/T(O+) reaching a maximum ratio of about 3:1.

Abundances of O3 and O2 in the Martian Atmosphere Retrieved from MAVEN/IUVS Stellar Occultations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gröller, H.; Lefèvre, F.; Gonzalez-Galindo, F.; Yelle, R. V.; Koskinen, T.; Montmessin, F.; Schneider, N.; Deighan, J.; Jain, S.

2017-12-01

We present O3 and O2 abundances retrieved from stellar occultations taken with the Imaging UltraViolet Spectrometer (IUVS) on MAVEN. The IUVS instrument has two separate spectral channels, the FUV and the MUV channel from 110 to 190 nm and from 180 to 340 nm, respectively. The O3 absorption feature is present in the MUV channel, whereas the O2 absorption features are in the FUV channel. So far, 15 stellar occultation campaigns have been executed on average every two to three months; covering more than one Martian year. During these campaigns, more than 900 stellar occultations were recorded. From those 900 stellar occultations, around 50 % can be used for O2 detection and around 25 % for O3. We detect O3 in almost 40 % of the occultations that can be used for O3 retrievals. The obtained O3 profiles are between 20 and 60 km and show a maximum number density around 30 to 40 km. The peak O3 number density varies almost one order of magnitude; between a few times 108 cm-3 and 2 x 109 cm-3. Our measurements show that the most O3 is present during the first half of the Martian year (up to a solar longitude of around 140°, end of northern summer) with a maximum around 60° solar longitude (close to aphelion). In most of the cases, the retrieved O3 profiles are in agreement with the LMD-MGCM predicted values. However, in some cases a difference in altitude and pressure space can be seen. Furthermore, during the northern early spring season, higher number densities at altitudes above 40 km can be seen in the data. The retrieved density profiles of O2 cover an altitude range from around 90 km up to 150 km. The corresponding O2 mixing ratios range from 1 to 9 x 10-3, also in agreement with previous observations. Even though the O2 mixing ratio shows high variability, the mean value seems to be constant with solar longitude. The obtained O2 profiles agree with previous measurements obtained by the Mars Express SPICAM instrument and by the Viking mass spectrometer. Furthermore, the retrieved O2mixing ratios are in agreement with the LMD-MGCM ratios for solar longitudes greater than around 65° (close to aphelion). However, the O2 mixing ratios predicted with the LMD-MGCM are up to a factor of 10 higher than the mixing ratios derived from stellar occultations during the northern spring season.

The polar ionosphere of venus near the terminator from early pioneer venus orbiter radio occultations.

PubMed

Kliore, A J; Woo, R; Armstrong, J W; Patel, I R; Croft, T A

1979-02-23

Fourteen profiles of electron density in the ionosphere of Venus were obtainecd by the dual-frequency radio occulation method with the Pioneer Venus orbiter between 5 and 30 December 1978. The solar zenith angles for these measurements were between about 85 degrees and 92 degrees , and the latitudes ranged from about 81 degrees to 88 degrees (ecliptic north). In addition to the expected decreasein peak electron density from about 1.5 x 10(3) to 0.5 x 10(3) per cubic centimeter with increasing solar zenith angle, a region of almost constant electron density above about 250 kilometers was observed. The ionopause height varies from about 300 to 700 kilometers and seems to be influenced by diurnal changes in solar wind conditions. The structures of the profiles are consistent with models in which O(2)(+) dominates near the ionization peak and is replaced by O(+) at higher altitudes.

Atomic oxygen in the lower thermosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Florence J.; Chance, Kelly V.; Traub, Wesley A.

1987-01-01

The 63-micron line due to thermospheric atomic oxygen O(P-3), using a far-infrared spectrometer on a balloon platform at 37 km altitude over Palestine, TX, on June 20, 1983. From measurements of the equivalent width of this line at two elevation angles, a weak angular dependence is found: the equivalent width increases by a factor of 1.5 + or - 0.3 as the angle decreases from +30 deg to +1 deg. Since the optical depth of the O(P-3) line is large, the measured line intensity cannot be directly converted to a column abundance. Instead, the measurements are interpreted in terms of radiative transfer through a 16-layer atmosphere extending to 200 km. A model atmosphere for summer at 30 deg N, with an exospheric temperature of 1300 K, including an assumed daytime atomic oxygen abundance profile constructed from recent chemical and dynamical models and a water vapor abundance profile constructed from recent experimental and model results is used. For this assumed O(P-3) vertical profile shape a multiplicative scaling factor of 0.8, with an altitude-dependent uncertainty is determined. In the best-determined layer the uncertainty in the multiplier is + or - 0.2 at 119 km. The model-dependent peak atomic oxygen density is 3.6 (+ or - 1.9) x 10 to the 11th/cu cm at an altitude of about 101 km.

Estimates of the Lightning NOx Profile in the Vicinity of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, William J.; Peterson, Harold

2010-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to August 2006 North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) data to estimate the raw (i.e., unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical profile of lightning nitrogen oxides, NOx = NO + NO 2 . This is part of a larger effort aimed at building a more realistic lightning NOx emissions inventory for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. Data from the National Lightning Detection Network TM (NLDN) is also employed. Overall, special attention is given to several important lightning variables including: the frequency and geographical distribution of lightning in the vicinity of the LMA network, lightning type (ground or cloud flash), lightning channel length, channel altitude, channel peak current, and the number of strokes per flash. Laboratory spark chamber results from the literature are used to convert 1-meter channel segments (that are located at a particular known altitude; i.e., air density) to NOx concentration. The resulting raw NOx profiles are discussed.

First retrievals of MLT sodium profiles based on satellite sodium nightglow observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Von Savigny, Christian; Zilker, Bianca; Langowski, Martin

2016-07-01

The Na D lines are a well known feature of the terrestrial airglow and have been identified for the first time in 1929. During the daytime the Na airglow emission is caused by resonance fluorescence, while during the night the excitation occurs by chemiluminescent reactions. Knowledge of Na in the mesopause region is of interest, because the Na layer is thought to be maintained by meteoric ablation and Na measurements allow constraining the meteoric mass influx into the Earth system. In this contribution we employ SCIAMACHY/Envisat nighttime limb measurements of the Na D-line airglow from fall 2002 to spring 2012 - in combination with photochemical models - in order to retrieve Na concentration profiles in the 75 - 100 km altitude range. The Na profiles show realistic peak altitudes, number densities and seasonal variations. The retrieval scheme, sample results and comparisons to ground-based LIDAR measurements of Na as well as SCIAMACHY daytime retrievals will be presented. Moreover, uncertainties in the assumed photochemical scheme and their impact on the Na retrievals will be discussed.

Estimates of the Lightning NOx Profile in the Vicinity of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koshak, William J.; Peterson, Harold S.; McCaul, Eugene W.; Blazar, Arastoo

2010-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to August 2006 North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) data to estimate the (unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical source profile of lightning nitrogen oxides, NOx = NO + NO2. Data from the National Lightning Detection Network (Trademark) (NLDN) is also employed. This is part of a larger effort aimed at building a more realistic lightning NOx emissions inventory for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. Overall, special attention is given to several important lightning variables including: the frequency and geographical distribution of lightning in the vicinity of the NALMA network, lightning type (ground or cloud flash), lightning channel length, channel altitude, channel peak current, and the number of strokes per flash. Laboratory spark chamber results from the literature are used to convert 1-meter channel segments (that are located at a particular known altitude; i.e., air density) to NOx concentration. The resulting lightning NOx source profiles are discussed.

Spatial Heterodyne Imager for Mesospheric Radicals on STPSat-1

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-22

mesospheric OH density profiles. It also measured the Rayleigh scattered background from the clear atmosphere and solar scattering from polar mesospheric... Microwave Limb Sounder OH data shows good agreement between 60 and 90 km altitude for several latitudes and seasons. We also find good agreement of the... background signals observed by SHIMMER and MAHRSI under similar lighting conditions revealed that MAHRSI radiances are systematically smaller than

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marron, A.C.

Middle ultraviolet spectra of the atmospheric airglow were obtained from a March 1992 rocket flight of the NPS MUSTANG instrument. These spectra are analyzed from 1900 A to 3100 A, over an altitude range of 100 km to 320 km. The data are modeled with computer generated synthetic spectra for the following emissions: N2 Vegard Kaplan (VK); N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH); and NO Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon bands. A best fit procedure was developed. The resulting synthetic spectra agree well with obtained airglow data. Confirmation was made of the theoretical self absorption versus non-self absorption processes of the NO (0,0), (1,0),more » (2,0) gamma resonance band emissions. NO self absorption is a necessary inclusion of any atmospheric nitric oxide analysis stratagem. Profiles of temperature versus altitude and NO column density versus altitude for the rocket flight are estimated. Airglow, Ionosphere, Ultraviolet spectroscopy.« less

An ionospheric occultation inversion technique based on epoch difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jian; Xiong, Jing; Zhu, Fuying; Yang, Jian; Qiao, Xuejun

2013-09-01

Of the ionospheric radio occultation (IRO) electron density profile (EDP) retrievals, the Abel based calibrated TEC inversion (CTI) is the most widely used technique. In order to eliminate the contribution from the altitude above the RO satellite, it is necessary to utilize the calibrated TEC to retrieve the EDP, which introduces the error due to the coplanar assumption. In this paper, a new technique based on the epoch difference inversion (EDI) is firstly proposed to eliminate this error. The comparisons between CTI and EDI have been done, taking advantage of the simulated and real COSMIC data. The following conclusions can be drawn: the EDI technique can successfully retrieve the EDPs without non-occultation side measurements and shows better performance than the CTI method, especially for lower orbit mission; no matter which technique is used, the inversion results at the higher altitudes are better than those at the lower altitudes, which could be explained theoretically.

First artificial periodic inhomogeneity experiments at HAARP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hysell, D. L.; McCarrick, M. J.; Fallen, C. T.; Vierinen, J.

2015-03-01

Experiments involving the generation and detection of artificial periodic inhomogeneities have been performed at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility. Irregularities were created using powerful X-mode HF emissions and then probed using short (10 μs) X- and O-mode pulses. Reception was performed using a portable software-defined receiver together with the crossed rhombic antenna from the local ionosonde. Echoes were observed reliably between about 85 and 140 km altitude with signal-to-noise ratios as high as about 30 dB. The Doppler shift of the echoes can be associated with the vertical neutral wind in this altitude range. Small but persistent Doppler shifts were observed. The decay time constant of the echoes is meanwhile indicative of the ambipolar diffusion coefficient which depends on the plasma temperature, composition, and neutral gas density. The measured time constants appear to be consistent with theoretical expectations and imply a methodology for measuring neutral density profiles. The significance of thermospheric vertical neutral wind and density measurements which are difficult to obtain using ground-based instruments by other means is discussed.

Density and temperature structure over northern Europe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philbrick, C. R.; Schmidlin, F. J.; Grossmann, K. U.; Lange, G.; Offermann, D.; Baker, K. D.; Krankowsky, D.; Von Zahn, U.

1985-01-01

During the Energy Budget Campaign, a number of profiles of the density and temperature were obtained to study the structure and variability of the atmosphere. The measurements were made using rocketborne instrumentation launched from Esrange, Sweden, and Andoya Rocket Range, Norway, during November and December 1980. The techniques included meteorological temperature sondes, passive falling sphere, accelerometer instrumented falling spheres, density gauges, mass spectrometers and infrared emission experiments. The instruments provided data covering the altitude range from 20 to 150 km. The measurements were made during periods which have been grouped into three categories by level of geomagnetic activity. Analysis has been made to compare the results and to examine the wave features and variations in the vertical profiles for scales ranging between hundreds of meters and tens of kilometers. Most of the features observed fit qualitatively within the range expected for internal gravity waves. However, the features in the profiles during one of the measurement periods are unusual and may be due to aurorally generated shock waves. The geomagnetic storm conditions caused temperature increases in the lower thermosphere which maximized in the 120-140 km region.

Ozone profiles retrieval from SCIAMACHY Chappuis-Wulf limb scattered spectra using MART

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, ZiJun; Chen, ShengBo; Jin, LiHua; Yang, ChunYan

2011-02-01

The Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric ChartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument, launched on the Envisat satellite in March 2002, measures the earthshine radiance, simultaneously from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near infrared (NIR), in the three viewing geometries: nadir, limb, and occultation. These measurements are used to retrieve both the total amount and vertical profiles of a large number of atmospheric constituents. In this paper, stratospheric ozone profiles between 15 and 40 km altitude are retrieved on 3 km grids from SCIAMACHY limb scattered radiance in the Chappuis-Wulf band. The study employs a new multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART) coupled with the radiative transfer model SCIATRAN. This technique is outstanding in that more than one measurement vector element can be used to retrieve the ozone density at any altitude. Furthermore, it is straightforward to understand, easy to implement and likely to produce stable results. Radiance normalization and wavelength pairing is applied to radiance as an intermediate step, using the wavelengths 525 nm, 600 nm and 675 nm. The sensitivity of ozone retrieval by this method to tangent altitude pointing, surface albedo, aerosol and cloud parameters is studied, and the results show that the retrieval impact due to tangent altitude pointing bias is the biggest up to 75% with 1 km shift, and the impact of albedo is limited within 5%. The effect of boundary visibility and cloud parameters can be ignored since their impact is too small. The effectiveness of the retrieval is demonstrated using a set of coincident SCIAMACHY products at Hefei that shows a mean bias of less than 12% between 15 and 40 km, and with a better accuracy of 5% from 16 to 36 km.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bauer, R.; Engel, A.; Franken, H.

This paper describes balloon borne air samples taken above Kiruna (67.9[degrees]N; 21.1[degrees]E) during EASOE, which monitored the N[sub 2]O density, as the polar vortex shifted, between altitudes of 10 and 31 km. Different air samplers were used to collect samples. The results show vertical profiles, outside, in the edge of, and inside the vertex, which reveal variation in mixing ratios as airmasses mix both vertically and horizontally near the vortex.

Validation of ionospheric electron density profiles inferred from GPS occultation observations of the GPS/MET experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawakami, Todd Mori

In April of 1995, the launch of the GPS Meteorology Experiment (GPS/MET) onboard the Orbview-1 satellite, formerly known as Microlab-1, provided the first technology demonstration of active limb sounding of the Earth's atmosphere with a low Earth orbiting spacecraft utilizing the signals transmitted by the satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Though the experiment's primary mission was to probe the troposphere and stratosphere, GPS/MET was also capable of making radio occultation observations of the ionosphere. The application of the GPS occultation technique to the upper atmosphere created a unique opportunity to conduct ionospheric research with an unprecedented global distribution of observations. For operational support requirements, the Abel transform could be employed to invert the horizontal TEC profiles computed from the L1 and L2 phase measurements observed by GPS/MET into electron density profiles versus altitude in near real time. The usefulness of the method depends on how effectively the TEC limb profiles can be transformed into vertical electron density profiles. An assessment of GPS/MET's ability to determine electron density profiles needs to be examined to validate the significance of the GPS occultation method as a new and complementary ionospheric research tool to enhance the observational databases and improve space weather modeling and forecasting. To that end, simulations of the occultation observations and their inversions have been conducted to test the Abel transform algorithm and to provide qualitative information about the type and range of errors that might be experienced during the processing of real data. Comparisons of the electron density profiles inferred from real GPS/MET observations are then compared with coincident in situ measurements from the satellites of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and ground-based remote sensing from digisonde and incoherent scatter radar facilities. The principal focus of this study is the validation of the electron density profiles inferred from GPS occultation observations using the Abel transform.

Effects of neutral gas releases on electron beam injection from electrically tethered spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winglee, R. M.

1990-01-01

The presence of high neutral densities at low altitudes and/or during thruster firings is known to modify the spacecraft potential during active electron beam injection. Two-dimensional (three velocity) particle simulations are used to investigate the ionization processes including the neutral density required, the modification of the spacecraft potential, beam profile and spatial distribution of the return current into the spacecraft. Three processes are identified: (1) beam-induced ionization, (2) vehicle-induced ionization, and (3) beam plasma discharge. Only in the first two cases does the beam propagate away with little distortion.

Altitude profiles of temperature from 4 to 80 km over the tropics from MST radar and lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parameswaran, K.; Sasi, M. N.; Ramkumar, G.; Nair, P. R.; Deepa, V.; Murthy, B. V. K.; Nayar, S. R. P.; Revathy, K.; Mrudula, G.; Satheesan, K.; Bhavanikumar, Y.; Sivakumar, V.; Raghunath, K.; Rajendraprasad, T.; Krishnaiah, M.

2000-10-01

Using ground-based techniques of MST radar and Lidar, temperature profiles in the entire height range of 4 to 75km are obtained for the first time at a tropical location. The temporal resolution of the profiles is ~1h in the lower altitudes and 12.5min in the higher altitudes and altitude resolution is ~300m. The errors involved in the derived values are presented. Preliminary analysis of temperature variations in a night revealed fluctuations with characteristics resembling those of large-scale gravity waves.

Vertical Navigation Control Laws and Logic for the Next Generation Air Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hueschen, Richard M.; Khong, Thuan H.

2013-01-01

A vertical navigation (VNAV) outer-loop control system was developed to capture and track the vertical path segments of energy-efficient trajectories that are being developed for high-density operations in the evolving Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The VNAV control system has a speed-on-elevator control mode to pitch the aircraft for tracking a calibrated airspeed (CAS) or Mach number profile and a path control mode for tracking the VNAV altitude profile. Mode control logic was developed for engagement of either the speed or path control modes. The control system will level the aircraft to prevent it from flying through a constraint altitude. A stability analysis was performed that showed that the gain and phase margins of the VNAV control system significantly exceeded the design gain and phase margins. The system performance was assessed using a six-deg-of-freedom non-linear transport aircraft simulation and the performance is illustrated with time-history plots of recorded simulation data.

MAVEN in situ measurements of photochemical escape of oxygen from Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillis, Robert; Deighan, Justin; Fox, Jane; Bougher, Stephen; Lee, Yuni; Cravens, Thomas; Rahmati, Ali; Mahaffy, Paul; Benna, Mehdi; Groller, Hannes; Jakosky, Bruce

2016-04-01

One of the primary goals of the MAVEN mission is to characterize rates of atmospheric escape from Mars at the present epoch and relate those escape rates to solar drivers. One of the known escape processes is photochemical escape, where a) an exothermic chemical reaction in the atmosphere results in an upward-traveling neutral particle whose velocity exceeds planetary escape velocity and b) the particle is not prevented from escaping through subsequent collisions. At Mars, photochemical escape of oxygen is expected to be a significant channel for atmospheric escape, particularly in the early solar system when extreme ultraviolet (EUV) fluxes were much higher. Thus characterizing this escape process and its variability with solar drivers is central to understanding the role escape to space has played in Mars' climate evolution. We use near-periapsis (<400 km altitude) data from three MAVEN instruments: the Langmuir Probe and Waves (LPW) instrument measures electron density and temperature, the Suprathermal And Thermal Ion Composition (STATIC) experiment measures ion temperature and the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) measures neutral and ion densities. For each profile of in situ measurements, we make several calculations, each as a function of altitude. The first uses electron and temperatures and simulates the dissociative recombination of both O2+ and CO2+ to calculate the probability distribution for the initial energies of the resulting hot oxygen atoms. The second is a Monte Carlo hot atom transport model that takes that distribution of initial O energies and the measured neutral density profiles and calculates the probability that a hot atom born at that altitude will escape. The third takes the measured electron and ion densities and electron temperatures and calculates the production rate of hot O atoms. We then multiply together the profiles of hot atom production and escape probability to get profiles of the production rate of escaping atoms. We integrate with respect to altitude to give us the escape flux of hot oxygen atoms for that periapsis pass. We have sufficient coverage in solar zenith angle (SZA) to estimate total escape rates for two intervals with the obvious assumption that escape rates are the same at all points with the same SZA. We estimate total escape rates of 3.5-5.8 x 1025 s-1 for Ls = 289° to 319° and 1.6-2.6 x 1025 s-1 for Ls = 326° to 348°. The latter is the most directly comparable to previous model-based estimates and is roughly in line with several of them. Total photochemical loss over Mars history is not very useful to calculate from such escape fluxes derived over a limited area and under limited conditions. A thicker atmosphere and much higher solar EUV in the past may change the dynamics of escape dramatically. In the future, we intend to use 3-D Monte Carlo models of global atmospheric escape, in concert with our in situ and remote measurements, to fully characterize photochemical escape under current conditions and carefully extrapolate back in time using further simulations with new boundary conditions.

Determination of precipitation profiles from airborne passive microwave radiometric measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kummerow, Christian; Hakkarinen, Ida M.; Pierce, Harold F.; Weinman, James A.

1991-01-01

This study presents the first quantitative retrievals of vertical profiles of precipitation derived from multispectral passive microwave radiometry. Measurements of microwave brightness temperature (Tb) obtained by a NASA high-altitude research aircraft are related to profiles of rainfall rate through a multichannel piecewise-linear statistical regression procedure. Statistics for Tb are obtained from a set of cloud radiative models representing a wide variety of convective, stratiform, and anvil structures. The retrieval scheme itself determines which cloud model best fits the observed meteorological conditions. Retrieved rainfall rate profiles are converted to equivalent radar reflectivity for comparison with observed reflectivities from a ground-based research radar. Results for two case studies, a stratiform rain situation and an intense convective thunderstorm, show that the radiometrically derived profiles capture the major features of the observed vertical structure of hydrometer density.

Electron Density Profiles of the Topside Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Xue-Qin; Reinsch, Bodo W.; Bilitza, Dieter; Benson, Robert F.

2002-01-01

The existing uncertainties about the electron density profiles in the topside ionosphere, i.e., in the height region from h,F2 to - 2000 km, require the search for new data sources. The ISIS and Alouette topside sounder satellites from the sixties to the eighties recorded millions of ionograms but most were not analyzed in terms of electron density profiles. In recent years an effort started to digitize the analog recordings to prepare the ionograms for computerized analysis. As of November 2001 about 350000 ionograms have been digitized from the original 7-track analog tapes. These data are available in binary and CDF format from the anonymous ftp site of the National Space Science Data Center. A search site and browse capabilities on CDAWeb assist the scientific usage of these data. All information and access links can be found at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/isis/isis- status.htm1. This paper describes the ISIS data restoration effort and shows how the digital ionograms are automatically processed into electron density profiles from satellite orbit altitude (1400 km for ISIS-2) down to the F peak. Because of the large volume of data an automated processing algorithm is imperative. The TOPside Ionogram Scaler with True height algorithm TOPIST software developed for this task is successfully scaling - 70% of the ionograms. An <> is available to manually scale the more difficult ionograms. The automated processing of the digitized ISIS ionograms is now underway, producing a much-needed database of topside electron density profiles for ionospheric modeling covering more than one solar cycle.

Atmospheric structure and helium abundance on Saturn from Cassini/UVIS and CIRS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskinen, T. T.; Guerlet, S.

2018-06-01

We combine measurements from stellar occultations observed by the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) and limb scans observed by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) to create empirical atmospheric structure models for Saturn corresponding to the locations probed by the occultations. The results cover multiple locations at low to mid-latitudes between the spring of 2005 and the fall of 2015. We connect the temperature-pressure (T-P) profiles retrieved from the CIRS limb scans in the stratosphere to the T-P profiles in the thermosphere retrieved from the UVIS occultations. We calculate the altitudes corresponding to the pressure levels in each case based on our best fit composition model that includes H2, He, CH4 and upper limits on H. We match the altitude structure to the density profile in the thermosphere that is retrieved from the occultations. Our models depend on the abundance of helium and we derive a volume mixing ratio of 11 ± 2% for helium in the lower atmosphere based on a statistical analysis of the values derived for 32 different occultation locations. We also derive the mean temperature and methane profiles in the upper atmosphere and constrain their variability. Our results are consistent with enhanced heating at the polar auroral region and a dynamically active upper atmosphere.

Modeling the Lower Part of the Topside Ionospheric Vertical Electron Density Profile Over the European Region by Means of Swarm Satellites Data and IRI UP Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pignalberi, A.; Pezzopane, M.; Rizzi, R.

2018-03-01

An empirical method to model the lower part of the ionospheric topside region from the F2 layer peak height to about 500-600 km of altitude over the European region is proposed. The method is based on electron density values recorded from December 2013 to June 2016 by Swarm satellites and on foF2 and hmF2 values provided by IRI UP (International Reference Ionosphere UPdate), which is a method developed to update the IRI model relying on the assimilation of foF2 and M(3000)F2 data routinely recorded by a network of European ionosonde stations. Topside effective scale heights are calculated by fitting some definite analytical functions (α-Chapman, β-Chapman, Epstein, and exponential) through the values recorded by Swarm and the ones output by IRI UP, with the assumption that the effective scale height is constant in the altitude range considered. Calculated effective scale heights are then modeled as a function of foF2 and hmF2, in order to be operationally applicable to both ionosonde measurements and ionospheric models, like IRI. The method produces two-dimensional grids of the median effective scale height binned as a function of foF2 and hmF2, for each of the considered topside profiles. A statistical comparison with Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate/FORMOsa SATellite-3 collected Radio Occultation profiles is carried out to assess the validity of the proposed method and to investigate which of the considered topside profiles is the best one. The α-Chapman topside function displays the best performance compared to the others and also when compared to the NeQuick topside option of IRI.

The FAA altitude chamber training flight profile : a survey of altitude reactions, 1965-1989.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-09-01

Reactions from 1,161 trainees out of 12,759 trainees subjected to the FAA altitude chamber training flights from 1965-1989 are annotated in this survey. Although there were some mild and expected reactions, these training profiles appear to provide a...

Status of the Topside Vary-Chap Ionospheric Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinisch, Bodo; Nsumei, Patrick; Huang, Xueqin; Bilitza, Dieter

Status of the Topside Vary-Chap Ionospheric Model The general alpha-Chapman function for a multi-constituent gas which includes a continuously varying scale height and was therefore dubbed the Vary-Chap function, can present the topside electron density profiles in analytical form. The Vary-Chap profile is defined by the scale height function H(h) and the height and density of the F2 layer peak. By expressing 80,000 ISIS-2 measured topside density profiles as Vary-Chap functions we derived 80,000 scale height functions, which form the basis for the topside density profile modeling. The normalized scale height profiles Hn = H(h)/Hm were grouped according to season, MLAT, and MLT for each 50 km height bin from 200 km to 1400 km, and the median, lower, and upper quartiles for each bin were calculated. Hm is the scale height at the F2 layer peak. The resulting Hn functions are modeled in terms of hyperbolic tangent functions using 5 parameters that are determined by multivariate least squares, including the transition height hT where the scale height gradient has a maximum. These normalized scale height functions, representing the model of the topside electron density profiles from hmF2 to 1,400 km altitude, are independent of hmF2 and NmF2 and can therefore be directly used for the topside Ne profile in IRI. Similarly, this model can extend measured bottomside profiles to the topside, replacing the simple alpha-Chapman function with constant scale height that is currently used for construction of the topside profile in the Digisondes / ARTIST of the Global Ionospheric Radio Observatory (GIRO). It turns out that Hm(top) calculated from the topside profiles is generally several times larger than Hm(bot) derived from the bottomside profiles. This follows necessarily from the difference in the definition of the scale height functions for the topside and bottomside profiles. The diurnal variations of the ratio Hm(top) / Hm(bot) has been determined for different latitudes which makes it now possible to specify the topside profile for any given bottomside profile.

Density Variations in the Earth's Magnetospheric Cusps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walsh, B. M.; Niehof, J.; Collier, M. R.; Welling, D. T.; Sibeck, D. G.; Mozer, F. S.; Fritz, T. A.; Kuntz, K. D.

2016-01-01

Seven years of measurements from the Polar spacecraft are surveyed to monitor the variations of plasma density within the magnetospheric cusps. The spacecraft's orbital precession from 1998 through 2005 allows for coverage of both the northern and southern cusps from low altitude out to the magnetopause. In the mid- and high- altitude cusps, plasma density scales well with the solar wind density (n(sub cusp)/n(sub sw) approximately 0.8). This trend is fairly steady for radial distances greater then 4 R(sub E). At low altitudes (r less than 4R(sub E)) the density increases with decreasing altitude and even exceeds the solar wind density due to contributions from the ionosphere. The density of high charge state oxygen (O(greater +2) also displays a positive trend with solar wind density within the cusp. A multifluid simulation with the Block-Adaptive-Tree Solar Wind Roe-Type Upwind Scheme MHD model was run to monitor the relative contributions of the ionosphere and solar wind plasma within the cusp. The simulation provides similar results to the statistical measurements from Polar and confirms the presence of ionospheric plasma at low altitudes.

Monitoring of D-layer using GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golubkov, Maxim; Bessarab, Fedor; Karpov, Ivan; Golubkov, Gennady; Manzheliy, Mikhail; Borchevkina, Olga; Kuverova, Veronika; Malyshev, Nikolay; Ozerov, Georgy

2016-07-01

Changes in D layer of ionosphere during the periods of high solar activity lead to non-equilibrium two-temperature plasma parameter variations. Accordingly, the population of orbital degenerate states of Rydberg complexes changes in a fraction of a microsecond. In turn, this affects the operation of any of the systems based on the use of GPS radio signals passing through this layer. It is well known that GPS signals undergo the greatest distortion in the altitude range of 60-110 km. Therefore, the analysis of changes in signal intensity can be useful for plasma diagnosis in these altitudes. In particular, it is useful to determine the vertical temperature profiles and electron density. For this purpose, one can use the satellite radio occultation method. This method is widely used in recent years to solve problems of the electron concentration profile recovery in the F-region of the ionosphere, and also for climate problem solutions. This method allows to define the altitude profiles of the GPS signal propagation delays and to obtain from the inverse problem solution qualitatively high-altitude profiles of the quantities using relative measurements. To ensure the authenticity of the found distributions of electron density and temperature in the D region of the ionosphere, the results should be complemented by measurements of the own atmospheric radiation power at frequencies of 1.4 and 5.0 GHz. This ensures control of the reliability of the results obtained using the "Rydberg" code. Monitoring of the state changes in the D layer by repeatedly following at regular intervals GPS satellite measurements are also of great interest and can provide valuable information on the macroscopic dynamics of D layer containing Rydberg complexes and free electrons. For example, one can monitor changes in the thickness of the emitting layer in time. Such changes lead to an additional contribution to the formation of satellite GPS system errors. It should also be noted that the entire emission layer on the propagation path affects the positioning errors during the passage of the satellite signal and forming the microwave and infrared radiation. Therefore, specific details of internal irregularities in layer structure caused by atmospheric processes do not play a significant role. Naturally, they are of interest to specific issues of radio physics and dynamics of the ionosphere, but do not have a noticeable effect on the received at the Earth GPS signals. This work was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Researches (Grant No. 16-05-00052).

Comparison of effects of copropagated and precomputed atmosphere profiles on Monte Carlo trajectory simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Queen, Eric M.; Omara, Thomas M.

1990-01-01

A realization of a stochastic atmosphere model for use in simulations is presented. The model provides pressure, density, temperature, and wind velocity as a function of latitude, longitude, and altitude, and is implemented in a three degree of freedom simulation package. This implementation is used in the Monte Carlo simulation of an aeroassisted orbital transfer maneuver and results are compared to those of a more traditional approach.

Effects of Small Electrostatic Fields on the Ionospheric Density Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, M. A.; Liu, N.; Rassoul, H.

2014-12-01

It is well known that short-lived strong electric fields produced by natural lightning activities in tropospheric altitudes can significantly affect the upper atmosphere. This effect is directly evidenced by the production of transient luminous events (TLEs), such as sprites, jets, and elves. It has also been demonstrated that thunderstorms can modify ionospheric densities on a longer time scale, during which TLEs may or may not occur [e.g., Cheng and Cummer, GRL, 32, L08804, 2005; Han and Cummer, JGR, 115, A09323, 2010; Shao et al., Nat. Geosci., doi: 10.1038/NGEO1668, 2012]. In particular, according to Shao et al. [2012], the electron density at 75-80 km altitudes may be reduced by about 2-3 orders of magnitude. In this talk, we study the modification of the ionospheric density profile by small electrostatic fields that may exist in the upper atmosphere during a thunderstorm. A simplified ion chemistry model described by Liu [JGR, 117, A03308, 2012] has been used to conduct this study. The model is based on the one developed by Lehtinen and Inan [GRL, 34, L08804, 2007], which is in turn an improved version of the GPI model discussed in Glukhov et al. [JGR, 97, 16971, 1992]. According to this model, the charged particles can be grouped into five species: electrons, light negative ions, cluster negative ions, light positive ions, and cluster positive ions. In this chemistry model, the three-body electron attachment is the only process whose rate constant depends on the electric field, when it is below about one third of the conventional breakdown threshold field. We have compared various sources of the three-body attachment rate constant. The result shows that the rate constant increases linearly with the reduced electric field in the range of 0 to 0.1 Td, while decreases exponentially from 0.1 Td to about one third of the conventional breakdown threshold field. With this dependence, our modeling results indicate that under the steady-state condition, the nighttime electron density profile can be reduced by about 40% or enhanced by a factor of about 6 when the electric field varies in the aforementioned range.

Comparison of Airborne Sunphotometer and Near-Coincident In Situ and Remotely Sensed Water Vapor Measurements during INTEX-ITCT 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livingston, J. M.; Schmid, B.; Redemann, J.; Russell, P.; Ramirez, S.; Eilers, J.; Gore, W.; Howard, S.; Pommier, J.; Bates, T.; Quinn, P.; Chu, D. A.; Gao, B.; Fetzer, E.; McMillan, W.; Seemann, S. W.; Borbas, E.

2005-12-01

The NASA Ames 14-channel Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS-14) took measurements from aboard a Jetstream 31 (J31) twin turboprop aircraft during 19 science flights (~53 flight hours) over the Gulf of Maine during the period 12 July to 8 August 2004. The flights were conducted in support of the INTEX-NA (INtercontinental chemical Transport EXperiment-North America) and ITCT (Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation of anthropogenic pollution) field studies. AATS-14 measures the solar direct-beam transmission at 14 discrete wavelengths between 354 and 2138 nm, and provides instantaneous measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 13 wavelengths and water vapor column content, which is derived from measurements at 940 nm and surrounding wavelengths. AATS-14 measurements obtained during aircraft ascents and descents are differentiated to yield vertical profiles of aerosol extinction and water vapor density. Specific J31 flight patterns were designed to address a variety of science goals and, therefore, included a mixture of vertical profiles (spiral and ramped ascents and descents) and constant altitude horizontal transects at a variety of altitudes. In general, flights were designed to include a near sea surface horizontal transect in a region of minimal cloud cover during or near the time of an Aqua and/or Terra satellite overpass, in addition to a low altitude flyby and vertical profile above the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown. In this paper, we will compare AATS-14 water vapor profiles with simultaneous measurements obtained with a Vaisala humidity sensor on board the J-31 and with spatially and temporally near-coincident data from radiosondes launched from the Ron Brown. AATS-14 data will also be compared with water vapor retrievals from measurements acquired by remote sensors on Aqua and Terra during near-coincident satellite overflights.

Long-Duration Altitude-Controlled Balloons for Venus: A Feasibility Study Informed by Balloon Flights in Remote Environments on Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, P. B.; Nott, J.; Cutts, J. A.; Hall, J. L.; Beauchamp, P. M.; Limaye, S. S.; Baines, K. H.; Hole, L. R.

2013-12-01

In situ exploration of the upper atmosphere of Venus, approximately 65-77 km altitude, could answer many important questions (Limaye 2013, Crisp 2013). This region contains a time-variable UV absorber of unknown composition that controls many aspects of the heat balance on Venus. Understanding the composition and dynamics of this unknown absorber is an important science goal; in situ optical and chemical measurements are needed. However, conventional approaches do not provide access to this altitude range, repeated traverses, and a mission lifetime of several months needed to effectively carry out the science. This paper examines concepts for altitude-controlled balloons not previously flown on planetary missions that could potentially provide the desired measurements. The concepts take advantage of the fact that at 60 km altitude, for example, the atmospheric density on Venus is about 40% of the sea-level density on earth and the temperature is a moderate 230 K. The solar flux is approximately double that on earth, creating some thermal challenges, but making photovoltaic power highly effective. Using a steady-state thermodynamic model and flight data from Earth, we evaluate the suitability of two types of altitude-controlled balloons for a potential mission on Venus. Such balloons could repeatedly measure profiles, avoid diurnal temperature extremes, and navigate using wind shear. The first balloon design uses air ballast (AB) whereby ambient air can be compressed into or released from a constant-volume balloon, causing it to descend or ascend accordingly. The second design uses lift-gas compression (LGC) to change the volume of a zero-pressure balloon, thereby changing its effective density and altitude. For an altitude range of 60-75 km on Venus, we find that the superpressure volume for a LGC balloon is about 5% of that needed for an AB balloon while the maximum pressurization is the same for both systems. The compressor work per km descent of the LGC balloon is about 10% of the AB balloon, largely due to the much lower flow rate. The LGC balloon must compress some lift gas at sunrise, but this can be managed by one of several strategies. We conclude that while the weight constraints are likely to be significant, LGC altitude-controlled balloons may be feasible for accessing the 60 to 75 km altitude range on Venus. The underlying concept of balloons on Venus was proven by the Soviet Union's successful deployment of their two superpressure VEGA balloons in 1981 operating at a fixed altitude near 55 km. Superpressure balloon concepts for similar altitudes and larger payloads have since been proposed for NASA's Discovery program and ESA's Cosmic Visions program. The LGC balloon would add a zero-pressure envelope and a compressor to the established superpressure design, allowing it to ascend above the deployment altitude and realize lossless altitude control over a range of several scale heights. The thermodynamic equations, flight data, and conceptual analysis presented are intended to foster further discussion about the feasibility and potential benefits of a balloon mission to Venus.

Magnetically Controlled Upper Ionosphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majeed, T.; Al Aryani, O.; Al Mutawa, S.; Bougher, S. W.; Haider, S. A.

2017-12-01

The electron density (Ne) profiles measured by the Mars Express spacecraft over regions of strong crustal magnetic fields have shown anomalous characteristics of the topside plasma distribution with variable scale heights. One of such Ne profiles is located at 82oS and 180oE whose topside ionosphere is extended up to an altitude of 700 km. The crustal magnetic field at this southern site is nearly vertical and open to the access of solar wind plasma through magnetic reconnection with the interplanetary magnetic field. This can lead to the acceleration of electrons and ions during the daytime ionosphere. The downward accelerated electrons with energies >200 eV can penetrate deep into the Martian upper ionosphere along vertical magnetic field lines and cause heating, excitation and ionization of the background atmosphere. The upward acceleration of ions resulting from energy input by precipitating electrons can lead to enhance ion escape rate and modify scale heights of the topside ionosphere. We have developed a 1-D chemical diffusive model from 100 km to 400 km to interpret the Martian ionospheric structure at 82oS latitude. The primary source of ionization in the model is due to solar EUV radiation. An extra ionization source due to precipitating electrons of 0.25 keV, peaking near an altitude of 145 km is added in the model to reasonably reproduce the measured ionospheric structure below an altitude of 180 km. The behavior of the topside ionosphere can be interpreted by the vertical plasma transport caused by precipitating electrons. The vertical transport of plasma in our model is simulated by vertical ion velocities, whose values can be interpreted as drift velocities along magnetic field lines. We find that the variation of the topside Ne scale heights is sensitive to the magnitudes of upward and downward drifts with an imposed outward flux boundary condition at the top of the model. The model requires an upward flux of more than 107 ions cm-2 s-1 for both O2+ and O+, and drift speeds of 200 m/s to interpret the measured topside ionospheric structure for altitudes >180 km. The magnitudes of outward ion fluxes and drift velocities are compared with those simulated by existing models. The model results will be presented in comparison with the measured electron density profile. This work is supported by MBRSC, Dubai, UAE.

Lessons Learned from Previous Space-Borne Sounders as a Guide to Future Sounder Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, Robert F.; Deshpande, Manohar D.; Farrell,William M.; Fung, Shing F.; Osherovich, Vladimir A.; Pfaff, Rovert E.; Rowland, Douglas E.; Adrian, Mark L.

2008-01-01

Space-borne radio sounding is considered to be the gold standard for electron-density (N(sub e)) measurements compared to other techniques even under low-density conditions, such as N(sub e) < 1/cu cm, when other techniques are known to experience difficulties. These reliable measurements are not restricted to in-situ N(sub e) determinations since a spaceborne sounder can provide vertical N(sub e) profiles (N(sub e)(h)) from the spacecraft altitude to the altitude of maximum N(sub e). Near-conjunction studies involving the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) satellites in the topside ionosphere and Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) near the altitude of the F-region peak density have verified that, even at the greatest distance from the sounder, the ISIS-derived N(sub e)(h) profiles agree with the DE-2 Langmuir-probe measurements to within about 30% over a density range of more than two decades. Space-borne sounders can also provide N(sub e) profiles along the magnetic-field B, by inverting echoes that are ducted along field-aligned irregularities (FAI), and can provide information about the terrain beneath the satellite by examining surface reflections in the frequency range above the ionospheric penetration frequency. Many nations have launched rocket and satellite radio sounders in geospace over more than 4 decades and there have been sounders on space-probes and in orbit around other planets. Here we will summarize some of the lessons learned from these accomplishments by analyzing data from radio sounders on the Alouette and ISIS satellites and the OEDIPUS and other rockets in the terrestrial ionosphere, the IMAGE satellite in the terrestrial magnetosphere, the Ulysses space probe in Jupiter's 10 plasma torus and the MARSIS satellite in orbit around Mars. The emphasis will be on information deduced concerning (1) fundamental plasma processes and gradients in N, and B in the vicinity of the sounders from sounder-stimulated plasma resonances and short-range echoes involving ion as well as electron motions, (2) the importance of the antenna orientation relative to B for the detection of different plasma resonances, (3) sounder-stimulated plasma phenomena, including FAI, when special plasma conditions are satisfied, (4) the minimum power required for long-range echoes, as indicated by echoes from frequency components of the transmitted pulse and by multiple ducted echoes, and (5) the terrain beneath the satellite from surface reflections. Knowledge of these results should enable the optimum design of a future sounder to satisfy specific science requirements with minimal spacecraft resources.

Joint Analysis of GOCE Gravity Gradients Data with Seismological and Geodynamic Observations to Infer Mantle Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metivier, L.; Greff-Lefftz, M.; Panet, I.; Pajot-Métivier, G.; Caron, L.

2014-12-01

Joint inversion of the observed geoid and seismic velocities has been commonly used to constrain the viscosity profile within the mantle as well as the lateral density variations. Recent satellite measurements of the second-order derivatives of the Earth's gravity potential give new possibilities to understand these mantle properties. We use lateral density variations in the Earth's mantle based on slab history or deduced from seismic tomography. The main uncertainties are the relationship between seismic velocity and density -the so-called density/velocity scaling factor- and the variation with depth of the density contrast between the cold slabs and the surrounding mantle, introduced here as a scaling factor with respect to a constant value. The geoid, gravity and gravity gradients at the altitude of the GOCE satellite (about 255 km) are derived using geoid kernels for given viscosity depth profiles. We assume a layered mantle model with viscosity and conversion factor constant in each layer, and we fix the viscosity of the lithosphere. We perform a Monte Carlo search for the viscosity and the density/velocity scaling factor profiles within the mantle which allow to fit the observed geoid, gravity and gradients of gravity. We test a 2-layer, a 3-layer and 4-layer mantle. For each model, we compute the posterior probability distribution of the unknown parameters, and we discuss the respective contributions of the geoid, gravity and gravity gradients in the inversion. Finally, for the best fit, we present the viscosity and scaling factor profiles obtained for the lateral density variations derived from seismic velocities and for slabs sinking into the mantle.

Project ARES 2: High-altitude battery-powered aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A high-altitude, battery-powered, propeller-driven aircraft was designed and is being built by undergraduate students at California State University, Northridge. The aircraft will fly at an altitude of 104,000 ft at Mach 0.2 (190 ft/sec) and will be instrumented to record flight performance data, including low Reynolds number propeller and airfoil information. This project will demonstrate the feasibility of electric-powered flight in a low-density, low-temperature Earth environment that models the atmosphere of Mars. Data collected will be used to design a Mars aircraft to investigate the surface of Mars prior to manned missions. The instrumented payload and the mission profile for the high-altitude Earth flight were determined. Detailed aerodynamic and structural analyses were performed. Control, tracking, and data recording subsystems were developed. Materials were obtained and fabrication begun. The aircraft has a 32-ft wing span, a wing area of 105 sq ft, is 17.5 ft long, has a 12-in payload bay, and weighs 42 lb. It is composed primarily of lightweight materials, including Mylar, and composite materials, including graphite/epoxy and aramid core honeycomb sandwich. Low-altitude flight testing to check guidance and control systems and to calibrate data-gathering instruments will take place this summer, followed shortly by the 104,000-ft flight.

Electrical measurements in the atmosphere and the Ionosphere over an active thunderstorm. II - Direct current electric fields and conductivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holzworth, R. H.; Kelley, M. C.; Siefring, C. L.; Hale, L. C.; Mitchell, J. D.

1985-01-01

On August 9, 1981, a series of three rockets was launched over an air mass thunderstorm off the eastern seaboard of Virginia while simultaneous stratospheric and ground-based electric field measurements were made. The conductivity was substantially lower at most altitudes than the conductivity profiles used by theoretical models. Direct current electric fields over 80 mV/m were measured as far away as 96 km from the storm in the stratosphere at 23 km altitude. No dc electric fields above 75 km altitude could be identified with the thunderstorm, in agreement with theory. However, vertical current densities over 120 pA/sq m were seen well above the classical 'electrosphere' (at 50 or 60 km). Frequent dc shifts in the electric field following lightning transients were seen by both balloon and rocket payloads. These dc shifts are clearly identifiable with either cloud-to-ground (increases) or intercloud (decreases) lightning flashes.

Effects of Temperature and Air Density Profiles on Ozone Lidar Retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirgis, G.; Langford, A. O.; Senff, C. J.; Alvarez, R. J. _II, II

2017-12-01

The recent reduction in the primary U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone (O3) from 75 to 70 parts-per-billion by volume (ppbv) adds urgency to the need for better understanding of the processes that control ground-level concentrations in the United States. While ground-based in situ sensors are capable of measuring ozone levels, they don't give any insight into upper air transport and mixing. Differential absorption lidars such as the NOAA/ESRL Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone (TOPAZ) measure continuous vertical ozone profiles with high spatial and temporal resolution. However, the retrieved ozone mixing ratios depend on the temperature and air density profiles used in the analysis. This study analyzes the ozone concentrations for seven field campaigns from 2013 to 2016 to evaluate the impact of the assumed pressure and temperature profiles on the ozone mixing ratio retrieval. Pressure and temperature profiles from various spatial and temporal resolution models (Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications, NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis, Rapid Refresh, and High-Resolution Rapid Refresh) are compared to reference ozone profiles created with pressure and temperature profiles from ozonesondes launched close to the TOPAZ measurement site. The results show significant biases with respect to time of day and season, altitude, and location of the model-extracted profiles. Limitations and advantages of all datasets used will also be discussed.

Comparison of SAGE 2 ozone measurements and ozone soundings at Uccle (Belgium) during the period February 1985 to January 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Debacker, Hugo; Demuer, Dirk; Veiga, R. E.; Zawodny, J. M.

1994-01-01

The ozone profiles obtained from 24 balloon soundings, at 50 deg 48 min N, 4 deg 21 min E, carried out with the electro-chemical ozonesondes are discussed. The data were used as correlative data to the ozone profiles acquired by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE 2). Good agreement was obtained between the two data sets. The difference of percentage between the ozone column density of the mean balloon and SAGE profile is 4.4% in the altitude region between 10 to 26 km. From the statistical analysis it seems that there is a difference between the mean profiles at the level of the ozone maximum and around the 30 km level. Similar results are obtained with an error analysis of both data. The differences between the mean profiles in the lower stratosphere are probably real, and are due to the presence of ozone.

Analysis of record-breaking low ozone values during the 1997 winter over NDSC Station Lauder, New Zealand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinksma, E. J.; Meijer, Y. J.; Connor, B. J.; Manney, G. L.; Bergwerff, J. B.; Bodeker, G. E.; Boyd, I. S.; Liley, J. B.; Hogervorst, W.; Hovenier, J. W.;

Multi-instrumental Study of Storm-induced Ionospheric Irregularities at Midlatitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherniak, I.; Zakharenkova, I.; Sokolovskiy, S. V.

2017-12-01

We present multi-instrumental analysis of the unusually intense plasma density irregularities occurred over European midlatitudes during geomagnetic storm of 22-23 June 2015. We combine GPS/GLONASS observations derived from the dense ground-based networks ( 1500 stations) with in situ plasma density onboard Swarm and DMSP satellites and COSMIC Radio Occultation (RO) ionospheric electron density profiles. During this geomagnetic storm, the strong ionospheric irregularities of auroral origin were registered over the Northern Europe sub-auroral and midlatitudes. Meanwhile, another kind of ionospheric irregularities of equatorial origin reached European midlatitudes from the south. The prompt penetration electric fields caused the occurrence of plasma bite-outs in the post-sunset sector over the Western Africa low latitudes and extension of the large-scale plasma bubbles toward Europe. Using GPS/GLONASS observations, the plasma bubble signatures were mapped in Europe. They were observed for more than 8 h (20-04 UT) and covered a broad area within 30o-40o N and 20o W-10o E. In this region, the steep plasma gradients, as large as 5-10 TECU/degree, and numerous embedded deep plasma depletions were developed on the background of high plasma density. For low latitude region, the bite-out signature was recognized in the form of the significantly modified shape of the COSMIC-derived ionospheric electron density profiles. These unique results were confirmed by the in situ density and upward-looking GPS data onboard the Swarm satellites at 500 km altitude, in situ density measured by DMSP and ground-based absolute TEC observations. It was found that close similarity between in situ Ne and Swarm-derived topside vertical TEC suggests that plasma density enhancements and depletions are developed in the topside ionosphere (>500 km). The intensity of plasma gradients at different altitudes was also estimated by COSMIC-based measurements of GPS signal intensity and phase fluctuations as well as by rate of TEC changes on COSMIC-GPS links. Occurrence of the plasma bubbles in Europe affected GNSS measurements over number of reference stations and led to performance degradation of SBAS EGNOS.

Soccer activity profile of altitude versus sea-level natives during acclimatisation to 3600 m (ISA3600)

PubMed Central

Aughey, Robert J; Hammond, Kristal; Varley, Matthew C; Schmidt, Walter F; Bourdon, Pitre C; Buchheit, Martin; Simpson, Ben; Garvican-Lewis, Laura A; Kley, Marlen; Soria, Rudy; Sargent, Charli; Roach, Gregory D; Claros, Jesus C Jimenez; Wachsmuth, Nadine; Gore, Christopher J

2013-01-01

Objectives We investigated the effect of high altitude on the match activity profile of elite youth high altitude and sea level residents. Methods Twenty Sea Level (Australian) and 19 Altitude-resident (Bolivian) soccer players played five games, two near sea level (430 m) and three in La Paz (3600 m). Match activity profile was quantified via global positioning system with the peak 5 min period for distance ((D5peak)) and high velocity running (>4.17 m/s, HIVR5peak); as well as the 5 min period immediately subsequent to the peak for both distance (D5sub) and high-velocity running (HIVR5sub) identified using a rolling 5 min epoch. The games at 3600 m were compared with the average of the two near sea-level games. Results The total distance per minute was reduced by a small magnitude in the first match at altitude in both teams, without any change in low-velocity running. There were variable changes in HiVR, D5peak and HiVR5peak from match to match for each team. There were within-team reductions in D5peak in each game at altitude compared with those at near sea level, and this reduction was greater by a small magnitude in Australians than Bolivians in game 4. The effect of altitude on HiVR5peak was moderately lower in Australians compared with Bolivians in game 3. There was no clear difference in the effect of altitude on maximal accelerations between teams. Conclusions High altitude reduces the distance covered by elite youth soccer players during matches. Neither 13 days of acclimatisation nor lifelong residence at high altitude protects against detrimental effects of altitude on match activity profile. PMID:24282196

Soccer activity profile of altitude versus sea-level natives during acclimatisation to 3600 m (ISA3600).

PubMed

Aughey, Robert J; Hammond, Kristal; Varley, Matthew C; Schmidt, Walter F; Bourdon, Pitre C; Buchheit, Martin; Simpson, Ben; Garvican-Lewis, Laura A; Kley, Marlen; Soria, Rudy; Sargent, Charli; Roach, Gregory D; Claros, Jesus C Jimenez; Wachsmuth, Nadine; Gore, Christopher J

2013-12-01

We investigated the effect of high altitude on the match activity profile of elite youth high altitude and sea level residents. Twenty Sea Level (Australian) and 19 Altitude-resident (Bolivian) soccer players played five games, two near sea level (430 m) and three in La Paz (3600 m). Match activity profile was quantified via global positioning system with the peak 5 min period for distance ((D₅(peak)) and high velocity running (>4.17 m/s, HIVR₅(peak)); as well as the 5 min period immediately subsequent to the peak for both distance (D₅(sub)) and high-velocity running (HIVR₅(sub)) identified using a rolling 5 min epoch. The games at 3600 m were compared with the average of the two near sea-level games. The total distance per minute was reduced by a small magnitude in the first match at altitude in both teams, without any change in low-velocity running. There were variable changes in HiVR, D₅(peak) and HiVR₅(peak) from match to match for each team. There were within-team reductions in D₅(peak) in each game at altitude compared with those at near sea level, and this reduction was greater by a small magnitude in Australians than Bolivians in game 4. The effect of altitude on HiVR₅(peak) was moderately lower in Australians compared with Bolivians in game 3. There was no clear difference in the effect of altitude on maximal accelerations between teams. High altitude reduces the distance covered by elite youth soccer players during matches. Neither 13 days of acclimatisation nor lifelong residence at high altitude protects against detrimental effects of altitude on match activity profile.

GRAM 88 - 4D GLOBAL REFERENCE ATMOSPHERE MODEL-1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, D. L.

1994-01-01

The Four-D Global Reference Atmosphere program was developed from an empirical atmospheric model which generates values for pressure, density, temperature, and winds from surface level to orbital altitudes. This program can generate altitude profiles of atmospheric parameters along any simulated trajectory through the atmosphere. The program was developed for design applications in the Space Shuttle program, such as the simulation of external tank re-entry trajectories. Other potential applications are global circulation and diffusion studies; also the generation of profiles for comparison with other atmospheric measurement techniques such as satellite measured temperature profiles and infrasonic measurement of wind profiles. GRAM-88 is the latest version of the software GRAM. The software GRAM-88 contains a number of changes that have improved the model statistics, in particular, the small scale density perturbation statistics. It also corrected a low latitude grid problem as well as the SCIDAT data base. Furthermore, GRAM-88 now uses the U.S. Standard Atmosphere 1976 as a comparison standard rather than the US62 used in other versions. The program is an amalgamation of two empirical atmospheric models for the low (25km) and the high (90km) atmosphere, with a newly developed latitude-longitude dependent model for the middle atmosphere. The Jacchia (1970) model simulates the high atmospheric region above 115km. The Jacchia program sections are in separate subroutines so that other thermosphericexospheric models could easily be adapted if required for special applications. The improved code eliminated the calculation of geostrophic winds above 125 km altitude from the model. The atmospheric region between 30km and 90km is simulated by a latitude-longitude dependent empirical model modification of the latitude dependent empirical model of Groves (1971). A fairing technique between 90km and 115km accomplished a smooth transition between the modified Groves values and the Jacchia values. Below 25km the atmospheric parameters are computed by the 4-D worldwide atmospheric model of Spiegler and Fowler (1972). This data set is not included. GRAM-88 incorporates a hydrostatic/gas law check in the 0-30 km altitude range to flag and change any bad data points. Between 5km and 30km, an interpolation scheme is used between the 4-D results and the modified Groves values. The output parameters consist of components for: (1) latitude, longitude, and altitude dependent monthly and annual means, (2) quasi-biennial oscillations (QBO), and (3) random perturbations to partially simulate the variability due to synoptic, diurnal, planetary wave, and gravity wave variations. Quasi-biennial and random variation perturbations are computed from parameters determined by various empirical studies and are added to the monthly mean values. The GRAM-88 program is for batch execution on the IBM 3084. It is written in STANDARD FORTRAN 77 under the MVS/XA operating system. The IBM DISPLA graphics routines are necessary for graphical output. The program was developed in 1988.

Post-midnight enhancements in low latitude F layer electron density: observations and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Chen, Yiding; Zhang, Yanyan; Wan, Weixing; Ning, Baiqi

2014-05-01

Observations from a Lowell DPS-4D ionosonde operated at Sanya (18.3º N, 109.6º E), a low latitude station in China, have been analysed to study the nighttime behavior of ionospheric F layer. Post-midnight enhancement events are frequently occurred in the year of 2012. Common features in these cases illustrate that, accompanying nighttime rises in peak electron density of F2-layer (NmF2), the height of F2-layer goes downward significantly and the ionogram-derived electron density height profiles become sharpener. Enhancement in electron density develops earlier and reaches peaks earlier at higher altitudes than at lower altitudes. Downward plasma drift detected under such events reveals the essential role of the westward electric field in forming the post-midnight enhancements in electron density of ionospheric F-layer at such low latitudes. The important role of westward electric field in formation of nighttime enhancement is supported by the simulated results from a model. Work has been published in Liu et al., A case study of post-midnight enhancement in F-layer electron density over Sanya of China, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 2013, 118, 4640-4648, DOI:10.1002/jgra.50422. Acknowledgements: Ionosonde data are provided from BNOSE of IGGCAS. This research was supported by the projects of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZZD-EW-01-3), National Key Basic Research Program of China (2012CB825604), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (41231065).

Electron density extrapolation above F2 peak by the linear Vary-Chap model supporting new Global Navigation Satellite Systems-LEO occultation missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández-Pajares, Manuel; Garcia-Fernández, Miquel; Rius, Antonio; Notarpietro, Riccardo; von Engeln, Axel; Olivares-Pulido, Germán.; Aragón-Àngel, Àngela; García-Rigo, Alberto

2017-08-01

The new radio-occultation (RO) instrument on board the future EUMETSAT Polar System-Second Generation (EPS-SG) satellites, flying at a height of 820 km, is primarily focusing on neutral atmospheric profiling. It will also provide an opportunity for RO ionospheric sounding, but only below impact heights of 500 km, in order to guarantee a full data gathering of the neutral part. This will leave a gap of 320 km, which impedes the application of the direct inversion techniques to retrieve the electron density profile. To overcome this challenge, we have looked for new ways (accurate and simple) of extrapolating the electron density (also applicable to other low-Earth orbiting, LEO, missions like CHAMP): a new Vary-Chap Extrapolation Technique (VCET). VCET is based on the scale height behavior, linearly dependent on the altitude above hmF2. This allows extrapolating the electron density profile for impact heights above its peak height (this is the case for EPS-SG), up to the satellite orbital height. VCET has been assessed with more than 3700 complete electron density profiles obtained in four representative scenarios of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) in the United States and the Formosa Satellite Mission 3 (FORMOSAT-3) in Taiwan, in solar maximum and minimum conditions, and geomagnetically disturbed conditions, by applying an updated Improved Abel Transform Inversion technique to dual-frequency GPS measurements. It is shown that VCET performs much better than other classical Chapman models, with 60% of occultations showing relative extrapolation errors below 20%, in contrast with conventional Chapman model extrapolation approaches with 10% or less of the profiles with relative error below 20%.

UHF Radar observations at HAARP with HF pump frequencies near electron gyro-harmonics and associated ionospheric effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, Brenton; Fallen, Christopher; Secan, James

Results for HF modification experiments at the HAARP facility in Alaska are presented for experiments with the HF pump frequency near third and fourth electron gyro-harmonics. A UHF diagnostic radar with range resolution of 600 m was used to determine time-dependent altitudes of scattering from plasma turbulence during heating experiments. Experiments were conducted with multiple HF frequencies stepped by 20 kHz above and below the gyro-harmonic values. During times of HF heating the HAARP facility has sufficient power to enhance large-scale ionospheric densities in the lower ionosphere (about 150-200 km altitude) and also in the topside ionosphere (above about 350 km). In the lower ionosphere, time-dependent decreases of the altitude of radar scatter result from electron density enhancements. The effects are substantially different even for relatively small frequency steps of 20 kHz. In all cases the time-varying altitude decrease of radar scatter stops about 5-10 km below the gyro-harmonic altitude that is frequency dependent; we infer that electron density enhancements stop at this altitude where the radar signals stop decreasing with altitude. Experiments with corresponding total electron content (TEC) data show that for HF interaction altitudes above about 170 km there is substantial topside electron density increases due to upward electron thermal conduction. For lower altitudes of HF interaction the majority of the thermal energy is transferred to the neutral gas and no significant topside density increases are observed. By selecting an appropriate HF frequency a little greater than the gyro-harmonic value we have demonstrated that the ionospheric response to HF heating is a self-oscillating mode where the HF interaction altitude moves up and down with a period of several minutes. If the interaction region is above about 170 km this also produces a continuously enhanced topside electron density and upward plasma flux. Experiments using an FM scan with the HF frequency increasing near the gyro-harmonic value were conducted. The FM scan rate was sufficiently slow that the electron density was approximately in an equilibrium state. For these experiments the altitude of the HF interaction follows a near straight line downward parallel to the altitude-dependent gyro-harmonic level.

Identifying the 630 nm auroral arc emission height: A comparison of the triangulation, FAC profile, and electron density methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megan Gillies, D.; Knudsen, D.; Donovan, E.; Jackel, B.; Gillies, R.; Spanswick, E.

2017-08-01

We present a comprehensive survey of 630 nm (red-line) emission discrete auroral arcs using the newly deployed Redline Emission Geospace Observatory. In this study we discuss the need for observations of 630 nm aurora and issues with the large-altitude range of the red-line aurora. We compare field-aligned currents (FACs) measured by the Swarm constellation of satellites with the location of 10 red-line (630 nm) auroral arcs observed by all-sky imagers (ASIs) and find that a characteristic emission height of 200 km applied to the ASI maps gives optimal agreement between the two observations. We also compare the new FAC method against the traditional triangulation method using pairs of all-sky imagers (ASIs), and against electron density profiles obtained from the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar-Canadian radar, both of which are consistent with a characteristic emission height of 200 km.

High-latitude electron density observations from the IMAGE radio plasma imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henize, Vance Karl

2003-11-01

Before the IMAGE mission, electron densities in the high latitude, high altitude region of the magnetosphere were measured exclusively by in situ means. The Radio Plasma Imager instrument onboard IMAGE is capable of remotely observing electron densities between 0.01 and 100,000 e-/cm-3 from distances of several Earth radii or more. This allows a global view of the high latitude region that has a far greater accuracy than was previously possible. Soundings of the terrestrial magnetic cusp provide the first remote observations of the dynamics and poleward density profile of this feature continuously over a 60- minute interval. During steady quiet-time solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions, the cusp is shown to be stable in both position and density structure with only slight variations in both. Peak electron densities within the cusp during this time are found to be somewhat higher than predicted. New procedures for deriving electron densities from radio sounding measurements are developed. The addition of curve fitting algorithms significantly increases the amount of useable data. Incorporating forward modeling techniques greatly reduces the computational time over traditional inversion methods. These methods are described in detail. A large number high latitude observations of ducted right-hand extraordinary mode waves made over the course of one year of the IMAGE mission are used to create a three dimensional model of the electron density profile of the terrestrial polar cap region. The dependence of electron density in the polar cap on average geocentric distance (d) is found to vary as d-6.6. This is a significantly steeper gradient than cited in earlier works such as Persoon et al., although the introduction of an asymptotic term provides for basic agreement in the limited region of their joint validity. Latitudinal and longitudinal variations are found to be insignificant. Both the mean profile power law index of the electron density profile and, to a stronger degree, its variance show dependence with the DST index.

Extremely Low Ionospheric Peak Altitudes in the Polar-Hole Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, Robert F.; Grebowsky, Joseph M.

1999-01-01

Vertical electron-density (N (sub e)) profiles, deduced from newly-available ISIS-II digital ionospheric topside-sounder data, are used to investigate the "polar-hole" region within the winter, nighttime polar cap ionosphere during solar minimum. The hole region is located around 0200 MLT near the poleward side of the auroral oval. Earlier investigations had revealed very low N (sub e) values in this region (down to 200/cu cm near 300 km). In the present study, such low N, values (approx. 100/cu cm) were only found near the ISIS (International Satellite for Ionospheric Study)-II altitude of 1400 km. The peak ionospheric concentration below the spacecraft remained fairly constant (approx. 10 (exp 5)/cu cm across the hole region but the altitude of the peak dropped dramatically. This peak dropped, surprisingly, to the vicinity of 100 km. These observations suggest that the earlier satellite in situ measurements, interpreted as deep holes in the ionospheric F-region concentration, could have been made during conditions of an extreme decrease in the altitude of the ionospheric N (sub e) peak. The observations, in combination with other data, indicate that the absence of an F-layer peak may be a frequent occurrence at high latitudes.

Where does the plasmasphere begin? Revisit to topside ionospheric profiles in comparison with plasmaspheric TEC from Jason-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Han-Byul; Kim, Yong Ha; Kim, Eunsol; Hong, Junseok; Kwak, Young-Sil

2016-10-01

Topside ionospheric profiles have been measured by Alouette 1 and ISIS 1/2 in the periods of 1962-1972 and 1972-1979, respectively. The profiles cover from the orbital altitude of 1000 km to the F2 peak and show large variations over local time, latitude, and seasons. We here analyze these variations in comparison with plasmaspheric total electron contents (pTECs) that were measured by Jason-1 satellite from the altitude of 1336 km to 20,200 km (GPS orbit). The scale heights of the profiles are generally smaller in the daytime than nighttime but show large day-to-day variations, implying that the ionospheric profiles at 1000 km are changing dynamically, rather than being in diffusive equilibrium. We also derived transition heights between O+ and H+, which show a clear minimum at dawn for low-latitude profiles due to decreasing O+ density at night. To compare with pTEC, we compute topside ionospheric total electron content (tiTEC) by integrating over 800-1336 km using the slope of the profiles. The tiTEC varies in a clear diurnal pattern from 0.3 to 1 and 3 total electron content unit (TECU, 1 TECU = 1016 el m-2) for low and high solar activity, respectively, whereas Jason-1 pTEC values are distributed over 2-6 TECU and 4-8 TECU for low and high solar activity, respectively, with no apparent diurnal modulation. Latitudinal variations of tiTEC show distinctive hemispheric asymmetry while that of Jason-1 pTEC is closely symmetric about the magnetic equator. The local time and latitudinal variations of tiTEC basically resemble those of the ionosphere but are characteristically different from those of Jason-1 pTEC. Based on the difference between tiTEC and pTEC variations, we propose that the region above 1300 km should be considered as the plasmasphere. Lower altitudes for the base of "plasmaspheric TEC," as used in some studies, would cause contamination of ionospheric influence.

A method of atmospheric density measurements during Shuttle entry using UV laser Rayleigh scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckenzie, Robert L.

1987-01-01

A detailed study is described of the performance capabilities and the hardware requirements for a method in which ambient density is measured along the Space Shuttle flight path using on-board optical instrumentation. The technique relies on Rayleigh scattering of light from a pulsed, ultraviolet, ArF excimer laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm. The method is shown to be capable of providing direct measurements of ambient density with an uncertainty of less than 1 percent and with a spatial resolution of 1 km, over an altitude range from 50 to 90 km. In addition, extensions of this concept are discussed that allow measurements of the shock wave location and the density profile within the shock layer. Two approaches are identified that appear to be feasible, in which the same laser system is used for the extended measurements as that required for the ambient density measurements.

MAVEN Observations of Dayside Peak Electron Densities in the Ionosphere of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, M. F.; Withers, P.; Andersson, L.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Benna, M.; Elrod, M. K.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Espley, J. R.; Eparvier, F. G.; Jakosky, B. M.

2016-12-01

The peak electron density in the dayside Martian ionosphere is a valuable diagnostic of the state of the ionosphere. Its dependence on factors like the solar zenith angle, ionizing solar irradiance, neutral scale height, and electron temperature has been well studied. The MAVEN spacecraft's September 2015 "deep dip" orbits, in which the orbital periapsis is lowered to 120 km, provided our first opportunity since Viking to sample in situ a complete dayside electron density profiles including the main peak, and the first observations with contemporaneous comprehensive measurements of the local plasma and magnetic field properties. We have analyzed the peak electron density measurements from the MAVEN deep dip orbits and will discuss their variability with various ionospheric properties, including the proximity to regions of large crustal magnetic fields, and external drivers. We will also present observations of the electron temperature and atmospheric neutral and ion composition at the altitude of the peak electron density.

Large scale atmospheric waves in the Venus mesosphere as seen by the VeRa Radio Science instrument on Venus Express

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tellmann, Silvia; Häusler, Bernd; Hinson, David P.; Tyler, G. Leonard; Andert, Thomas P.; Bird, Michael K.; Imamura, Takeshi; Pätzold, Martin; Remus, Stefan

2015-04-01

Atmospheric waves on all spatial scales play a crucial role in the redistribution of energy, momentum, and atmospheric constituent in planetary atmosphere and are thought to be involved in the development and maintenance of the atmospheric superrotation on Venus. The Venus Express Radio-Science Experiment VeRa sounded the Venus neutral atmosphere and ionosphere in Earth occultation geometry using the spacecraft radio subsystem at two coherent frequencies. Radial profiles of neutral number density, covering the altitude range 40-90 km, are then converted to vertical profiles of temperature and pressure, assuming hydrostatic equilibrium. The extensive VeRa data set enables us to study global scale atmospheric wave phenomena like thermal tides in the mesosphere and troposphere. A pronounced local time dependency of the temperature is found in the mesosphere at different altitude levels. Wave-2 structures dominate the low latitude range in the upper mesosphere while the higher latitudes show a strong wave-1 structure at the top of the cloud layer. The investigation of these wave structures provides valuable information about the energy transport in the atmosphere.

First detection of ozone in the middle atmosphere of Mars from solar occultation measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blamont, J. E.; Chassefiere, E.

1993-08-01

The vertical structure of ozone in the middle atmosphere of Mars is investigated on the basis of solar occultation measurements from the Phobos spacecraft. Ozone is firmly detected in one case, with well correlated evolutions of signals at 270, 277, and 283 nm, about 10 sec before the loss of pointing occurs. Similar profiles are obtained in two other cases, although being more dependent on pointing corrections. When ozone is observed, the ozone number density increases regularly below 55 km altitude to about (0.9 +/- 0.3) x 10 exp 8/cu cm around 42-45 km altitude. The average scale height of the ozone profile above 45 km is 6 +/- 2 km. When ozone is not detected, which implies an ozone concentration lower than about 2 x 10 exp 7/cu cm, the weak abundance of ozone can be easily reproduced by using the thermal structure and humidity conditions derived from the analysis of the clouds, except that the clouds, observed in about 15 percent of cases, are not systematically present in this case.

Retrieval of daytime [O3] altitude profile from measurements of 1.27 μm O2 emission in the mesosphere: a comparison of methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yankovsky, Valentine A.; Manuilova, Rada O.

2017-11-01

The altitude profiles of ozone concentration are retrieved from measurements of the volume emission rate in the 1.27 μm oxygen band in the TIMED-SABER experiment. In this study we compare the methods of retrieval of daytime [O3] altitude profile in the framework of two models: electronic-vibrational kinetics and a purely electronic kinetics of excited products of ozone and oxygen photolysis. In order to retrieve the [O3] altitude profile from the measurements of the intensity of the O2 band in the region of 1.27 μm correctly, it is necessary to use the photochemical model of the electronic-vibrational kinetics of excited products of ozone and oxygen photolysis in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

Tsunami-driven gravity waves in the presence of vertically varying background and tidal wind structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laughman, B.; Fritts, D. C.; Lund, T. S.

2017-05-01

Many characteristics of tsunami-driven gravity waves (TDGWs) enable them to easily propagate into the thermosphere and ionosphere with appreciable amplitudes capable of producing detectable perturbations in electron densities and total electron content. The impact of vertically varying background and tidal wind structures on TDGW propagation is investigated with a series of idealized background wind profiles to assess the relative importance of wave reflection, critical-level approach, and dissipation. These numerical simulations employ a 2-D nonlinear anelastic finite-volume neutral atmosphere model which accounts for effects accompanying vertical gravity wave (GW) propagation such as amplitude growth with altitude. The GWs are excited by an idealized tsunami forcing with a 50 cm sea surface displacement, a 400 km horizontal wavelength, and a phase speed of 200 ms-1 consistent with previous studies of the tsunami generated by the 26 December 2004 Sumatra earthquake. Results indicate that rather than partial reflection and trapping, the dominant process governing TDGW propagation to thermospheric altitudes is refraction to larger and smaller vertical scales, resulting in respectively larger and smaller vertical group velocities and respectively reduced and increased viscous dissipation. Under all considered background wind profiles, TDGWs were able to attain ionospheric altitudes with appreciable amplitudes. Finally, evidence of nonlinear effects is observed and the conditions leading to their formation is discussed.

Ionospheric model-observation comparisons: E layer at Arecibo Incorporation of SDO-EVE solar irradiances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sojka, Jan J.; Jensen, Joseph B.; David, Michael; Schunk, Robert W.; Woods, Tom; Eparvier, Frank; Sulzer, Michael P.; Gonzalez, Sixto A.; Eccles, J. Vincent

2014-05-01

This study evaluates how the new irradiance observations from the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) can, with its high spectral resolution and 10 s cadence, improve the modeling of the E region. To demonstrate this a campaign combining EVE observations with that of the NSF Arecibo incoherent scatter radar (ISR) was conducted. The ISR provides E region electron density observations with high-altitude resolution, 300 m, and absolute densities using the plasma line technique. Two independent ionospheric models were used, the Utah State University Time-Dependent Ionospheric Model (TDIM) and Space Environment Corporation's Data-Driven D Region (DDDR) model. Each used the same EVE irradiance spectrum binned at 1 nm resolution from 0.1 to 106 nm. At the E region peak the modeled TDIM density is 20% lower and that of the DDDR is 6% higher than observed. These differences could correspond to a 36% lower (TDIM) and 12% higher (DDDR) production rate if the differences were entirely attributed to the solar irradiance source. The detailed profile shapes that included the E region altitude and that of the valley region were only qualitatively similar to observations. Differences on the order of a neutral-scale height were present. Neither model captured a distinct dawn to dusk tilt in the E region peak altitude. A model sensitivity study demonstrated how future improved spectral resolution of the 0.1 to 7 nm irradiance could account for some of these model shortcomings although other relevant processes are also poorly modeled.

Water vapour in the middle atmosphere of Venus:. An improved treatment of the Venera 15 ir spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignatiev, N. i.; Moroz, V. i.; Zasova, L. V.; Khatuntsev, I. v.

1999-08-01

In 1983, spectra of Venus in the region of 6-40 μm were measured by means of the Fourier Spectrometer aboard the Venera 15 orbiter. It covered local solar times from 4 am to 10 am and from 4 pm to 10 pm in the latitude range from 65°S up to 87°N. The results of an extended processing and analysis of these data are presented. Time and spatial variations of the water vapour were found. Most of the measurements fall in the range of 5-15 ppm, which is close to earlier results. The effective altitude of sounding is approximately equal to the altitude where the optical depth τ = 1. In the northern hemisphere, which was mainly covered by the measurements, two latitude regions can be distinguished; (A) 20° < φ < 50° and (B) φ > 60°, which are characterised by different altitudes of the level of τ = 1, 62 and 55 km respectively. Mean mixing ratios near this level in the two regions are almost the same, but the partial pressures and mass densities in the region (B) are 2-4 times greater than those in region (A). In region (A) a weak maximum was detected near 10 am local solar time (17 ppm at φ = 35°) and a minimum-near 10 pm (2ppm at φ = 30°). Region (B) is of inhomogeneous structure, and the retrieved mixing ratio has greater uncertainty and may probably change from the low values up to 30 ppm. In region (A) the water vapour mass density at the level of τ = 1 is 2-4 times greater than the mean density of the water contained in aerosol particles, while in region (B) this ratio may vary in the limits 0.5-5. Although the retrieval of H2O mixing ratio altitude profile from the Venera 15 data appeared to be impossible, indirect indications were found that at least in region (A) the mixing ratio decreases with altitude.

A comparison of FUV dayglows measured by STSAT-1/FIMS with the AURIC model in a geomagnetic quiet condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kam, Hosik; Kim, Yong Ha; Hong, Jun-Seok; Lee, Joon-Chan; Choi, Yeon-Ju; Min, Kyung Wook

2014-09-01

The Korea scientific microsatellite, STSAT-1 (Science and Technology Satellite-1), was launched in 2003 and observed far ultraviolet (FUV) airglow from the upper atmosphere with a Far-ultraviolet IMaging Spectrograph (FIMS) at an altitude of 690 km. The FIMS consists of a dual-band imaging spectrograph of 900-1150 Å (S-band) and 1340-1715 Å (L-band). Limb scanning observations were performed only at the S-band, resulting in intensity profiles of OI 989 Å, OI 1026 Å, NII 1085 Å and NI 1134 Å emission lines near the horizon. We compare these emission intensities with those computed by using a theoretical model, the AURIC (Atmospheric Ultraviolet Radiance Integrated Code). The intensities of the OI 1026 Å, NII 1085 Å and NI 1134 Å emissions measured by using the FIMS are overall consistent with the values computed by using AURIC under the thermospheric and solar activity conditions on August 6, 1984, which is close to the FIMS's observation condition. We find that the FIMS dayglow intensity profiles match reasonably well with AURIC intensity profiles for the MSIS90 oxygen atom density profiles within factors of 0.5 and 2. However, the FIMS intensities of the OI 989 Å line are about 2 ˜ 4 times stronger than the AURIC intensities, which is expected because AURIC does not properly simulate resonance scattering of airglow and solar photons at 989 Å by atomic oxygen in the thermosphere. We also find that the maximum tangential altitudes of the oxygen bearing dayglows (OI 989 Å, OI 1026 Å) are higher than those of the nitrogen-bearing dayglows (NII 1085 Å, NI 1134 Å), which is confirmed by using AURIC model calculations. This is expected because the oxygen atoms are distributed at higher altitudes in the thermosphere than the nitrogen molecules. Validations of the qualities of both the FIMS instrument and the AURIC model indicate that AURIC should be updated with improved thermospheric models and with measured solar FUV spectra for better agreement with the observations. Once the updated AURIC model is available, one can extract valuable information on the densities and compositions of the thermosphere from limb scanning observations with an FUV instrument such as FIMS.

Evaluating Mars Science Laboratory Landing Sites with the Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2005)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, H. L.; Justus, C. G.

2008-01-01

The Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) is an engineering-level atmospheric model widely used for diverse mission applications. Mars-GRAM s perturbation modeling capability is commonly used, in a Monte-Carlo mode, to perform high fidelity engineering end-to-end simulations for entry, descent, and landing (EDL) [1]. From the surface to 80 km altitude, Mars-GRAM is based on the NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM). Mars-GRAM and MGCM use surface topography from Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), with altitudes referenced to the MOLA areoid, or constant potential surface. Traditional Mars-GRAM options for representing the mean atmosphere along entry corridors include: (1) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) mapping years 1 and 2, with Mars-GRAM data coming from NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM) results driven by observed TES dust optical depth or (2) TES mapping year 0, with user-controlled dust optical depth and Mars-GRAM data interpolated from MGCM model results driven by selected values of globally-uniform dust optical depth. Mars-GRAM 2005 has been validated [2] against Radio Science data, and both nadir and limb data from TES [3]. There are several new features included in Mars-GRAM 2005. The first is the option to use input data sets from MGCM model runs that were designed to closely simulate conditions observed during the first two years of TES observations at Mars. The TES Year 1 option includes values from April 1999 through January 2001. The TES Year 2 option includes values from February 2001 through December 2002. The second new feature is the option to read and use any auxiliary profile of temperature and density versus altitude. In exercising the auxiliary profile Mars-GRAM option, values from the auxiliary profile replace data from the original MGCM databases. Some examples of auxiliary profiles include data from TES nadir or limb observations and Mars mesoscale model output at a particular location and time. The final new feature is the addition of two Mars-GRAM parameters that allow standard deviations of Mars-GRAM perturbations to be adjusted. The parameter rpscale can be used to scale density perturbations up or down while rwscale can be used to scale wind perturbations.

UV Emissions and the Electron Density in the Auroral and Low to Mid-Latitude Daytime Ionospheres.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

Anderson, 1982). Their concern has been with the analysis of satellite observed limb profiles for features such as 01 1356 A and N2 LBH bands. We have...two in going from solar minimum to maximum conditions. An ad- vantage of there being little relative variation among intensities is that altitude...desirable for our problem of interest since it concerns remote sensing of the ionosphere. The questions ariser as to how long the wavelength of I

(abstract) A Comparison Between Measurements of the F-layer Critical Frequency and Values Derived from the PRISM Adjustment Algorithm Applied to Total Electron Content Data in the Equatorial Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mannucci, A. J.; Anderson, D. N.; Abdu, A. M.

1994-01-01

The Parametrized Real-Time Ionosphere Specification Model (PRISM) is a global ionospheric specification model that can incorporate real-time data to compute accurate electron density profiles. Time series of computed and measured data are compared in this paper. This comparison can be used to suggest methods of optimizing the PRISM adjustment algorithm for TEC data obtained at low altitudes.

Nimbus 7 solar backscatter ultraviolet (SBUV) ozone products user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleig, Albert J.; Mcpeters, R. D.; Bhartia, P. K.; Schlesinger, Barry M.; Cebula, Richard P.; Klenk, K. F.; Taylor, Steven L.; Heath, Donald F.

1990-01-01

Three ozone tape products from the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) experiment aboard Nimbus 7 were archived at the National Space Science Data Center. The experiment measures the fraction of incoming radiation backscattered by the Earth's atmosphere at 12 wavelengths. In-flight measurements were used to monitor changes in the instrument sensitivity. Total column ozone is derived by comparing the measurements with calculations of what would be measured for different total ozone amounts. The altitude distribution is retrieved using an optimum statistical technique for the inversion. The estimated initial error in the absolute scale for total ozone is 2 percent, with a 3 percent drift over 8 years. The profile error depends on latitude and height, smallest at 3 to 10 mbar; the drift increases with increasing altitude. Three tape products are described. The High Density SBUV (HDSBUV) tape contains the final derived products - the total ozone and the vertical ozone profile - as well as much detailed diagnostic information generated during the retrieval process. The Compressed Ozone (CPOZ) tape contains only that subset of HDSBUV information, including total ozone and ozone profiles, considered most useful for scientific studies. The Zonal Means Tape (ZMT) contains daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly averages of the derived quantities over 10 deg latitude zones.

Observation of Neutral Sodium Above Mercury During the Transit of November 8, 2006

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, A. E.; Killen, R. M.; Reardon, Kevin P.; Bida, T. A.

2013-01-01

We mapped the absorption of sunlight by sodium vapor in the exosphere of Mercury during the transit of Mercury on November 8, 2006, using the IBIS Interferometric BIdimensional Spectrometer at the Dunn Solar Telescope operated by the National Solar Observatory at Sunspot, New Mexico. The measurements were reduced to line-of-sight equivalent widths for absorption at the sodium D2 line around the shadow of Mercury. The sodium absorption fell off exponentially with altitude up to about 600 km. However there were regions around north and south polar-regions where relatively uniform sodium absorptions extended above 1000 km. We corrected the 0-600 km altitude profiles for seeing blur using the measured point spread function. Analysis of the corrected altitude distributions yielded surface densities, zenith column densities, temperatures and scale heights for sodium all around the planet. Sodium absorption on the dawn side equatorial terminator was less than on the dusk side, different from previous observations of the relative absorption levels. We also determined Earthward velocities for sodium atoms, and line widths for the absorptions. Earthward velocities resulting from radiation pressure on sodium averaged 0.8 km/s, smaller than a prediction of 1.5 km/s. Most line widths were in the range of 20 mA after correction for instrumental broadening, corresponding to temperatures in the range of 1000 K.

A method for retrieving vertical ozone profiles from limb scattered measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zijun; Chen, Shengbo; Yang, Chunyan; Jin, Lihua

2011-10-01

A two-step method is employed in this study to retrieve vertical ozone profiles using scattered measurements from the limb of the atmosphere. The combination of the Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) and the Multiplicative Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (MART) is proposed. First, the limb radiance, measured over a range of tangent heights, is processed using the DOAS technique to recover the effective column densities of atmospheric ozone. Second, these effective column densities along the lines of sight (LOSs) are inverted using the MART coupled with a forward model SCIATRAN (radiative transfer model for SCIAMACHY) to derive the ozone profiles. This method is applied to Optical Spectrograph and Infra Red Imager System (OSIRIS) radiance, using the wavelength windows 571-617 nm. Vertical ozone profiles between 10 and 48 km are derived with a vertical resolution of 1 km. The results illustrate a good agreement with the cloud-free coincident SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) ozone measurements, with deviations less than ±10% (±5% for altitudes from 17 to 47 km). Furthermore, sensitivities of retrieved ozone to aerosol, cloud parameters and NO2 concentration are also investigated.

Gravity wave and tidal structures between 60 and 140 km inferred from space shuttle reentry data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fritts, David C.; Wang, Ding-Yi; Blanchard, Robert C.

1993-01-01

This study presents an analysis of density measurements made using high-resolution accelerometers aboard several space shuttles at altitudes from 60 to 140 km during reentry into the earth's atmosphere. The observed density fluctuations are interpreted in terms of gravity waves and tides and provide evidence of the importance of such motions well into the thermosphere. Height profiles of fractional density variance reveal that wave amplitudes increase at a rate consistent with observations at lower levels up to about 90 km. The rate of amplitude growth decreases at greater heights, however, and appears to cease above about 110 km. Wave amplitudes are nevertheless large at these heights and suggest that gravity waves may play an important role in forcing of the lower thermosphere.

Applications of Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2005) Supporting Mission Site Selection for Mars Science Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, Hilary L.; Justus, Carl G.

2008-01-01

The Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2005) is an engineering level atmospheric model widely used for diverse mission applications. An overview is presented of Mars-GRAM 2005 and its new features. One new feature of Mars-GRAM 2005 is the 'auxiliary profile' option. In this option, an input file of temperature and density versus altitude is used to replace mean atmospheric values from Mars-GRAM's conventional (General Circulation Model) climatology. An auxiliary profile can be generated from any source of data or alternate model output. Auxiliary profiles for this study were produced from mesoscale model output (Southwest Research Institute's Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS) model and Oregon State University's Mars mesoscale model (MMM5)model) and a global Thermal Emission Spectrometer(TES) database. The global TES database has been specifically generated for purposes of making Mars-GRAM auxiliary profiles. This data base contains averages and standard deviations of temperature, density, and thermal wind components,averaged over 5-by-5 degree latitude-longitude bins and 15 degree L(s) bins, for each of three Mars years of TES nadir data. Results are presented using auxiliary profiles produced from the mesoscale model output and TES observed data for candidate Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) landing sites. Input parameters rpscale (for density perturbations) and rwscale (for wind perturbations) can be used to "recalibrate" Mars-GRAM perturbation magnitudes to better replicate observed or mesoscale model variability.

Variation of the shower lateral spread with air temperature at the ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilczyńska, B.; Engel, R.; Homola, P.; Keilhauer, B.; Klages, H.; Pękala, J.; Wilczyński, H.

The vertical profile of air density at a given site varies considerably with time. Well understood seasonal differences are present, but sizeable effects on shorter time scales, like day to night or day to day variations, are also observed. In consequence, the Moliere radius changes, influencing the lateral distribution of particles in the air showers and therefore may influence the shower detection in surface detector arrays. In air shower reconstruction, usually seasonal average profiles of the atmosphere are used, because local daily measurements of the profile are rarely available. Therefore, the daily fluctuations of the atmosphere are not accounted for. This simplification increases the inaccuracies of shower reconstruction. We show that a universal correlation exists between the ground temperature and the shape of the atmospheric profile, up to altitudes of several kilometers, hence providing a method to reduce inaccuracies in shower reconstruction due to weather variation.

Ionospheric Measurements Using Environmental Sampling Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourdeau, R. E.; Jackson, J. E.; Kane, J. A.; Serbu, G. P.

1960-01-01

Two rockets were flown to peak altitudes of 220 km in September 1959 to test various methods planned for future measurements of ionization parameters in the ionosphere, exosphere, and interplanetary plasma. The experiments used techniques which sample the ambient environment in the immediate vicinity of the research vehicle. Direct methods were chosen since indirect propagation techniques do not provide the temperatures of charged particles, are insensitive to ion densities, and cannot measure local electron densities under all conditions. Very encouraging results have been obtained from a preliminary analysis of data provided by one of the two flights. A new rf probe technique was successfully used to determine the electron density profile. This was indicated by its agreement with the results of a companion cw propagation experiment, particularly when the probe data were corrected for the effects of the ion sheath which surrounds the vehicle. The characteristics of this sheath were determined directly in flight by an electric field meter which provided the sheath field, and by a Langmuir probe which measured the total potential across the sheath. The electron temperatures deduced from the Langmuir probe data are greater than the neutral gas temperatures previously measured for the same location and season, but these measurements possibly were taken under different atmospheric conditions. Ion densities were calculated from the ion trap data for several altitudes ranging from 130 to 210 km and were found to be within 20 percent of the measured electron densities.

Long-Term Periodicity of the Mars Exospheric Density from MRO and Mars Odyssey Radio Tracking Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genova, A.; Goossens, S. J.; Lemoine, F. G.; Mazarico, E.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2014-12-01

The Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) missions have collected more than 11 years of continuous tracking data of spacecraft in orbit around Mars. The radio science data are generally used to determine the static and seasonal gravity field of the central body. However, these two spacecraft are in different sun-synchronous orbits that cover a wide range of altitudes (250-410 km) where investigation of the atmosphere and climate of Mars so far have not been supported by in situ and remote sensing measurements. The drag perturbation acting on the probes provides indirect measurements of the Martian atmospheric density. Therefore, we focused our work on the determination of the long-term periodicity of the atmospheric constituents in the Mars exosphere with Mars Odyssey and MRO radio tracking data. We implemented the Drag Temperature Model (DTM) -Mars model into our Precise Orbit Determination (POD) program GEODYN-II to adequately reproduce variations in temperature and (partial) density along ODY and MRO trajectories. The recovery of Mars' atmospheric dynamics using Doppler tracking data requires the accurate modeling of all forces acting on the spacecraft. The main non-conservative force, apart from drag, is solar radiation pressure. Spacecraft panel reflectivities and the radiation pressure-scaling factor are not estimated, but we adjusted empirical once-per-revolution along-track periodic accelerations (cosine and sine) over each orbital arc to mitigate solar radiation pressure mismodeling. After converging the orbital data arcs, and editing out all the data during superior conjunctions, we combined the MRO and Mars Odyssey arcs in a global solution where we estimated spacecraft initial states, time-correlated drag scale factors, and annual and semi-annual variability of the major constituents in the Mars upper atmosphere. We will show that the updated DTM-Mars model provides a better prediction of the long-term variability of the dominant species, which are CO2, O, and He at the MRO and ODY orbit altitudes. The indirect measurements of atmospheric density profiles at those altitudes provide additional information to improve general circulation models, which already suitably represent lower altitudes in the atmosphere.

Results of rocket measurements of D-region ionization over Thumba in MAP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakrabarty, D. K.; Beig, G.; Garg, S. C.; Subrahmanyam, P.; Zalpuri, K. S.; Somayajulu, Y. V.; Rao, M. N. M.; Tandel, C. B.; Murlikrishna, T. R.

1989-01-01

Under MAP, two rockets were launched from Thumba (8.5 N, 76.8 E) around 1030 hrs Lt with identical payloads on 7 and 10 March 1986 for D region studies. Positive ion densities were measured by spherical probe and Gerdien condenser and electron densities were measured by Langmuir probe and propagation experiments. In both flights a valley in ionization height profile was noticed around 83 km. The density of ionization at this altitude was about 4 x 10(2) cu cm. A detailed positive ion-chemical scheme was used to reproduce the measured ionization height profiles. The density of NO needed to reproduce the valley in ionization at 83 km came around 5 x 10(5) cu cm. A photochemical treatment without diffusion process was found inadequate to explain this value of NO. Calculations showed that the value of vertical eddy diffusion needed to reproduce the value of NO was around 10(6)sq cm/s. Interestingly, the same value of eddy diffusion coefficient was obtained when derived in the manner described by Thrane and his coworkers using only the positive ion current data of spherical probes.

Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in Colombia and the influence of topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aranguren, D.; López, J.; Inampués, J.; Torres, H.; Betz, H.

2017-02-01

Lightning activity on the Colombian mountains, where the altitude varies from 0 to more than 5000 MSL, is studied based on VLF/LF lightning detection data and using a 2012-2013 dataset. The influence of altitude is observed by evaluating cloud-to-ground lightning incidence at different altitude intervals. The relationship between ground flash density and altitude gradient vectors is studied. Results show a clear dependence of the flash density on elevation.

Improved OSIRIS NO2 retrieval algorithm: description and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sioris, Christopher E.; Rieger, Landon A.; Lloyd, Nicholas D.; Bourassa, Adam E.; Roth, Chris Z.; Degenstein, Douglas A.; Camy-Peyret, Claude; Pfeilsticker, Klaus; Berthet, Gwenaël; Catoire, Valéry; Goutail, Florence; Pommereau, Jean-Pierre; McLinden, Chris A.

2017-03-01

A new retrieval algorithm for OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) profiles is described and validated. The algorithm relies on spectral fitting to obtain slant column densities of NO2, followed by inversion using an algebraic reconstruction technique and the SaskTran spherical radiative transfer model (RTM) to obtain vertical profiles of local number density. The validation covers different latitudes (tropical to polar), years (2002-2012), all seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn), different concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (from denoxified polar vortex to polar summer), a range of solar zenith angles (68.6-90.5°), and altitudes between 10.5 and 39 km, thereby covering the full retrieval range of a typical OSIRIS NO2 profile. The use of a larger spectral fitting window than used in previous retrievals reduces retrieval uncertainties and the scatter in the retrieved profiles due to noisy radiances. Improvements are also demonstrated through the validation in terms of bias reduction at 15-17 km relative to the OSIRIS operational v3.0 algorithm. The diurnal variation of NO2 along the line of sight is included in a fully spherical multiple scattering RTM for the first time. Using this forward model with built-in photochemistry, the scatter of the differences relative to the correlative balloon NO2 profile data is reduced.

Venus mesospheric sulfur dioxide measurement retrieved from SOIR on board Venus Express

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahieux, A.; Vandaele, A. C.; Robert, S.; Wilquet, V.; Drummond, R.; Chamberlain, S.; Belyaev, D.; Bertaux, J. L.

2015-08-01

SOIR on board Venus Express sounds the Venus upper atmosphere using the solar occultation technique. It detects the signature from many Venus atmosphere species, including those of SO2 and CO2. SO2 has a weak absorption structure at 4 μm, from which number density profiles are regularly inferred. SO2 volume mixing ratios (VMR) are calculated from the total number density that are also derived from the SOIR measurements. This work is an update of the previous work by Belyaev et al. (2012), considering the SO2 profiles on a broader altitude range, from 65 to 85 km. Positive detection VMR profiles are presented. In 68% of the occultation spectral datasets, SO2 is detected. The SO2 VMR profiles show a large variability up to two orders of magnitude, on a short term time scales. We present mean VMR profiles for various bins of latitudes, and study the latitudinal variations; the mean latitude variations are much smaller than the short term temporal variations. A permanent minimum showing a weak latitudinal structure is observed. Long term temporal trends are also considered and discussed. The trend observed by Marcq et al. (2013) is not observed in this dataset. Our results are compared to literature data and generally show a good agreement.

Retrieval of thermospheric atomic oxygen, nitrogen and temperature from the 732 NM emission measured by the ISO on ATLAS 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fennelly, Judy A.; Torr, Douglas G.; Torr, Marsha R.; Richards, Phillip G.; Yung, Sopo

1993-01-01

The Imaging Spectrometric Observatory (ISO) was a part of the ATLAS 1 Mission flown on the shuttle Atlantis from March 24 to April 2, 1992. During limb scanning operations, the ISO measured the O+(2P) ion emission at 732 nm. We have used a numerical inversion technique to retrieve thermospheric atomic oxygen, molecular nitrogen and temperature profiles. These preliminary results indicate a lower thermospheric temperature cooler than that predicted by MSIS for the solar conditions during the mission. Although the densities agree at low altitudes, the reduced scale height produces O and N2 densities 25 percent lower than the MSIS at 300 km.

An adaptive guidance algorithm for an aerodynamically assisted orbital plane change maneuver. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blissit, J. A.

1986-01-01

Using analysis results from the post trajectory optimization program, an adaptive guidance algorithm is developed to compensate for density, aerodynamic and thrust perturbations during an atmospheric orbital plane change maneuver. The maneuver offers increased mission flexibility along with potential fuel savings for future reentry vehicles. Although designed to guide a proposed NASA Entry Research Vehicle, the algorithm is sufficiently generic for a range of future entry vehicles. The plane change analysis provides insight suggesting a straight-forward algorithm based on an optimized nominal command profile. Bank angle, angle of attack, and engine thrust level, ignition and cutoff times are modulated to adjust the vehicle's trajectory to achieve the desired end-conditions. A performance evaluation of the scheme demonstrates a capability to guide to within 0.05 degrees of the desired plane change and five nautical miles of the desired apogee altitude while maintaining heating constraints. The algorithm is tested under off-nominal conditions of + or -30% density biases, two density profile models, + or -15% aerodynamic uncertainty, and a 33% thrust loss and for various combinations of these conditions.

All Recent Mars Landers Have Landed Downrange - Are Mars Atmosphere Models Mis-Predicting Density?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desai, Prasun N.

2008-01-01

All recent Mars landers (Mars Pathfinder, the two Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and the Mars Phoenix Lander) have landed further downrange than their pre-entry predictions. Mars Pathfinder landed 27 km downrange of its prediction [1], Spirit and Opportunity landed 13.4 km and 14.9 km, respectively, downrange from their predictions [2], and Phoenix landed 21 km downrange from its prediction [3]. Reconstruction of their entries revealed a lower density profile than the best a priori atmospheric model predictions. Do these results suggest that there is a systemic issue in present Mars atmosphere models that predict a higher density than observed on landing day? Spirit Landing: The landing location for Spirit was 13.4 km downrange of the prediction as shown in Fig. 1. The navigation errors upon Mars arrival were very small [2]. As such, the entry interface conditions were not responsible for this downrange landing. Consequently, experiencing a lower density during the entry was the underlying cause. The reconstructed density profile that Spirit experienced is shown in Fig. 2, which is plotted as a fraction of the pre-entry baseline prediction that was used for all the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) design analyses. The reconstructed density is observed to be less dense throughout the descent reaching a maximum reduction of 15% at 21 km. This lower density corresponded to approximately a 1- low profile relative to the dispersions predicted. Nearly all the deceleration during the entry occurs within 10- 50 km. As such, prediction of density within this altitude band is most critical for entry flight dynamics analyses and design (e.g., aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic predictions, landing location, etc.).

Auroral zone effects on hydrogen geocorona structure and variability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, T. E.; Biddle, A. P.; Waite, J. H., Jr.; Killeen, T. L.

1985-01-01

The effect of diurnal and magnetospheric modulations on the structure of the hydrogen geocorona is analyzed on the basis of recent observations. Particular attention is given to the enhancement of neutral escape by plasma effects, including the recently observed phenomenon of low-altitude ion acceleration. It is found that, while significant fluxes of neutral H should be produced by transverse ion acceleration in the auroral zone, the process is probably insufficient to account for the observed polar depletion of hydrogen atoms. Analysis of recent exospheric temperature measurements from the Dynamics Explorer-2 satellite suggest that neutral heating in and near the high latitude cusp may be the major contributor to depleted atomic hydrogen densities at high latitudes. Altitude profiles of the production rates for escaping neutral hydrogen atoms during periods of maximum, minimum, and typical solar activity are provided.

Altitude Variation of the Plasmapause Signature in the Main Ionospheric Trough

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grebowsky, Joseph M.; Benson, Robert F.; Webb, Phillip A.; Truhlik, Vladimir; Bilitza, Dieter

2009-01-01

The projection of the plasmapause magnetic-field lines to low altitudes, where the light-ion chemistry is dominated by O(+), tends to occur near the minimum electron density in the main (midlatitude) electron density trough at night. With increasing attitude in the trough, where H(+) emerges as the dominant iota on the low-latitude boundary, we have found cases where the plasmapause field lines are located on the sharp low-Latitude side of the trough as expected if this topside ionosphere H(+) distribution varies in step with the plasmapause gradient in the distant plasmasphere. These conclusions are based on near-equatorial crossings of the plasmapause (corresponding to the steep gradient in the dominant species H(+) by the Explorer-45 satellite as determined from electric-field measurements by Maynard and Cauffman in the early 1970s and ISIS-2 ionospheric topside-sounder measurements. The former data have now been converted to digital form and made available at http://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov. The latter provide samples of nearly coincident observations of ionospheric main trough crossings near the same magnetic-field lines of the Explorer 45-determined equatorial plasmapause. The ISIS-2 vertical electron density profiles are used to infer where the F-region transitions from an O(+) to a H(+) dominated plasma through the main trough boundaries.

Study of solar flare induced D-region ionosphere changes using VLF amplitude observations at a low latitude site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, L. M.; Thu, N. N.; Ha, T. Q.; Marbouti, M.

2014-06-01

About 26 solar flare events from C2.56 to X3.2 classes were obtained and analyzed at Tay Nguyen University, Vietnam (12.56°N, 108.02°E) during May - December 2013 using very low frequency remote sensing to understand the responses of low latitude D-region ionosphere during solar flares. The observed VLF amplitude perturbations are used as the input parameters for the simulated Long Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) program, using Wait's model of lower ionosphere, to calculate two Wait's parameters, viz. the reflection height (H') and the sharpness factor (?). The results reveal that when X-ray irradiance is increased, ? increased from 0.3 to 0.506 km-1, while H' decreased from 74 to 60 km. The electron density increased at the height of 74 km with 1-3 orders of magnitude during solar flares. These phenomena can be explained as: the ionization due to X-ray irradiance becomes greater than that due to cosmic rays and Lyman-α radiation, which increases the electron density profile. The present results are in agreement with the earlier results. The 3D representation of the electron density changes with altitude and time supports to fully understand the shape of the electron density changes due to X-ray flares. The shape variation of electron density is roughly followed to the variation of the amplitude perturbation and keeps this rule for different altitudes. It is also found that the electron density versus the height in lower latitude D-region ionosphere increases more rapidly during solar flares.

Adaptation of aeronautical engines to high altitude flying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kutzbach, K

1923-01-01

Issues and techniques relative to the adaptation of aircraft engines to high altitude flight are discussed. Covered here are the limits of engine output, modifications and characteristics of high altitude engines, the influence of air density on the proportions of fuel mixtures, methods of varying the proportions of fuel mixtures, the automatic prevention of fuel waste, and the design and application of air pressure regulators to high altitude flying. Summary: 1. Limits of engine output. 2. High altitude engines. 3. Influence of air density on proportions of mixture. 4. Methods of varying proportions of mixture. 5. Automatic prevention of fuel waste. 6. Design and application of air pressure regulators to high altitude flying.

A Rocket Investigation of Mesospheric Eddy Diffusion Effects on Airglow and Oxygen Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulwick, James C.

2001-01-01

A Terrier Orion rocket was launched at 0750 Z on 02/25/98 about seven minutes after the Clemson University chemical release rocket. Measurements made of the electron density by a dc probe calibrated by a capacitance probe showed several layers of electron density on a rocket ascent in the altitude range from 90 to 110 km. Rocket descent results showed several but not all of the ascent structure. From power spectral analysis of the measured electron densities, turbulent parameters are derived Measurements were made on rocket ascent and descent by an infrared radiometer of the OH Meinel (3-1) band and O2 singlet delta emissions. Profiles of the emissions are presented and discussed on both rocket ascent and descent an enhancement of the OH emission monitored by the OH radiometer was observed above 90 km. The glow was not defected by the O2 radiometer and was significantly reduced on rocket descent. Using these data and a mechanistic analysis, a profile proportional to atomic oxygen is obtained. This profile is compared to one from the ATOX probe on the rocket. A one-dimensional (1-D) photochemical model that solves the time-dependent continuity equations is used with the rocket data to investigate the odd-oxygen concentration in the near equatorial mesosphere.

Comparison of SBUV and SAGE II ozone profiles: Implications for ozone trends

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcpeters, R. D.; Miles, T.; Flynn, L. E.; Wellemeyer, C. G.; Zawodny, J. M.

1994-01-01

Solar backscattered ultraviolet (SBUV) ozone profiles have been compared with Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II profiles over the period October 1984 through June 1990, when data are available from both instruments. SBUV measurements were selected to closely match the SAGE II latitude/longitude measurement pattern. There are significant differences between the SAGE II sunrise and the sunset zonal mean ozone profiles in the equatorial zone, particularly in the upper stratosphere, that may be connected with extreme SAGE II solar azimuth angles for tropical sunrise measurements. Calculation of the average sunset bias between SBUV and SAGE II ozone profiles shows that allowing for diurnal variation in Umkehr layer 10, SBUV and SAGE II agree to within +/- 5% for the entire stratosphere in the northern midlatitude zone. The worst agreement is seen at southern midlatitudes near the ozone peak (disagreements of +/- 10%), apparently the result of the SBUV ozone profile peaking at a lower altitude than SAGE. The integrated ozone columns (cumulative above 15 km) agree very well, to within +/- 2.3% in all zones for both sunset and sunrise measurements. A comparison of the time dependence of SBUV and SAGE II shows that there was less than +/- 5% relative drift over the 5.5 years for all altitudes except below 25 km, where the SBUV vertical resolution is poor. The best agreement with SAGE is seen in the integrated column ozone (cumulative above 15 km), where SAGE II has a 1% negative trend relative to SBUV over the comparison period. There is a persistent disagreement of the two instruments in Umkehr layers 9 and 10 of +/- 4% over the 5.5-year comparison period. In the equatorial zone this disagreement may be caused in part by a large positive trend (0.8 K per year) in the National Meteorologica Center temperatures used to convert the SAGE II measurement of ozone density versus altitude to a pressure scale for comparison with SBUV. In the middle stratosphere (30-40 km), SBUV shows a 2-4% negative drift relative to SAGE II. If the actual ozone trends are considered, SBUV and SAGE II agree in showing little ozone change (less than 2%) between 1984 and 1990, except in layer 3 where SAGE II measures a large ozone decrease. But over 11 years, SBUV measured a 7% per decade ozone decrease between 40 and 50 km, decreasing in magnitude at lower altitudes, in good agreement with 11-year trends derived from the average of 5 Umkehr stations.

Remote Sensing of the Upper Atmosphere and the Ionosphere in the Extreme and Far Ultraviolet: Results from the LITES Experiment aboard the IS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, S. C.; Chakrabarti, S.; Stephan, A. W.; Geddes, G.; Budzien, S. A.; Cook, T.; Aryal, S.; Martel, J.; Galkin, I. A.; Erickson, P. J.

2017-12-01

The Limb-Imaging Ionospheric and Thermospheric Extreme-ultraviolet Spectrograph (LITES) was launched as part of the Space Test Program Houston #5 (STP-H5) payload aboard a commercial resupply flight on February 19, 2017 and was subsequently installed on the International Space Station (ISS). LITES is an imaging spectrograph that spans the 60 - 140 nm wavelength range at 1 nm spectral resolution and samples tangent altitudes 150 - 350 km with 0.2° angular resolution. LITES, in combination with the GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometry - Colocated (GROUP-C) experiment, which includes a GPS receiver and a nadir viewing 135.6 nm photometer, jointly collect new information on the thermosphere and the ionosphere using simultaneous UV and radio emissions. LITES, which uses standard stars to perform in-flight calibration, observes altitude profiles of day and night airglow emissions that are being used to infer thermospheric and ionospheric density profiles. Furthermore, due to the inclination of the ISS, LITES has also observed auroral spectrum and their altitude and spatial variations. Finally, geomagnetic storm effects on its UV emissions can be used to remotely sense their effects on the upper atmospheric morphology. These ISS observations,which are complement to the upcoming ICON and GOLD NASA missions, are focused on ionosphere-atmosphere coupling and global-scale atmospheric response to space weather observed from higher altitudes . We will present an overview of the LITES instrument, some early results from the first few months of operations. We will also summarize the advantages in calibration and validation activities that are possible through space-based LITES, GROUP-C and stellar measurements and simultaneous ground-based optical and radar observations.

On the structure of the upper atmosphere of Mars according to data from experiments on the Viking space vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izakov, M. N.

1979-01-01

Altitude profiles of the concentrations of the atmospheric components measured by the on board mass spectrometers during the descent of Viking lander are discussed by assuming that temperature has a smoother profile, and the eddy mixing coefficients are smaller at altitudes of 120 to 170 km than those formally determined. The influence of acoustic gravitational waves and errors in measurements and calculations are discussed in relation to the convolutions in the altitude profiles of the concentrations of the atmospheric components and the temperature of the atmosphere.

Comparative atmosphere structure experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sommer, S.

1974-01-01

Atmospheric structure of outer planets as determined by pressure, temperature, and accelerometers is reviewed and results obtained from the PAET earth entry are given. In order to describe atmospheric structure, entry is divided into two regimes, high and low speed. Acceleration is then measured: from these measurements density is determined as a function of time. The equations of motion are integrated to determine velocity, flight path angle, and altitude as a function of time. Density is then determined as a function of altitude from the previous determinations of density and altitude as a function of time. Hydrostatic equilibrium was assumed to determine pressure as a function of altitude. Finally the equation of space applied to determine temperature as a function of altitude, if the mean molecular weight is known. The mean molecular weight is obtained independently from either the low speed experiment or from the composition experiments.

Voyager 2 radio science observations of the Uranian system Atmosphere, rings, and satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyler, G. L.; Eshleman, V. R.; Hinson, D. P.; Marouf, E. A.; Simpson, R. A.; Sweetnam, D. N.; Anderson, J. D.; Campbell, J. K.; Levy, G. S.; Lindal, G. F.

1986-01-01

The results of preliminary analyses of radio occultation data obtained by Voyager 2 as it passed Uranus are described. The occultations took place between 2-7 deg S latitude and yielded atmospheric temperature profiles between pressure levels of 10-900 mbar, an altitude range of 100 km. The mole fractions of hydrogen and helium in the tropopause were estimated, in conjunction with IR data, to about 0.85 and 0.10-0.20, respectively. Radio signal intensity data indicated the presence of a cloud deck of CH4 ice at a pressure level of 1300 mbar and a temperature of 81 K, implying a CH4 mole fraction of 0.02 at very low altitudes. The ionosphere extended upward, in two levels, to more than 10,000 km altitude. The ring system was different than the one around Saturn and possessed cylindrical substructures. The radio data also permitted mass density estimates for the five major moons, i.e., about 1.40 gr/cu cm, a value which rules out cometary origins.

Venus nighttime hydrogen bulge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinton, H. C.; Taylor, H. A., Jr.; Niemann, H. B.; Mayr, H. G.; Nagy, A. F.; Cravens, T. E.; Strobel, D. F.

1980-01-01

The concentration of atomic hydrogen in the Venus thermosphere near 165 km altitude and approximately 18 deg north latitude has been derived from Pioneer Venus in situ measurements of H(+), O(+), O and CO2 concentrations, under the assumption of chemical equilibrium. Altitude profiles of derived H concentration suggest that chemical equilibrium prevails to an altitude of at least 200 km on the dayside and to 165 km on the nightside. Measurements below these limits were made by the ion and neutral mass spectrometers on the orbiter spacecraft between December 1978 and July 1979, while periapsis traversed a complete diurnal cycle. The hydrogen concentration is found to rise sharply at both terminators from a dayside value of approximately 50,000/cu cm, and to exhibit an asymmetric nightside distribution with a peak density in the predawn sector approximately 400 times greater than the dayside value. Analysis suggests that wind-induced diffusion, combined with exospheric return flow, can account for the observed hydrogen behavior. The large day-night temperature contrast enhances advective transport, which produces the large H concentration diurnal variation; the shift of the H concentration nighttime maximum toward dawn is caused by atmospheric superrotation.

New Data on the Topside Electron Density Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Xue-Qin; Reinisch, Bodo; Bilitza, Dieter; Benson, Robert F.

2001-01-01

The existing uncertainties about the electron density profiles in the topside ionosphere, i.e., in the height region from hmF2 to approx. 2000 km, require the search for new data sources. The ISIS and Alouette topside sounder satellites from the sixties to the eighties recorded millions of ionograms and most were not analyzed in terms of electron density profiles. In recent years an effort started to digitize the analog recordings to prepare the ionograms for computerized analysis. As of November 2001 about 350,000 ionograms have been digitized from the original 7-track analog tapes. These data are available in binary and CDF format from the anonymous ftp site of the National Space Science Data Center. A search site and browse capabilities on CDAWeb assist the scientific usage of these data. All information and access links can be found at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/isis/isis-status.html. This paper describes the ISIS data restoration effort and shows how the digital ionograms are automatically processed into electron density profiles from satellite orbit altitude (1400 km for ISIS-2) down to the F peak. Because of the large volume of data an automated processing algorithm is imperative. The automatic topside ionogram scaler with true height algorithm TOPIST software developed for this task is successfully scaling approx.70 % of the ionograms. An 'editing process' is available to manually scale the more difficult ionograms. The automated processing of the digitized ISIS ionograms is now underway, producing a much-needed database of topside electron density profiles for ionospheric modeling covering more than one solar cycle. The ISIS data restoration efforts are supported through NASA's Applied Systems and Information Research Program.

On Spatial Structuring of the F2 Layer Studied by the Satellite Radio Sounding of the Ionosphere Disturbed by High-Power HF Radio Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tereshchenko, E. D.; Turyansky, V. A.; Khudukon, B. Z.; Yurik, R. Yu.; Frolov, V. L.

2018-01-01

We present the results of studying the characteristics of the artificial plasma structures excited in the ionospheric F2 region modified by high-power HF radio waves. The experiments were carried out at the Sura heating facility using satellite radio sounding of the ionosphere. The plasma density profile was reconstructed with the highest possible spatial resolution for today, about 4 km. In a direction close to the magnetic zenith of the pump wave, the following phenomena were observed: the formation of a cavity with a 15% lower plasma density at the altitudes of the F2 layer and below; the formation of an area with plasma density increased by 12% at altitudes greater than 400 km. With a long-term quasiperiodic impact of the pump wave on the ionosphere, wavy large-scale electron-density perturbations (the meridional scale λx ≈ 130 km and the vertical scale λz ≈ 440 km) are also formed above the Sura facility. These perturbations can be due to the plasma density modulation by an artificial acoustic-gravity wave with a period of 10.6 m, which was formed by the heat source inside a large-scale cavity with low plasma density; there is generation of the electron density irregularities for the electrons with ΔNe/Ne ≈ 3% in the form of layers having the sizes 10-12 km along and about 24 km across the geomagnetic field, which are found both below and above the F2-layer maximum. The mechanisms of the formation of these plasma structures are discussed.

Effect of geomagnetic storm conditions on the equatorial ionization anomaly and equatorial temperature anomaly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharti, Gaurav; Bag, T.; Sunil Krishna, M. V.

2018-03-01

The effect of the geomagnetic storm on the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) and equatorial temperature anomaly (ETA) has been studied using the atomic oxygen dayglow emissions at 577.7 nm (OI 557.7 nm) and 732.0 nm (OII 732.0 nm). For the purpose of this study, four intense geomagnetic storms during the ascending phase of solar cycle 24 have been considered. This study is primarily based on the results obtained using photochemical models with necessary inputs from theoretical studies and experimental observations. The latest reaction rate coefficients, quantum yields and the corresponding cross-sections have also been incorporated in these models. The volume emission rate of airglow emissions has been calculated using the neutral densities from NRLMSISE-00 and charged densities from IRI-2012 model. The modeled volume emission rate (VER) for OI 557.7 nm shows a positive correlation with the Dst index at 150 km and negative correlation with Dst at 250 and 280 km altitudes. Latitudinal profile of the greenline emission rate at different altitudes show a distinct behaviour similar to what has been observed in EIA with crests on either sides of the equator. The EIA crests are found to show poleward movement in the higher altitude regions. The volume emission rate of 732.0 nm emission shows a strong enhancement during the main phase of the storm. The changes observed in the airglow emission rates are explained with the help of variations induced in neutral densities and parameters related to EIA and ETA. The latitudinal variation of 732.0 nm emission rate is correlated to the variability in EIA during the storm period.

System for indicating fuel-efficient aircraft altitude

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, B. L. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

A method and apparatus are provided for indicating the altitude at which an aircraft should fly so the W/d ratio (weight of the aircraft divided by the density of air) more closely approaches the optimum W/d for the aircraft. A passive microwave radiometer on the aircraft is directed at different angles with respect to the horizon to determine the air temperature, and therefore the density of the air, at different altitudes. The weight of the aircraft is known. The altitude of the aircraft is changed to fly the aircraft at an altitude at which is W/d ratio more closely approaches the optimum W/d ratio for that aircraft.

Relative Density Anomalies Below 200 km as Observed by Aerodynamic Drag on Orbiting Rocket Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilinski, M.; Argrow, B.; Palo, S. E.

2011-12-01

We examine the geomagnetic latitude and local solar time dependence of density anomalies as observed by rocket bodies in highly eccentric orbits. Density anomalies are estimated by analyzing the fitted ballistic coefficients produced by the Air Force Space Command's High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model. Particularly, observations of rocket bodies with very low perigee altitudes allow for the examination of density anomalies between 105 km and 200 km altitudes. We evaluate the ability to extract coherent geophysical signals from this data set. Finally, a statistical comparison is made between the low altitude density anomalies and those observed by the CHAMP and GRACE satellites above 300 km. In particular, we search for density enhancements which may be associated with the dayside cusp region.

Alternative Determination of Density of the Titan Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Allan; Brown, Jay; Feldman, Antonette; Peer, Scott; Wamg. Eric

2009-01-01

An alternative has been developed to direct measurement for determining the density of the atmosphere of the Saturn moon Titan as a function of altitude. The basic idea is to deduce the density versus altitude from telemetric data indicative of the effects of aerodynamic torques on the attitude of the Cassini Saturn orbiter spacecraft as it flies past Titan at various altitudes. The Cassini onboard attitude-control software includes a component that can estimate three external per-axis torques exerted on the spacecraft. These estimates are available via telemetry.

Altitude profiles of total chlorinated paraffins in humus and spruce needles from the Alps (MONARPOP).

PubMed

Iozza, Saverio; Schmid, Peter; Oehme, Michael; Bassan, Rodolfo; Belis, Claudio; Jakobi, Gert; Kirchner, Manfred; Schramm, Karl-Werner; Kräuchi, Norbert; Moche, Wolfgang; Offenthaler, Ivo; Weiss, Peter; Simoncic, Primoz; Knoth, Wilhelm

2009-12-01

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are toxic, bioaccumulative, persistent, and ubiquitously present in the environment. CPs were analyzed in humus and needle samples, which were taken within the Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent and other Organic Pollutants (MONARPOP) at sampling sites of 7 different altitude profiles in the Alps. Gas chromatography combined with electron ionization tandem mass spectrometry (EI-MS/MS) was used for the determination of total CPs (sum of short, medium and long chain CPs). CPs were found in all samples; the concentrations varied between 7 and 199 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw) and within 26 and 460 ng g(-1) dw in humus and needle samples, respectively. A clear vertical tendency within the individual altitude profiles could not be ascertained. Within all altitude profiles, elevated concentrations were observed in humus samples taken between 700 and 900 m and between 1300 and 1500 m. In the needle samples no similar correlation could be observed due to higher variation of the data.

Temporal Behavior of Ammonia and Temperature in the Jovian Stratosphere following the SL9 Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostiuk, Ttheodor; Fast, K.; Livengood, T.; Buhl, D.; Espenak, F.; Romani, P.; Betz, A.; Boreiko, R.

1999-01-01

We will present new results in the study of temporal changes in ammonia (NH3) abundance, altitude distribution, and temperature in the stratosphere of Jupiter after the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact in 1994. Data obtained by Betz et al. (1994) using infrared heterodyne spectroscopy were analyzed using a newly developed beam integration radiative transfer code. The spectra are from six different impact regions and were acquired from hours to three weeks following the impact. The data consist of single NH3 stratospheric emission line profiles near 10 microns measured at a resolving power of approximately 10(exp 7). The true line profiles and the new radiative transfer program permitted the simultaneous retrieval of information on both the NH3 abundance and thermal structure as well as to set constraints on the altitude distribution of stratospheric ammonia. Retrieved column densities varied from approximately 10(exp 18) to 10(exp 16) over the three week period. Over the same time period the altitude of the emitting region varied from levels above the few mbar pressure region to below the 50 mbar pressure regions. Stratospheric temperatures hours after impact were approximately 220 K and about 8 days after impact returned to the quiescent levels (approximately 170-180 K). Results from this self-consistent set of measurements will be presented, compared to those from other measurements, and compared to theoretical retrievals from photochemical models for NH3 in the Jovian stratosphere.

SPICAM: studying the global structure and composition of the Martian atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertaux, J.-L.; Fonteyn, D.; Korablev, O.; Chassefre, E.; Dimarellis, E.; Dubois, J. P.; Hauchecorne, A.; Lefèvre, F.; Cabane, M.; Rannou, P.; Levasseur-Regourd, A. C.; Cernogora, G.; Quemerais, E.; Hermans, C.; Kockarts, G.; Lippens, C.; de Maziere, M.; Moreau, D.; Muller, C.; Neefs, E.; Simon, P. C.; Forget, F.; Hourdin, F.; Talagrand, O.; Moroz, V. I.; Rodin, A.; Sandel, B.; Stern, A.

2004-08-01

The SPICAM (SPectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars) instrument consists of two spectrometers. The UV spectrometer addresses key issues about ozone and its H2O coupling, aerosols, the atmospheric vertical temperature structure and the ionosphere. The IR spectrometer is aimed primarily at H2O and abundances and vertical profiling of H2O and aerosols. SPICAM's density/temperature profiles will aid the development of meteorological and dynamical atmospheric models from the surface up to 160 km altitude. UV observations of the upper atmosphere will study the ionosphere and its direct interaction with the solar wind. They will also allow a better understanding of escape mechanisms, crucial for insight into the long-term evolution of the atmosphere.

A Topside Equatorial Ionospheric Density and Composition Climatology During and After Extreme Solar Minimum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klenzing, J. H.; Simoes, F.; Ivanov, S.; Heelis, R. A.; Bilitza, D.; Pfaff, R. F.; Rowland, D. E.

2011-01-01

During the recent solar minimum, solar activity reached the lowest levels observed during the space age. This extremely low solar activity has accompanied a number of unexpected observations in the Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere when compared to previous solar minima. Among these are the fact that the ionosphere is significantly contracted beyond expectations based on empirical models. Climatological altitude profiles of ion density and composition measurements near the magnetic dip equator are constructed from the C/NOFS satellite to characterize the shape of the top side ionosphere during the recent solar minimum and into the new solar cycle. The variation of the profiles with respect to local time, season, and solar activity are compared to the IRI-2007 model. Building on initial results reported by Heelis et al. [2009], here we describe the extent of the contracted ionosphere, which is found to persist throughout 2009. The shape of the ionosphere during 2010 is found to be consistent with observations from previous solar minima.

Topside Equatorial Ionospheric Density and Composition During and After Extreme Solar Minimum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klenzing, J.; Simoes, F.; Ivanov, S.; Heelis, R. A.; Bilitza, D.; Pfaff, R.; Rowland, D.

2011-01-01

During the recent solar minimum, solar activity reached the lowest levels observed during the space age. This extremely low solar activity has accompanied a number of unexpected observations in the Earth s ionosphere-thermosphere system when compared to previous solar minima. Among these are the fact that the ionosphere is significantly contracted beyond expectations based on empirical models. Altitude profiles of ion density and composition measurements near the magnetic dip equator are constructed from the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (C/NOFS) satellite to characterize the shape of the topside ionosphere during the recent solar minimum and into the new solar cycle. The variation of the profiles with respect to local time, season, and solar activity are compared to the IRI-2007 model. Building on initial results reported by Heelis et al. (2009), here we describe the extent of the contracted ionosphere, which is found to persist throughout 2009. The shape of the ionosphere during 2010 is found to be consistent with observations from previous solar minima.

Ion Densities in the Nightside Ionosphere of Mars: Effects of Electron Impact Ionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girazian, Z.; Mahaffy, P.; Lillis, R. J.; Benna, M.; Elrod, M.; Fowler, C. M.; Mitchell, D. L.

2017-11-01

We use observations from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to show how superthermal electron fluxes and crustal magnetic fields affect ion densities in the nightside ionosphere of Mars. We find that due to electron impact ionization, high electron fluxes significantly increase the CO2+, O+, and O2+ densities below 200 km but only modestly increase the NO+ density. High electron fluxes also produce distinct peaks in the CO2+, O+, and O2+ altitude profiles. We also find that superthermal electron fluxes are smaller near strong crustal magnetic fields. Consequently, nightside ion densities are also smaller near strong crustal fields because they decay without being replenished by electron impact ionization. Furthermore, the NO+/O2+ ratio is enhanced near strong crustal fields because, in the absence of electron impact ionization, O2+ is converted into NO+ and not replenished. Our results show that electron impact ionization is a significant source of CO2+, O+, and O2+ in the nightside ionosphere of Mars.

Utilizing Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2005) to Evaluate Entry Probe Mission Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, Hilary L.; Justus, Carl G.

2008-01-01

The Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2005) is an engineering-level atmospheric model widely used for diverse mission applications. An overview is presented of Mars-GRAM 2005 and its new features. The "auxiliary profile" option is one new feature of Mars-GRAM 2005. This option uses an input file of temperature and density versus altitude to replace the mean atmospheric values from Mars-GRAM's conventional (General Circulation Model) climatology. Any source of data or alternate model output can be used to generate an auxiliary profile. Auxiliary profiles for this study were produced from mesoscale model output (Southwest Research Institute's Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (MRAMS) model and Oregon State University's Mars mesoscale model (MMM5) model) and a global Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) database. The global TES database has been specifically generated for purposes of making Mars-GRAM auxiliary profiles. This data base contains averages and standard deviations of temperature, density, and thermal wind components, averaged over 5-by-5 degree latitude-longitude bins and 15 degree Ls bins, for each of three Mars years of TES nadir data. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) sites are used as a sample of how Mars-GRAM' could be a valuable tool for planning of future Mars entry probe missions. Results are presented using auxiliary profiles produced from the mesoscale model output and TES observed data for candidate MSL landing sites. Input parameters rpscale (for density perturbations) and rwscale (for wind perturbations) can be used to "recalibrate" Mars-GRAM perturbation magnitudes to better replicate observed or mesoscale model variability.

Origin of refractive index fluctuations in the mesosphere as opposed to the stratosphere and troposphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rottger, J.

1983-01-01

Mesospheric echoes are strongly influenced by the electron density profile of the ionospheric D region. These echoes therefore are only observed during daylight hours or high energy particle precipitation. The turbulence occurs in layers, which often confines the radar echoes to rather thin regions of several 100 m vertical extent, although layers as thick as several kilometers are also observed. Evaluable echoes are not observed through the entire altitude region of the mesosphere for the given power aperture product. The echoes indicate temporal variation.

Variability of dayside electron temperature at Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahajan, K. K.; Ghosh, S.; Paul, R.; Hoegy, W. R.

1994-01-01

Langmuir probe measurements on Pioneer Venus Orbiter show that electron temperature (Te) profiles exhibit two distinct regions. The lower, but more extended region is in the main ionosphere where Te increases slowly with altitude. The other, less extended region is in the ionopause, where Te rise sharply with altitude. If horizontal magnetic fields and flux ropes in the ionosphere inhibit vertical thermal conductivity sufficiently, then the observed Te profile could be explained with EUV as the major heat source (Cravens et al., 1980). The rise in Te in the ionopause region has generally been attributed to solar wind heating (Brace and Kliore, 1991). We suggest that this sharp rise in Te is due primarily to the steep fall in electron density, Ne. If the heating rate is essentially unchanged and heat conduction is not of primary importance, then a steep rise in Te will maintain a constant electron cooling rate for a steeply falling Ne. We have observed large orbit to orbit variations in Te in the ionopause region which are found to be inversely related to changes in Ne. Variations in solar wind dynamic pressure do not seem to have a direct effect on Te, rather the effect is indirect coming through the sharp decrease in Ne.

Mercury's Seasonal Sodium Exosphere: MESSENGER Orbital Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassidy, Timothy A.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Burger, Matthew H.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.

2014-01-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury provides the first close-up look at the planet's sodium exosphere. UVVS has observed the exosphere from orbit almost daily for over 10 Mercury years. In this paper we describe and analyze a subset of these data: altitude profiles taken above the low-latitude dayside and south pole. The observations show spatial and temporal variation but there is little or no year-to-year variation; we do not see the episodic variability reported by ground-based observers. We used these altitude profiles to make estimates of sodium density and temperature. The bulk of the exosphere is about 1200 K, much warmer than Mercury's surface. This value is consistent with some ground-based measurements and suggests that photon-stimulated desorption is the primary ejection process. We also observe a tenuous energetic component but do not see evidence of the predicted thermalized (or partially thermalized) sodium near Mercury's surface temperature. Overall we do not see the variable mixture of temperatures predicted by most Monte Carlo models of the exosphere.

Mercury's Seasonal Sodium Exosphere: MESSENGER Orbital Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassidy, Timothy A.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Sarantos, Menelaos

2014-01-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury provides the first close-up look at the planet's sodium exosphere. UVVS has observed the exosphere from orbit almost daily for over 10 Mercury years. In this paper we describe and analyze a subset of these data: altitude profiles taken above the low-latitude dayside and south pole. The observations show spatial and temporal variations, but there are no obvious year-to-year variations in most of the observations. We do not see the episodic variability reported by some ground-based observers. We used these altitude profiles to make estimates of sodium density and temperature. The bulk of the exosphere, at about 1200 K, is much warmer than Mercury's surface. This value is consistent with some ground-based measurements and suggests that photon-stimulated desorption is the primary ejection process. We also observe a tenuous energetic component but do not see evidence of the predicted thermalized (or partially thermalized) sodium near Mercury's surface temperature. Overall we do not see the variable mixture of temperatures predicted by most Monte Carlo models of the exosphere.

A Compendium of Wind Statistics and Models for the NASA Space Shuttle and Other Aerospace Vehicle Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, O. E.; Adelfang, S. I.

1998-01-01

The wind profile with all of its variations with respect to altitude has been, is now, and will continue to be important for aerospace vehicle design and operations. Wind profile databases and models are used for the vehicle ascent flight design for structural wind loading, flight control systems, performance analysis, and launch operations. This report presents the evolution of wind statistics and wind models from the empirical scalar wind profile model established for the Saturn Program through the development of the vector wind profile model used for the Space Shuttle design to the variations of this wind modeling concept for the X-33 program. Because wind is a vector quantity, the vector wind models use the rigorous mathematical probability properties of the multivariate normal probability distribution. When the vehicle ascent steering commands (ascent guidance) are wind biased to the wind profile measured on the day-of-launch, ascent structural wind loads are reduced and launch probability is increased. This wind load alleviation technique is recommended in the initial phase of vehicle development. The vehicle must fly through the largest load allowable versus altitude to achieve its mission. The Gumbel extreme value probability distribution is used to obtain the probability of exceeding (or not exceeding) the load allowable. The time conditional probability function is derived from the Gumbel bivariate extreme value distribution. This time conditional function is used for calculation of wind loads persistence increments using 3.5-hour Jimsphere wind pairs. These increments are used to protect the commit-to-launch decision. Other topics presented include the Shuttle Shuttle load-response to smoothed wind profiles, a new gust model, and advancements in wind profile measuring systems. From the lessons learned and knowledge gained from past vehicle programs, the development of future launch vehicles can be accelerated. However, new vehicle programs by their very nature will require specialized support for new databases and analyses for wind, atmospheric parameters (pressure, temperature, and density versus altitude), and weather. It is for this reason that project managers are encouraged to collaborate with natural environment specialists early in the conceptual design phase. Such action will give the lead time necessary to meet the natural environment design and operational requirements, and thus, reduce development costs.

Lidar observations of wave-like structure in the atmospheric sodium layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowlett, J. R.; Gardner, C. S.; Richter, E. S.; Sechrist, C. F., Jr.

1978-01-01

The University of Illinois (Urbana) lidar system has been developed to study the atmospheric sodium layer near 90 km altitude through the mechanism of resonance scattering. The photocount data are processed using digital smoothing filters to obtain continuous estimates of the sodium density versus altitude. The filter cutoff frequency is related to the height resolution and accuracy of the estimated profile. Lidar photocount data processed using this filtering technique show wave-like structures in the sodium layer which move downward with time. The waves have typical wavelengths of 3-15 km and phase velocities of less than 1 m/sec. The movement of these structures seems to be independent of the motion of the bottomside of the layer, which also has been observed to move up or down by as much as 2 km over a period of a few hours.

Gas release and conductivity modification studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linson, L. M.; Baxter, D. C.

1979-01-01

The behavior of gas clouds produced by releases from orbital velocity in either a point release or venting mode is described by the modification of snowplow equations valid in an intermediate altitude regime. Quantitative estimates are produced for the time dependence of the radius of the cloud, the average internal energy, the translational velocity, and the distance traveled. The dependence of these quantities on the assumed density profile, the internal energy of the gas, and the ratio of specific heats is examined. The new feature is the inclusion of the effect of the large orbital velocity. The resulting gas cloud models are used to calculate the characteristics of the field line integrated Pedersen conductivity enhancements that would be produced by the release of barium thermite at orbital velocity in either the point release or venting modes as a function of release altitude and chemical payload weight.

The Plasma Environment Associated With Equatorial Ionospheric Irregularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Jonathon M.; Heelis, R. A.

2018-02-01

We examine the density structure of equatorial depletions referred to here as equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). Data recorded by the Ion Velocity Meter as part of the Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamics Investigation (CINDI) aboard the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite are used to study EPBs from 1600 to 0600 h local time at altitudes from 350 to 850 km. The data are taken during the 7 years from 2008 to 2014, more than one half of a magnetic solar cycle, that include solar minimum and a moderate solar maximum. Using a rolling ball algorithm, EPBs are identified by profiles in the plasma density, each having a depth measured as the percent change between the background and minimum density (ΔN/N). During solar moderate activity bubbles observed in the topside postsunset sector are more likely to have large depths compared to those observed in the topside postmidnight sector. Large bubble depths can be observed near 350 km in the bottomside F region in the postsunset period. Conversely at solar minimum the distribution of depths is similar in the postsunset and postmidnight sectors in all longitude sectors. Deep bubbles are rarely observed in the topside postsunset sector and never in the bottomside above 400 km in altitude. We suggest that these features result from the vertical drift of the plasma for these two solar activity levels. These drift conditions affect both the background density in which bubbles are embedded and the growth rate of perturbations in the bottomside where bubbles originate.

Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiments 1 and 2: Comparisons with ozonesondes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veiga, Robert E.; Cunnold, Derek M.; Chu, William P.; McCormick, M. Patrick

1995-01-01

Ozone profiles measured by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiments (SAGE) 1 and 2 are compared with ozonesonde profiles at 24 stations over the period extending from 1979 through 1991. Ozonesonde/satellite differences at 21 stations with SAGE 2 overpasses were computed down to 11.5 km in midlatitudes, to 15.5 km in the lower latitudes, and for nine stations with SAGE 1 overpasses down to 15.5 km. The set of individual satellite and ozonesonde profile comparisons most closely colocated in time and space shows mean absolute differences relative to the satellite measurement of 6 +/- 2% for SAGE 2 and 8 +/- 3% for SAGE 1. The ensemble of ozonesonde/satellite differences, when averaged over all altitudes, shows that for SAGE 2, 70% were less than 5%, whereas for SAGE 1, 50% were less than 5%. The best agreement occurred in the altitude region near the ozone density maximum where almost all the relative differences were less than 5%. Most of the statistically significant differences occurred below the ozone maximum down to the tropopause in the region of steepest ozone gradients and typically ranged between 0 and -20%. Correlations between ozone and aerosol extinction in the northern midlatitudes indicate that aerosols had no discernible impact on the ozonesonde/satellite differences and on the SAGE 2 ozone retrieval for the levels of extinction encountered in the lower stratosphere during 1984 to mid-1991.

Climatology and trends of mesospheric (58-90) temperatures based upon 1982-1986 SME limb scattering profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancy, R. Todd; Rusch, David W.

1989-01-01

Atmospheric temperature profiles for the altitude range 58-90 km were calculated using data on global UV limb radiances from the SME satellite. The major elements of this climatology include a high vertical resolution (about 4 km) and the coverage of the 70-90 km altitude region. The analysis of this extensive data set provides a global definition of mesospheric-lower thermospheric temperature trends over the 1982-1986 period. The observations suggest a pattern of 1-2 K/year decreases in temperatures at 80-90-km altitudes accompanied by 0.5-1.5 K/year increases in temperatures at 65-80-km altitudes.

Preliminary Results of the Determination of Inlet-Pressure Distortion Effects on Compressor Stall and Altitude Operating Limits of the J57-P-1 Turbojet Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallner, L. E.; Lubick, R. J.; Chelko, L. J.

1955-01-01

During an investigation of the J57-P-1 turbojet engine in the Lewis altitude wind tunnel, effects of inlet-flow distortion on engine stall characteristics and operating limits were determined. In addition to a uniform inlet-flow profile, the inlet-pressure distortions imposed included two radial, two circumferential, and one combined radial-circumferential profile. Data were obtained over a range of compressor speeds at an altitude of 50,000 and a flight Mach number of 0.8; in addition, the high- and low-speed engine operating limits were investigated up to the maximum operable altitude. The effect of changing the compressor bleed position on the stall and operating limits was determined for one of the inlet distortions. The circumferential distortions lowered the compressor stall pressure ratios; this resulted in less fuel-flow margin between steady-state operation and compressor stall. Consequently, the altitude operating Limits with circumferential distortions were reduced compared with the uniform inlet profile. Radial inlet-pressure distortions increased the pressure ratio required for compressor stall over that obtained with uniform inlet flow; this resulted in higher altitude operating limits. Likewise, the stall-limit fuel flows required with the radial inlet-pressure distortions were considerably higher than those obtained with the uniform inlet-pressure profile. A combined radial-circumferential inlet distortion had effects on the engine similar to the circumferential distortion. Bleeding air between the two compressors eliminated the low-speed stall limit and thus permitted higher altitude operation than was possible without compressor bleed.

The deep atmosphere of Venus and the possible role of density-driven separation of CO2 and N2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebonnois, Sebastien; Schubert, Gerald

2017-07-01

With temperatures around 700 K and pressures of around 75 bar, the deepest 12 km of the atmosphere of Venus are so hot and dense that the atmosphere behaves like a supercritical fluid. The Soviet VeGa-2 probe descended through the atmosphere in 1985 and obtained the only reliable temperature profile for the deep Venusian atmosphere thus far. In this temperature profile, the atmosphere appears to be highly unstable at altitudes below 7 km, contrary to expectations. We argue that the VeGa-2 temperature profile could be explained by a change in the atmospheric gas composition, and thus molecular mass, with depth. We propose that the deep atmosphere consists of a non-homogeneous layer in which the abundance of N2--the second most abundant constituent of the Venusian atmosphere after CO2--gradually decreases to near-zero at the surface. It is difficult to explain a decline in N2 towards the surface with known nitrogen sources and sinks for Venus. Instead we suggest, partly based on experiments on supercritical fluids, that density-driven separation of N2 from CO2 can occur under the high pressures of Venus's deep atmosphere, possibly by molecular diffusion, or by natural density-driven convection. If so, the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere of Venus is 15% lower than commonly assumed. We suggest that similar density-driven separation could occur in other massive planetary atmospheres.

Space Station Freedom altitude strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdonald, Brian M.; Teplitz, Scott B.

1990-01-01

The Space Station Freedom (SSF) altitude strategy provides guidelines and assumptions to determine an altitude profile for Freedom. The process for determining an altitude profile incorporates several factors such as where the Space Shuttle will rendezvous with the SSF, when reboosts must occur, and what atmospheric conditions exist causing decay. The altitude strategy has an influence on all areas of SSF development and mission planning. The altitude strategy directly affects the micro-gravity environment for experiments, propulsion and control system sizing, and Space Shuttle delivery manifests. Indirectly the altitude strategy influences almost every system and operation within the Space Station Program. Evolution of the SSF altitude strategy has been a very dynamic process over the past few years. Each altitude strategy in turn has emphasized a different consideration. Examples include a constant Space Shuttle rendezvous altitude for mission planning simplicity, or constant micro-gravity levels with its inherent emphasis on payloads, or lifetime altitudes to provide a safety buffer to loss of control conditions. Currently a new altitude strategy is in development. This altitude strategy will emphasize Space Shuttle delivery optimization. Since propellant is counted against Space Shuttle payload-to-orbit capacity, lowering the rendezvous altitude will not always increase the net payload-to-orbit, since more propellant would be required for reboost. This altitude strategy will also consider altitude biases to account for Space Shuttle launch slips and an unexpected worsening of atmospheric conditions. Safety concerns will define a lower operational altitude limit, while radiation levels will define upper altitude constraints. The evolution of past and current SSF altitude strategies and the development of a new altitude strategy which focuses on operational issues as opposed to design are discussed.

Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Microwave Pulse Propagation in Air Breakdown Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, S. P.; Kim, J.

1991-01-01

Numerical simulation is used to investigate the extent of the electron density at a distant altitude location which can be generated by a high-power ground-transmitted microwave pulse. This is done by varying the power, width, shape, and carrier frequency of the pulse. The results show that once the breakdown threshold field is exceeded in the region below the desired altitude location, electron density starts to build up in that region through cascading breakdown. The generated plasma attenuates the pulse energy (tail erosion) and thus deteriorates the energy transmission to the destined altitude. The electron density saturates at a level limited by the pulse width and the tail erosion process. As the pulse continues to travel upward, though the breakdown threshold field of the background air decreases, the pulse energy (width) is reduced more severely by the tail erosion process. Thus, the electron density grows more quickly at the higher altitude, but saturates at a lower level. Consequently, the maximum electron density produced by a single pulse at 50 km altitude, for instance, is limited to a value below 10(exp 6) cm(exp -3). Three different approaches are examined to determine if the ionization at the destined location can be improved: a repetitive pulse approach, a focused pulse approach, and two intersecting beams. Only the intersecting beam approach is found to be practical for generating the desired density level.

Investigation of the Electron Density Variation During the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinisch, B. W.; Dandenault, P. B.; Galkin, I. A.; Hamel, R.; Richards, P. G.

2018-02-01

This paper presents a comparison of modeled and measured electron densities for the 21 August 2017 solar eclipse across the USA. The location of the instrument was (43.81°N, 247.32°E) where the maximum obscuration of 99.6% occurred at 17.53 hr UT on 21 August. The solar apparent time was 9.96 hr, and the duration of the eclipse was 2.7 hr. It was found that if it is assumed that there are no chromosphere emissions at totality, 30% coronal emission remaining at totality gave the best fit to the electron density variation at 150 km. The 30% coronal emission estimate has uncertainties associated with respect to uncertainties in the solar spectrum, the measured electron density, and the amount of chromosphere emissions remaining at totality. The agreement between the modeled and measured electron densities is excellent at 150 km with the assumed 30% coronal emission at totality. At other altitudes, the agreement is very good, but the altitude profile would be improved if the model peak electron density (NmF2) decayed more slowly to better match the data. The minimum NmF2 in the model occurs 10 min after totality when it decreases to 0.55 from its noneclipse value. The minimum of the NmF2 data occurs between 6 and 10 min after totality but is 15% larger. The total electron content decreases to 0.65 of its preeclipse value. These relative changes agree well with those predicted by others prior to the eclipse.

O+ trough zones in the polar cap ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horwitz, James; Zeng, Wen; Jaafari, Fajer

Regions of low-density troughs in O+ have been observed at 1 RE altitude in the polar cap ionosphere-magnetosphere region by the Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment(TIDE) on the POLAR spacecraft. In this presentation, the UT Arlington Dynamic Fluid-Kinetic (DyFK) code is employed to investigate the formation of such O+ density troughs. We utilize convection paths of flux tubes in the high-latitude region as prescribed by an empirical convection model with solar wind inputs to track the evolution of ionospheric plasma transport and in particular O+ densities along these tubes with time/space. The flux tubes are subjected to auroral processes of precipitation and wave-driven ion heating when they pass through the auroral oval, which tends to elevate the plasma densities in these tubes. When the F-regions of such tubes traverse locations where the F-region is in darkness, recombination there causes the higher-altitude regions to drain and the densities to decline throughout. Owing to the varying effects of these processes, significant and low trough-like densities at higher altitudes developed along these flux tubes. The modeled densities near 6000 km altitudes will be compared with multiple POLAR passes featuring POLAR/TIDE-measured O+ densities for inside and outside of such trough regions.

Intercomparison between ozone profiles measured above Spitsbergen by lidar and sonde techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabian, Rolf; Vondergathen, Peter; Ehlers, J.; Krueger, Bernd C.; Neuber, Roland; Beyerle, Georg

1994-01-01

This paper compares coincident ozone profile measurements by electrochemical sondes and lidar performed at Ny-Alesund/Spitsbergen. A detailed height dependent statistical analysis of the differences between these complementary methods was performed for the overlapping altitude region (13-35 km). The data set comprises ozone profile measurements conducted between Jan. 1989 and Jan. 1991. Differences of up to 25 percent were found above 30 km altitude.

The Effect of Residing Altitude on Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: A Pilot Study From the Omani Arab Population.

PubMed

Al Riyami, Nafila B; Banerjee, Yajnavalka; Al-Waili, Khalid; Rizvi, Syed G; Al-Yahyaee, Said; Hassan, Mohammed O; Albarwani, Sulayma; Al-Rasadi, Khalid; Bayoumi, Riad A

2015-07-01

Lower mortality rates from coronary heart disease and higher levels of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been observed in populations residing at high altitude. However, this effect has not been investigated in Arab populations, which exhibit considerable genetic homogeneity. We assessed the relationship between residing altitude and HDL-C in 2 genetically similar Omani Arab populations residing at different altitudes. The association between the levels of HDL-C and other metabolic parameters was also investigated. The levels of HDL-C were significantly higher in the high-altitude group compared with the low-altitude group. Stepwise regression analysis showed that altitude was the most significant factor affecting HDL-C, followed by gender, serum triglycerides, and finally the 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose. This finding is consistent with previously published studies from other populations and should be taken into consideration when comparing cardiovascular risk factors in populations residing at different altitudes. © The Author(s) 2014.

A model study of the vertical distributions and escape fluxes of the major and minor species in Titan's thermosphere under different conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Jen-Kai; Liang, Mao-Chang; Ip, Wing-Huen

2017-04-01

From the measurements of the Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) on the Cassini spacecraft at different close encounters with Titan, it is know that the vertical temperature profile and density distributions of N2, CH4, H2 and other species could have large variations which might be driven by environmental effects such as solar radiation and magnetospheric interaction. For example, the atmospheric temperature as determined from the N2 density profiles can vary between 120 K and 175 K. Following the treatment of Li et al. (PSS, 104 (2014) 48-58) by applying a non-monotonic eddy diffusivity profile, we compute the vertical distributions of different species between Titan's surface to 2000 km altitude, for a range of atmospheric temperatures. Intercomparison between the model results and observations leads to better understanding of the production mechanisms of the minor species like C2H2, C2H4, C2H6 and others, all important to the hydrocarbon budgets of Titan's atmosphere and surface, respectively. Furthermore, such detailed photochemical calculations will also yield accurate estimates of the escape fluxes of H, H2 and CH4 into the circum-planetary region.

Correction of Electron Density Profiles in the Low Ionosphere Based on the Data of Vertical Sounding with the IRI Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denisenko, P. F.; Maltseva, O. A.; Sotsky, V. V.

2018-03-01

The method of correcting the daytime vertical profiles of electron plasma frequency in the low ionosphere from International Refererence Ionosphere (IRI) model in accordance with the measured data of the virtual heights and absorption of signal radiowaves (method A1) reflected from the bottom of E-region at vertical sounding (VS) is presented. The method is based on the replacement of the IRI model profile by an approximation of analytical dependence with parameters determined according to VS data and partially by the IRI model. The method is tested by the results of four joint ground-based and rocket experiments carried out in the 1970s at midlatitudes of the European part of Russia upon the launches of high-altitude geophysical rockets of the Vertical series. It is shown that the consideration of both virtual reflection heigths and absorption makes it possible to obtain electron density distributions that show the best agreement with the rocket measurements made at most height ranges in the D- and E-regions. In additional, the obtained distributions account more adequately than the IRI model for the contributions of D- and E-regions to absorption of signals reflected above these regions.

Aerodynamic characteristics of the upper stages of a launch vehicle in low-density regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Bum Seok; Lee, Joon Ho

2016-11-01

Aerodynamic characteristics of the orbital block (remaining configuration after separation of nose fairing and 1st and 2nd stages of the launch vehicle) and the upper 2-3stage (configuration after separation of 1st stage) of the 3 stages launch vehicle (KSLV-II, Korea Space Launch Vehicle) at high altitude of low-density regime are analyzed by SMILE code which is based on DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte-Carlo) method. To validating of the SMILE code, coefficients of axial force and normal forces of Apollo capsule are also calculated and the results agree very well with the data predicted by others. For the additional validations and applications of the DSMC code, aerodynamic calculation results of simple shapes of plate and wedge in low-density regime are also introduced. Generally, aerodynamic characteristics in low-density regime differ from those of continuum regime. To understand those kinds of differences, aerodynamic coefficients of the upper stages (including upper 2-3 stage and the orbital block) of the launch vehicle in low-density regime are analyzed as a function of Mach numbers and altitudes. The predicted axial force coefficients of the upper stages of the launch vehicle are very high compared to those in continuum regime. In case of the orbital block which flies at very high altitude (higher than 250km), all aerodynamic coefficients are more dependent on velocity variations than altitude variations. In case of the upper 2-3 stage which flies at high altitude (80km-150km), while the axial force coefficients and the locations of center of pressure are less changed with the variations of Knudsen numbers (altitudes), the normal force coefficients and pitching moment coefficients are more affected by variations of Knudsen numbers (altitude).

The effect of altitude, patch size and disturbance on species richness and density of lianas in montane forest patches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohandass, Dharmalingam; Campbell, Mason J.; Hughes, Alice C.; Mammides, Christos; Davidar, Priya

2017-08-01

The species richness and density of lianas (woody vines) in tropical forests is determined by various abiotic and biotic factors. Factors such as altitude, forest patch size and the degree of forest disturbance are known to exert strong influences on liana species richness and density. We investigated how liana species richness and density were concurrently influenced by altitude (1700-2360 m), forest patch size, forest patch location (edge or interior) and disturbance intensity in the tropical montane evergreen forests, of the Nilgiri and Palni hills, Western Ghats, southern India. All woody lianas (≥1 cm dbh) were enumerated in plots of 30 × 30 m in small, medium and large forest patches, which were located along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 1700 to 2360 m. A total of 1980 individual lianas were recorded, belonging to 45 species, 32 genera and 21 families, from a total sampling area of 13.86 ha (across 154 plots). Liana species richness and density decreased significantly with increasing altitude and increased with increasing forest patch size. Within forest patches, the proportion of forest edge or interior habitat influenced liana distribution and succession especially when compared across the patch size categories. Liana species richness and density also varied along the altitudinal gradient when examined using eco-physiological guilds (i.e. shade tolerance, dispersal mode and climbing mechanism). The species richness and density of lianas within these ecological guilds responded negatively to increasing altitude and positively to increasing patch size and additionally displayed differing sensitivities to forest disturbance. Importantly, the degree of forest disturbance significantly altered the relationship between liana species richness and density to increasing altitude and patches size, and as such is likely the primary influence on liana response to montane forest succession. Our findings suggest that managing forest disturbance in the examined montane forests would assist in conserving local liana diversity across the examined altitudinal range.

The global distribution of nitric oxide in the thermosphere as determined by the Atmosphere Explorer D satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cravens, T. E.; Gerard, J.-C.; Lecompte, M.; Stewart, A. I.; Rusch, D. W.

1985-01-01

The ultraviolet nitric oxide spectrometer (UVNO) experiment on the Atmosphere Explorer D (AE-D) satellite measured thermospheric nitric oxide during the winter of 1974-1975 using resonant fluorescence from the 1-0 gamma band of the molecule. Almost complete latitude coverage was obtained, but the observations were confined to morning local times close to 0900. The 1-0 gamma band intensity profiles measured by the instrument were inverted to provide vertical profiles of the NO number density between about 90 and 200 km. Typically, the measured NO concentrations reached a maximum between altitudes of 100 and 110 km, and more NO was observed at higher latitudes than at low latitudes, in agreement with previous observational studies. The shape of the NO profile was also found to be a function of latitude, with a plateau appearing in the profile near 130 km for low latitudes and mid-latitudes in the winter hemisphere.

New Data Source for Studying and Modelling the Topside Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Xue-Qin; Reinisch, Bodo; Bilitza, Dieter; Benson, Robert

2001-01-01

The existing uncertainties about density profiles in the topside ionosphere, i.e., in the height regime from hmF2 to approx. 2000 km, requires the search for new data sources. Millions of ionograms had been recorded by the ISIS and Alouette satellites in the sixties and seventies, that never were analyzed in terms of electron density profiles. In recent years an effort started to digitize the analog recordings to prepare the ionograms for computerized analysis. This paper shows how the digital ionograms are processed and the electron density profiles (from satellite orbit altitude, 1400 km for ISIS-2, down to the F peak) are calculated. The most difficult part of the task is the automatic scaling of the echo traces in the ISIS ionograms. Unlike the ionograms from modern ionosondes, the ISIS ionograms do not identify the wave polarization of the different echo traces, so physical logic must be applied to identify the ordinary ()) and extraordinary (X) traces, and this is not always successful. Characteristic resonance features seen in the topside ionograms occur at the gyro and plasma frequencies. An elaborate scheme was developed to identify these resonance frequencies in order to determine the local plasma and gyrofrequencies. This information helps in the identification of the O and X traces, and it provides the starting density of the electron density profile. The inversion of the echo traces into electron density profiles uses the same modified Chebyshev polynomial fitting technique that is successfully applied in the ground-based Digisonde network. The automatic topside ionogram scaler with true height algorithm TOPIST is successfully scaling approx. 70% of the ionograms. An 'editing process' is available to manually scale the more difficult ionograms. The home page for the ISIS project is at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space/isis/isis-status.html. It provides access to as of January 2001, 3000,000 digitized ISIS ionogram data and to related software. A search page lets users select data location, time, and a host of other search criteria. The automated processing of the ISIS ionograms will begin later this year and the electron density profiles will be made available from the project home page. The ISIS data restoration efforts are supported through NASA's Applied Systems and Information Research Program.

Temperature and dust profiles in Martian dust storm conditions retrieved from Mars Climate Sounder measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleinboehl, A.; Kass, D. M.; Schofield, J. T.; McCleese, D. J.

2013-12-01

Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) is a mid- and far-infrared thermal emission radiometer on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It measures radiances in limb and nadir/on-planet geometry from which vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, dust and condensates can be retrieved in an altitude range from 0 to 80 km and with a vertical resolution of ~5 km. Due to the limb geometry used as the MCS primary observation mode, retrievals in conditions with high aerosol loading are challenging. We have developed several modifications to the MCS retrieval algorithm that will facilitate profile retrievals in high-dust conditions. Key modifications include a retrieval option that uses a surface pressure climatology if a pressure retrieval is not possible in high dust conditions, an extension of aerosol retrievals to higher altitudes, and a correction to the surface temperature climatology. In conditions of a global dust storm, surface temperatures tend to be lower compared to standard conditions. Taking this into account using an adaptive value based on atmospheric opacity leads to improved fits to the radiances measured by MCS and improves the retrieval success rate. We present first results of these improved retrievals during the global dust storm in 2007. Based on the limb opacities observed during the storm, retrievals are typically possible above ~30 km altitude. Temperatures around 240 K are observed in the middle atmosphere at mid- and high southern latitudes after the onset of the storm. Dust appears to be nearly homogeneously mixed at lower altitudes. Significant dust opacities are detected at least up to 70 km altitude. During much of the storm, in particular at higher altitudes, the retrieved dust profiles closely resemble a Conrath-profile.

The different mechanisms of hypoxic acclimatization and adaptation in Lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii living on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

PubMed

He, Jianzheng; Xiu, Minghui; Tang, Xiaolong; Yue, Feng; Wang, Ningbo; Yang, Shaobin; Chen, Qiang

2013-03-01

Phrynocephalus vlangalii is a species of lizard endemic in China, which lives on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ranging from 2000 to 4600 m above sea level. In this study, P. vlangalii were collected from low altitude (2750 m) and high altitude (4564 m). The lizards from low altitude were acclimatized in simulated hypoxic chamber (equivalent to 4600 m) for 7, 15, and 30 days. The hematological parameters, heart weight, myocardial capillary density, and myocardial enzyme activities were examined. The results showed that acclimatization to hypoxia significantly increased hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), hematocrit (Hct), heart weight (HW), heart weight to body mass (HW/BM), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, but markedly decreased mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity. Red blood cell (RBC) count, body mass (BM), myocardial capillary density did not change markedly during hypoxic acclimatization. On the other hand, [Hb], Hct, MCHC, HW/BM, myocardium capillary density, and SDH activity of P. vlangalii from high altitude were remarkably higher than those from low-altitude; however, LDH activity of high-altitude P. vlangalii was lower than that of low-altitude lizards. There was no significant difference in HW or BM between populations of high-altitude and low-altitude. Based on the present data, we suggest that P. vlangalii has special anatomical, physiological, and biochemical accommodate mechanisms to live in hypoxic environment, and the regulative mechanisms are different between hypoxic acclimatization and adaptation. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A new MesosphEO dataset of temperature profiles from 35 to 85 km using Rayleigh scattering at limb from GOMOS/ENVISAT daytime observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauchecorne, A.; Blanot, L.; Wing, R., Jr.; Keckhut, P.; Khaykin, S. M.

2017-12-01

The scattering of sunlight by the Earth atmosphere above the top of the stratospheric layer, about 30-35 km altitude, is only due to Rayleigh scattering by atmospheric molecules. Its intensity is then directly proportional to the atmospheric density. It is then possible to retrieve a temperature profile in absolute value using the hydrostatic equation and the perfect gas law, assuming that the temperature is known from a climatological model at the top of the density profile. This technique is applied to Rayleigh lidar observations since more than 35 years (Hauchecorne and Chanin, 1980). The GOMOS star occultation spectrometer observed the sunlight scattering at limb during daytime to remove it from the star spectrum. In the frame of the ESA funded MesosphEO project, GOMOS Rayleigh scattering profiles in the spectral range 400-460 nm have been used to retrieve temperature profiles from 35 to 85 km with a 2-km vertical resolution. A dataset of more than 310 thousands profiles from 2002 to 2012 is available for climatology and atmospheric dynamics studies. The validation of this dataset using NDACC Rayleigh lidars and MLS-AURA and SABER-TIMED will be presented. Preliminary results on the variability of the upper stratosphere and the mesosphere will be shown. We propose to apply this technique in the future to ALTIUS observations. The Rayleigh scattering technique can be applied to any sounder observing the day-time limb on the near-UV and visible spectrum.

High-resolution altitude profiles of the atmospheric turbulence with PML at the Sutherland Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catala, L.; Ziad, A.; Fanteï-Caujolle, Y.; Crawford, S. M.; Buckley, D. A. H.; Borgnino, J.; Blary, F.; Nickola, M.; Pickering, T.

2017-05-01

With the prospect of the next generation of ground-based telescopes, the extremely large telescopes, increasingly complex and demanding adaptive optics systems are needed. This is to compensate for image distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence and fully take advantage of mirrors with diameters of 30-40 m. This requires a more precise characterization of the turbulence. The Profiler of Moon Limb (PML) was developed within this context. The PML aims to provide high-resolution altitude profiles of the turbulence using differential measurements of the Moon limb position to calculate the transverse spatio-angular covariance of the angle of arrival fluctuations. The covariance of differential image motion for different separation angles is sensitive to the altitude distribution of the seeing. The use of the continuous Moon limb provides a large number of separation angles allowing for the high-resolution altitude of the profiles. The method is presented and tested with simulated data. Moreover, a PML instrument was deployed at the Sutherland Observatory in South Africa in 2011 August. We present here the results of this measurement campaign.

Reduction of I(Ca,L) and I(to1) density in hypertrophied right ventricular cells by simulated high altitude in adult rats.

PubMed

Chouabe, C; Espinosa, L; Megas, P; Chakir, A; Rougier, O; Freminet, A; Bonvallet, R

1997-01-01

The present paper describes the effect of a simulated hypobaric condition (at the altitude of 4500 m) on morphological characteristics and on some ionic currents in ventricular cells of adult rats. According to current data, chronic high-altitude exposure led to mild right ventricular hypertrophy. Increase in right ventricular weight appeared to be due wholly or partly to an enlargement of myocytes. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used and this confirmed, by cell capacitance measurement, that chronic high-altitude exposure induced an increase in the size of the right ventricular cells. Hypertrophied cells showed prolongation of action potential (AP). Four ionic currents, playing a role along with many others in the precise balance of inward and outward currents that control the duration of cardiac AP, were investigated. We report a significant decrease in the transient outward (I(to1)) and in the L-type calcium current (I(Ca,L)) densities while there was no significant difference in the delayed rectifier current (I(K)) or in the inward rectifier current (I(K1)) densities in hypertrophied right ventricular cells compared to control cells. At a given potential the decrease in I(to 1) density was relatively more important than the decrease in I(Ca,L) density. In both cell types, all the currents displayed the same voltage dependence. The inactivation kinetics of I(to 1) and I(Ca,L) or the steady-state activation and inactivation relationships were not significantly modified by chronic high-altitude exposure. We conclude that chronic high-altitude exposure induced true right ventricular myocyte hypertrophy and that the decrease in I(to 1) density might account for the lengthened action potential, or have a partial effect.

Temporal Behavior of the Ionospheric Electron Density at Low Latitudes: First Glimpse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gjerloev, J. W.; Humberset, B. K.; Gonzalez, S. A.; Garnett Marques Brum, C.

2013-12-01

In this paper we address the spatiotemporal characteristics of the electron density at 150 km altitude in the low latitude ionosphere above the Arecibo Observatory. We utilize a new pointing mode that allows us to probe the same volume in the ionosphere for a continuous period of approximately 25 min. or more. The ISR profiles have 150 m range resolution and samples have a 10-second time resolution; we probed 60 individual regions uniformly spaced in local times and covering the full 24 hours. For each time series we determine the total derivative of the electron density using a narrow Hanning bandpass filter that allow us to determine the variability at different frequencies. This is done for each of the 60 local time regions. We further compare to widely used static statistical models and test their underlying assumption: Dynamics can be ignored.

Minimum-Cost Aircraft Descent Trajectories with a Constrained Altitude Profile

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Minghong G.; Sadovsky, Alexander V.

2015-01-01

An analytical formula for solving the speed profile that accrues minimum cost during an aircraft descent with a constrained altitude profile is derived. The optimal speed profile first reaches a certain speed, called the minimum-cost speed, as quickly as possible using an appropriate extreme value of thrust. The speed profile then stays on the minimum-cost speed as long as possible, before switching to an extreme value of thrust for the rest of the descent. The formula is applied to an actual arrival route and its sensitivity to winds and airlines' business objectives is analyzed.

The Role of Visual Occlusion in Altitude Maintenance during Simulated Flight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, R.; Geri, G. A.; Akhtar, S. C.; Covas, C. M.

2008-01-01

The use of visual occlusion as a cue to altitude maintenance in low-altitude flight (LAF) was investigated. The extent to which the ground surface is occluded by 3-D objects varies with altitude and depends on the height, radius, and density of the objects. Participants attempted to maintain a constant altitude during simulated flight over an…

Toughness of the Virunga mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) diet across an altitudinal gradient.

PubMed

Glowacka, Halszka; McFarlin, Shannon C; Vogel, Erin R; Stoinski, Tara S; Ndagijimana, Felix; Tuyisingize, Deo; Mudakikwa, Antoine; Schwartz, Gary T

2017-08-01

The robust masticatory system of mountain gorillas is thought to have evolved for the comminution of tough vegetation, yet, compared to other primates, the toughness of the mountain gorilla diet is unremarkable. This may be a result of low plant toughness in the mountain gorilla environment or of mountain gorillas feeding selectively on low-toughness foods. The goal of this paper is to determine how the toughness of the mountain gorilla diet varies across their habitat, which spans a large altitudinal range, and whether there is a relationship between toughness and food selection by mountain gorillas. We collected data on the following variables to determine whether, and if so how, they change with altitude: leaf toughness of two plant species consumed by mountain gorillas, at every 100 m increase in altitude (2,600-3,700 m); toughness of consumed foods comprising over 85% of the gorilla diet across five vegetation zones; and toughness of unconsumed/infrequently consumed plant parts of those foods. Although leaf toughness increased with altitude, the toughness of the gorilla diet remained similar. There was a negative relationship between toughness and consumption frequency, and toughness was a better predictor of consumption frequency than plant frequency, biomass, and density. Consumed plant parts were less tough than unconsumed/infrequently consumed parts and toughness of the latter increased with altitude. Although it is unclear whether gorillas select food based on toughness or use toughness as a sensory cue to impart other plant properties (e.g., macronutrients, chemicals), our results that gorillas maintain a consistent low-toughness dietary profile across altitude, despite toughness increasing with altitude, suggest that the robust gorilla masticatory apparatus evolved for repetitive mastication of foods that are not high in toughness. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of a Climatology of Vertically Complete Wind Profiles from Doppler Radar Wind Profiler Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbre, Robert, Jr.

2015-01-01

Assessment of space vehicle loads and trajectories during design requires a large sample of wind profiles at the altitudes where winds affect the vehicle. Traditionally, this altitude region extends from near 8-14 km to address maximum dynamic pressure upon ascent into space, but some applications require knowledge of measured wind profiles at lower altitudes. Such applications include crew capsule pad abort and plume damage analyses. Two Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) systems exist at the United States Air Force (USAF) Eastern Range and at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center. The 50-MHz DRWP provides wind profiles every 3-5 minutes from roughly 2.5-18.5 km, and five 915-MHz DRWPs provide wind profiles every 15 minutes from approximately 0.2-3.0 km. Archived wind profiles from all systems underwent rigorous quality control (QC) processes, and concurrent measurements from the QC'ed 50- and 915-MHz DRWP archives were spliced into individual profiles that extend from about 0.2-18.5 km. The archive contains combined profiles from April 2000 to December 2009, and thousands of profiles during each month are available for use by the launch vehicle community. This paper presents the details of the QC and splice methodology, as well as some attributes of the archive.

Lightning flash density versus altitude and storm structure from observations with UHF- and S-band radars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazur, V.; Gerlach, J. C.; Rust, W. D.

1984-01-01

The UHF-(70.5 cm wavelength) and S-band (10 cm wavelength) radar at NASA/Wallops Island Research Facility in Virginia, U.S.A. have been used to relate lightning activity with altitude and with the reflectivity structure of thunderstorms. Two centers of lightning flash density were found; one between 6 and 8 km altitude and another between 11 and 15 km. Previously announced in STAR as N83-31206

Seasonal and height variation of gravity wave activities observed by a meteor radar at King Sejong Station (62°S, 57°W), Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.; Lee, C.; Kim, J.; Choi, J.; Jee, G.

2010-12-01

We have analyzed wind data from individual meteor echoes detected by a meteor radar at King Sejong Station, Antarctica to measure gravity wave activity in the mesopause region. Wind data in the meteor altitudes has been obtained routinely by the meteor radar since its installation in March 2007. The mean variances in the wind data that were filtered for large scale motions (mean winds and tides) can be regarded as the gravity wave activity. Monthly mean gravity wave activities show strong seasonal and height dependences in the altitude range of 80 to 100 km. The gravity wave activities except summer monotonically increase with altitude, which is expected since decreasing atmospheric densities cause wave amplitudes to increase. During summer (Dec. - Feb.) the height profiles of gravity wave activities show a minimum near 90 - 95 km, which may be due to different zonal wind and strong wind shear near 80 - 95 km. Our gravity wave activities are generally stronger than those of the Rothera station, implying sensitive dependency on location. The difference may be related to gravity wave sources in the lower atmosphere near Antarctic vortex.

Altitude Registration of Limb-Scattered Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moy, Leslie; Bhartia, Pawan K.; Jaross, Glen; Loughman, Robert; Kramarova, Natalya; Chen, Zhong; Taha, Ghassan; Chen, Grace; Xu, Philippe

2017-01-01

One of the largest constraints to the retrieval of accurate ozone profiles from UV backscatter limb sounding sensors is altitude registration. Two methods, the Rayleigh scattering attitude sensing (RSAS) and absolute radiance residual method (ARRM), are able to determine altitude registration to the accuracy necessary for long-term ozone monitoring. The methods compare model calculations of radiances to measured radiances and are independent of onboard tracking devices. RSAS determines absolute altitude errors, but, because the method is susceptible to aerosol interference, it is limited to latitudes and time periods with minimal aerosol contamination. ARRM, a new technique introduced in this paper, can be applied across all seasons and altitudes. However, it is only appropriate for relative altitude error estimates. The application of RSAS to Limb Profiler (LP) measurements from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) on board the Suomi NPP (SNPP) satellite indicates tangent height (TH) errors greater than 1 km with an absolute accuracy of +/-200 m. Results using ARRM indicate a approx. 300 to 400m intra-orbital TH change varying seasonally +/-100 m, likely due to either errors in the spacecraft pointing or in the geopotential height (GPH) data that we use in our analysis. ARRM shows a change of approx. 200m over 5 years with a relative accuracy (a long-term accuracy) of 100m outside the polar regions.

Elves and associated electron density changes due to cloud-to-ground and in-cloud lightning discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, R. A.; Inan, U. S.; Glukhov, V. S.

2010-04-01

A 3-D finite difference time domain model is used to simulate the lightning electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and its interaction with the lower ionosphere. Results agree with the frequently observed, doughnut-shaped optical signature of elves but show that the structure exhibits asymmetry due to the presence of Earth's ambient magnetic field. Furthermore, in-cloud (horizontal) lightning channels produce observable optical emissions without the doughnut shape and, in fact, produce a much stronger optical output for the same channel current. Electron density perturbations associated with elves are also calculated, with contributions from attachment and ionization. Results presented as a function of parameters such as magnetic field direction, dipole current orientation, altitude and amplitude, and ambient ionospheric density profile demonstrate the highly nonlinear nature of the EMP-ionosphere interaction. Ionospheric effects of a sequence of in-cloud discharges are calculated, simulating a burst of in-cloud lightning activity and resulting in large density changes in the overlying ionosphere.

The First Results About Earthquake Study with FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J. Y.; Oyama, K.; Jhuang, H. K.; Istep, M.; Hsiao, C. C.; Wang, Y. H.

2007-12-01

To improve the global weather prediction and space weather monitoring, six microsatellites termed the Formosa Satellite 3 - Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC) were launched into a circular low-Earth orbit (LEO) from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 0140 UTC on 15 April 2006. Each microsatellite of the joint Taiwan-US satellite constellation mission has a GPS occultation experiment (GOX) payload to operate the atmospheric and ionospheric radio occultation, a tiny ionospheric photometer (TIP) to observe the nighttime ionospheric airglow OI 135.6 nm emission, and a tri-band beacon (TBB) to tomographically estimate fine structures of ionospheric electron density on the satellite-to-receiver plane. While the GOX daily observes about 2500 vertical electron density profiles up to the satellite altitude, the TIP provides accurate horizontal gradients of nighttime electron density. In this study, anomalies in the ionospheric electron density structure and dynamics concurrently observed by FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC and co-located ground- based GPS receivers before recent large earthquakes are presented and discussed.

The thermal structure of the Venus atmosphere: Intercomparison of Venus Express and ground based observations of vertical temperature and density profiles✰

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, Sanjay S.; Lebonnois, Sebastien; Mahieux, Arnaud; Pätzold, Martin; Bougher, Steven; Bruinsma, Sean; Chamberlain, Sarah; Clancy, R. Todd; Gérard, Jean-Claude; Gilli, Gabriella; Grassi, Davide; Haus, Rainer; Herrmann, Maren; Imamura, Takeshi; Kohler, Erika; Krause, Pia; Migliorini, Alessandra; Montmessin, Franck; Pere, Christophe; Persson, Moa; Piccialli, Arianna; Rengel, Miriam; Rodin, Alexander; Sandor, Brad; Sornig, Manuela; Svedhem, Håkan; Tellmann, Silvia; Tanga, Paolo; Vandaele, Ann C.; Widemann, Thomas; Wilson, Colin F.; Müller-Wodarg, Ingo; Zasova, Ludmila

2017-09-01

The Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA) model contains tabulated values of temperature and number densities obtained by the experiments on the Venera entry probes, Pioneer Venus Orbiter and multi-probe missions in the 1980s. The instruments on the recent Venus Express orbiter mission generated a significant amount of new observational data on the vertical and horizontal structure of the Venus atmosphere from 40 km to about 180 km altitude from April 2006 to November 2014. Many ground based experiments have provided data on the upper atmosphere (90-130 km) temperature structure since the publication of VIRA in 1985. The "Thermal Structure of the Venus Atmosphere" Team was supported by the International Space Studies Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland, from 2013 to 2015 in order to combine and compare the ground-based observations and the VEx observations of the thermal structure as a first step towards generating an updated VIRA model. Results of this comparison are presented in five latitude bins and three local time bins by assuming hemispheric symmetry. The intercomparison of the ground-based and VEx results provides for the first time a consistent picture of the temperature and density structure in the 40 km-180 km altitude range. The Venus Express observations have considerably increased our knowledge of the Venus atmospheric thermal structure above ∼40 km and provided new information above 100 km. There are, however, still observational gaps in latitude and local time above certain regions. Considerable variability in the temperatures and densities is seen above 100 km but certain features appear to be systematically present, such as a succession of warm and cool layers. Preliminary modeling studies support the existence of such layers in agreement with a global scale circulation. The intercomparison focuses on average profiles but some VEx experiments provide sufficient global coverage to identify solar thermal tidal components. The differences between the VEx temperature profiles and the VIRA below 0.1 mbar/95 km are small. There is, however, a clear discrepancy at high latitudes in the 10-30 mbar (70-80 km) range. The VEx observations will also allow the improvement of the empirical models (VTS3 by Hedin et al., 1983 and VIRA by Keating et al., 1985) above 0.03 mbar/100 km, in particular the 100-150 km region where a sufficient observational coverage was previously missing. The next steps in order to define the updated VIRA temperature structure up to 150 km altitude are (1) define the grid on which this database may be provided, (2) fill what is possible with the results of the data intercomparison, and (3) fill the observational gaps. An interpolation between the datasets may be performed by using available General Circulation Models as guidelines. An improved spatial coverage of observations is still necessary at all altitudes, in latitude-longitude and at all local solar times for a complete description of the atmospheric thermal structure, in particular on the dayside above 100 km. New in-situ observations in the atmosphere below 40 km are missing, an altitude region that cannot be accessed by occultation experiments. All these questions need to be addressed by future missions.

Temperature and EUV Intensity in a Coronal Prominence Cavity and Streamer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kucera, T. A.; Gibson, S.E.; Schmit, D. J.; Landi, E.; Tripathi, D.

2012-01-01

We analyze the temperature and EUV line emission of a coronal cavity and surrounding streamer in terms of a morphological forward model. We use a series of iron line ratios observed with the Hinode Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (EIS) on 2007 Aug. 9 to constrain temperature as a function of altitude in a morphological forward model of the streamer and cavity. We also compare model prediction of the EIS EUV line intensities and polarized brightness (pB) data from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) MK4. This work builds on earlier analysis using the same model to determine geometry of and density in the same cavity and streamer. The fit to the data with altitude dependent temperature profiles indicates that both the streamer and cavity have temperatures in the range 1.4-1.7 MK. However, the cavity exhibits substantial substructure such that the altitude dependent temperature profile is not sufficient to completely model conditions in the cavity. Coronal prominence cavities are structured by magnetism so clues to this structure are to be found in their plasma properties. These temperature substructures are likely related to structures in the cavity magnetic field. Furthermore, we find that the model overestimates the line intensities by a factor of 4-10, while overestimating pB data by no more than a factor of 1.4. One possible explanation for this is that there may be a significant amount of material at temperatures outside of the range log T(K) approximately equals 5.8 - 6.7 in both the cavity and the streamer.

Earth GRAM-99 and Trace Constituents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Duvall, Aleta; Keller, Vernon W.

2004-01-01

Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM-99) is an engineering-level model of Earth's atmosphere. It provides both mean values and perturbations for density, temperature, pressure, and winds, as well as monthly- and geographically-varying trace constituent concentrations. From 0-27 km, GRAM thermodynamics and winds are based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Upper Air Climatic Atlas (GUACA) climatology. Above 120 km, GRAM is based on the NASA Marshall Engineering Thermosphere (MET) model. In the intervening altitude region, GRAM is based on Middle Atmosphere Program (MAP) climatology that also forms the basis of the 1986 COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA). Atmospheric composition is represented in GRAM by concentrations of both major and minor species. Above 120 km, MET provides concentration values for N2, O2, Ar, O, He, and H. Below 120 km, species represented also include H2O, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, and CO2. At COSPAR 2002 a comparison was made between GRAM constituents below 120 km and those provided by Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) climatology. No current need to update GRAM constituent climatology in that height range was identified. This report examines GRAM (MET) constituents between 100 and 1000 km altitudes. Discrepancies are noted between GRAM (MET) constituent number densities and mass density or molecular weight. Near 110 km altitude, there is up to about 25% discrepancy between MET number density and mass density (with mass density being valid and number densities requiring adjustment). Near 700 km altitude there is also up to about 25% discrepancy between MET number density and mean molecular weight (with molecular weight requiring adjustment). In neither case are MET mass density estimates invalidated. These discrepancies have been traced to MET subroutines SLV (which affects 90-170 km height range) and SLVH (which affects helium above 440 km altitude). With these discrepancies corrected, results are presented to illustrate GRAM (MET) constituent mole fractions in terms of height-latitude cross sections from 100 to 1000 km altitude, and latitude-longitude 'maps' at 450 km (approximate height of International Space Station). Plans are discussed for an update of MET (and GRAM) to correct these constituent inconsistencies and to incorporate several new thermospheric model features.

Four-dimensional guidance algorithms for aircraft in an air traffic control environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pecsvaradi, T.

1975-01-01

Theoretical development and computer implementation of three guidance algorithms are presented. From a small set of input parameters the algorithms generate the ground track, altitude profile, and speed profile required to implement an experimental 4-D guidance system. Given a sequence of waypoints that define a nominal flight path, the first algorithm generates a realistic, flyable ground track consisting of a sequence of straight line segments and circular arcs. Each circular turn is constrained by the minimum turning radius of the aircraft. The ground track and the specified waypoint altitudes are used as inputs to the second algorithm which generates the altitude profile. The altitude profile consists of piecewise constant flight path angle segments, each segment lying within specified upper and lower bounds. The third algorithm generates a feasible speed profile subject to constraints on the rate of change in speed, permissible speed ranges, and effects of wind. Flight path parameters are then combined into a chronological sequence to form the 4-D guidance vectors. These vectors can be used to drive the autopilot/autothrottle of the aircraft so that a 4-D flight path could be tracked completely automatically; or these vectors may be used to drive the flight director and other cockpit displays, thereby enabling the pilot to track a 4-D flight path manually.

ARC-2012-ACD12-0020-002

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-02

Shen_Nargis: Snapshot of a very large simulation showing the altitude and velocity of wind speeds within the 2008 Cyclone Nargis. Top wind speeds for the storm were measured at 135 mph. The lowest altitude winds are shown in blue, while the highest altitude winds are shown in pink. Wind speed is shown by color density: higher density denotes stronger winds, slightly transparent color indicates slower wind speeds. Credit: Bryan Green, NASA Ames Research Center; Bo-wen Shen, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

On the possible use of radio occultation middle latitude electron density profiles to retrieve thermospheric parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhailov, Andrei V.; Belehaki, Anna; Perrone, Loredanna; Zolesi, Bruno; Tsagouri, Ioanna

2014-04-01

This paper investigates possible use of middle latitude daytime COSMIC and CHAMP ionospheric radio occultation (IRO) electron density profiles (EDPs) to retrieve thermospheric parameters, based on the Mikhailov et al. (2012) method. The aim of this investigation is to assess the applicability of this type of observations for the routine implementation of the method. According to the results extracted from the analysis presented here, about half of COSMIC IRO EDP observed under solar minimum (2007-2008) conditions gave neutral gas density with an inaccuracy close to the declared absolute inaccuracy ±(10-15)% of CHAMP observations, with the results being better than the empirical models JB-2008 and MSISE-00 provide. For the other half of IRO EDP, either the solution provided by the method had to be rejected due to insufficient accuracy or no solution could be obtained. For these cases, the parameters foF2 and hmF2 extracted from the corresponding IRO profiles have been found to be inconsistent with the classic mid-latitude daytime F2-layer formalism that the method relies on, and they are incompatible with the general trend provided by the IRI model. For solar maximum conditions (2002) the method was tested with IRO EDP from CHAMP and it is indicated that its performance is quite stable in the sense that a solution could be obtained for all the cases analyzed here. However available CHAMP EDP are confined by ~ 400 km in altitude and this might be the reason for the 20% bias of the retrieved densities toward larger values in respect to the observed densities. IRO observations up to 600 km under solar maximum are required to confirm the exact performance of the method.

Venus nightside ionosphere - A model with KeV electron impact ionization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, S.

1982-01-01

The impact of keV electrons is proposed as the strongest source of ionization in a full-up Venus nightside ionosphere model for the equatorial midnight region. The electron impacts lead to a peak ion density of 100,000/cu cm, which was observed by the PV-OIMS experiment on several occasions. In addition, the observed altitude profiles of CO2(+), O(+), O2(+), H(+), and H2(+) can be reproduced by the model on condition that the available keV electron flux is approximated by a reasonable extrapolation from fluxes observed at lower energies.

A Condensation-coalescence Cloud Model for Exoplanetary Atmospheres: Formulation and Test Applications to Terrestrial and Jovian Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohno, Kazumasa; Okuzumi, Satoshi

2017-02-01

A number of transiting exoplanets have featureless transmission spectra that might suggest the presence of clouds at high altitudes. A realistic cloud model is necessary to understand the atmospheric conditions under which such high-altitude clouds can form. In this study, we present a new cloud model that takes into account the microphysics of both condensation and coalescence. Our model provides the vertical profiles of the size and density of cloud and rain particles in an updraft for a given set of physical parameters, including the updraft velocity and the number density of cloud condensation nuclei (CCNs). We test our model by comparing with observations of trade-wind cumuli on Earth and ammonia ice clouds in Jupiter. For trade-wind cumuli, the model including both condensation and coalescence gives predictions that are consistent with observations, while the model including only condensation overestimates the mass density of cloud droplets by up to an order of magnitude. For Jovian ammonia clouds, the condensation-coalescence model simultaneously reproduces the effective particle radius, cloud optical thickness, and cloud geometric thickness inferred from Voyager observations if the updraft velocity and CCN number density are taken to be consistent with the results of moist convection simulations and Galileo probe measurements, respectively. These results suggest that the coalescence of condensate particles is important not only in terrestrial water clouds but also in Jovian ice clouds. Our model will be useful to understand how the dynamics, compositions, and nucleation processes in exoplanetary atmospheres affect the vertical extent and optical thickness of exoplanetary clouds via cloud microphysics.

Global modeling of the low- and middle-latitude ionospheric D and lower E regions and implications for HF radio wave absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siskind, David E.; Zawdie, K. A.; Sassi, F.; Drob, D.; Friedrich, M.

2017-01-01

We compare D and lower E region ionospheric model calculations driven by the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) with a selection of electron density profiles made by sounding rockets over the past 50 years. The WACCM model, in turn, is nudged by winds and temperatures from the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System-Advanced Level Physics High Altitude (NOGAPS-ALPHA). This nudging has been shown to greatly improve the representation of key neutral constituents, such as nitric oxide (NO), that are used as inputs to the ionospheric model. We show that with this improved representation, we greatly improve the comparison between calculated and observed electron densities relative to older studies. At midlatitudes, for both winter and equinoctal conditions, the model agrees well with the data. At tropical latitudes, our results confirm a previous suggestion that there is a model deficit in the calculated electron density in the lowermost D region. We then apply the calculated electron densities to examine the variation of HF absorption with altitude, latitude, and season and from 2008 to 2009. For low latitudes, our results agree with recent studies showing a primary peak absorption in the lower E region with a secondary peak below 75 km. For midlatitude to high latitude, the absorption contains a significant contribution from the middle D region where ionization of NO drives the ion chemistry. The difference in middle- to high-latitude absorption from 2008 to 2009 is due to changes in the NO abundance near 80 km from changes in the wintertime mesospheric residual circulation.

Venera 15: Water vapour in the middle atmosphere of Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignatiev, N. I.; Moroz, V. I.; Zasova, L. V.; Khatuntsev, I. V.

1999-01-01

In 1983, spectra of Venus in the region of 6-40 μm were measured by means of the Fourier Spectrometer aboard the Venera 15 orbiter. It covered local solar times from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the latitude range from -65° up to 87°. The results of an extended processing and analysis of these data are presented. Time and spatial variations of the water vapour were found. Most of the measurements fall in the range of 5-15 ppm, which is close to the early results. The effective altitude of sounding is approximately equal to the altitude where the optical depth τ = 1. Two latitude regions can be distinguished: (A) 20° < φ < 50° and (B) φ > 60°, which are characterised by different altitudes of the level of τ = 1: 62 and 55 km respectively. Mean mixing ratios near this level in the two regions are almost the same, but the partial pressures and mass densities in region (B) are 2-4 times greater than those in region (A). In region (A) a weak dayside maximum and a nightside minimum were observed. Region (B) is of inhomogeneous structure, and the retrieved mixing ratio has greater uncertainty and may probably change from the detection limit of 1 ppm up to 30 ppm. Although the retrieval of H2O mixing ratio altitude profile from the Venera 15 data appeared to be impossible, indirect indications were found that at least in region (A) the mixing ratio decreases with altitude.

Retrieval of ozone profiles from OMPS limb scattering observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arosio, Carlo; Rozanov, Alexei; Malinina, Elizaveta; Eichmann, Kai-Uwe; von Clarmann, Thomas; Burrows, John P.

2018-04-01

This study describes a retrieval algorithm developed at the University of Bremen to obtain vertical profiles of ozone from limb observations performed by the Ozone Mapper and Profiler Suite (OMPS). This algorithm is based on the technique originally developed for use with data from the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) instrument. As both instruments make limb measurements of the scattered solar radiation in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) spectral ranges, an underlying objective of the study is to obtain consolidated and consistent ozone profiles from the two satellites and to produce a combined data set. The retrieval algorithm uses radiances in the UV and Vis wavelength ranges normalized to the radiance at an upper tangent height to obtain ozone concentrations in the altitude range of 12-60 km. Measurements at altitudes contaminated by clouds in the instrument field of view are identified and filtered out. An independent aerosol retrieval is performed beforehand and its results are used to account for the stratospheric aerosol load in the ozone inversion. The typical vertical resolution of the retrieved profiles varies from ˜ 2.5 km at lower altitudes ( < 30 km) to ˜ 1.5 km (about 45 km) and becomes coarser at upper altitudes. The retrieval errors resulting from the measurement noise are estimated to be 1-4 % above 25 km, increasing to 10-30 % in the upper troposphere. OMPS data are processed for the whole of 2016. The results are compared with the NASA product and validated against profiles derived from passive satellite observations or measured in situ by balloon-borne sondes. Between 20 and 60 km, OMPS ozone profiles typically agree with data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) v4.2 within 5-10 %, whereas in the lower altitude range the bias becomes larger, especially in the tropics. The comparison of OMPS profiles with ozonesonde measurements shows differences within ±5 % between 13 and 30 km at northern middle and high latitudes. At southern middle and high latitudes, an agreement within 5-7 % is also achieved in the same altitude range. An unexpected bias of approximately 10-20 % is detected in the lower tropical stratosphere. The processing of the 2013 data set using the same retrieval settings and its validation against ozonesondes reveals a much smaller bias; a possible reason for this behaviour is discussed.

Tracking Filament Evolution in the Low Solar Corona Using Remote Sensing and In Situ Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocher, Manan; Landi, Enrico; Lepri, Susan. T.

2018-06-01

In the present work, we analyze a filament eruption associated with an interplanetary coronal mass ejection that arrived at L1 on 2011 August 5. In multiwavelength Solar Dynamic Observatory/Advanced Imaging Assembly (AIA) images, three plasma parcels within the filament were tracked at high cadence along the solar corona. A novel absorption diagnostic technique was applied to the filament material traveling along the three chosen trajectories to compute the column density and temperature evolution in time. Kinematics of the filamentary material were estimated using STEREO/Extreme Ultraviolet Imager and STEREO/COR1 observations. The Michigan Ionization Code used inputs of these density, temperature, and speed profiles for the computation of ionization profiles of the filament plasma. Based on these measurements, we conclude that the core plasma was in near ionization equilibrium, and the ionization states were still evolving at the altitudes where they were visible in absorption in AIA images. Additionally, we report that the filament plasma was heterogeneous, and the filamentary material was continuously heated as it expanded in the low solar corona.

Modeling of the Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio wave signal profile due to solar flares using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation coupled with ionospheric chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palit, S.; Basak, T.; Mondal, S. K.; Pal, S.; Chakrabarti, S. K.

2013-03-01

X-ray photons emitted during solar flares cause ionization in the lower ionosphere (~ 60 to 100 km) in excess of what is expected from a quiet sun. Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio wave signals reflected from the D region are affected by this excess ionization. In this paper, we reproduce the deviation in VLF signal strength during solar flares by numerical modeling. We use GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation code to compute the rate of ionization due to a M-class and a X-class flare. The output of the simulation is then used in a simplified ionospheric chemistry model to calculate the time variation of electron density at different altitudes in the lower ionosphere. The resulting electron density variation profile is then self-consistently used in the LWPC code to obtain the time variation of the VLF signal change. We did the modeling of the VLF signal along the NWC (Australia) to IERC/ICSP (India) propagation path and compared the results with observations. The agreement is found to be very satisfactory.

Simulations of the Cleft Ion Fountain outflows resulting from the passage of Storm Enhanced Density (SED) plasma flux tubes through the dayside cleft auroral processes region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horwitz, James; Zeng, Wen

2007-10-01

Foster et al. [2002] reported elevated ionospheric density regions convected from subauroral plasmaspheric regions toward noon, in association with convection of plasmaspheric tails. These Storm Enhanced Density (SED) regions could supply cleft ion fountain outflows. Here, we will utilize our Dynamic Fluid Kinetic (DyFK) model to simulate the entry of a high-density ``plasmasphere-like'' flux tube entering the cleft region and subjected to an episode of wave-driven transverse ion heating. It is found that the O^+ ion density at higher altitudes increases and the density at lower altitudes decreases, following this heating episode, indicating increased fluxes of O^+ ions from the ionospheric source gain sufficient energy to reach higher altitudes after the effects of transverse wave heating. Foster, J. C., P. J. Erickson, A. J. Coster, J. Goldstein, and F. J. Rich, Ionospheric signatures of plasmaspheric tails, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(13), 1623, doi:10.1029/2002GL015067, 2002.

Altitude registration of limb-scattered radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moy, Leslie; Bhartia, Pawan K.; Jaross, Glen; Loughman, Robert; Kramarova, Natalya; Chen, Zhong; Taha, Ghassan; Chen, Grace; Xu, Philippe

2017-01-01

One of the largest constraints to the retrieval of accurate ozone profiles from UV backscatter limb sounding sensors is altitude registration. Two methods, the Rayleigh scattering attitude sensing (RSAS) and absolute radiance residual method (ARRM), are able to determine altitude registration to the accuracy necessary for long-term ozone monitoring. The methods compare model calculations of radiances to measured radiances and are independent of onboard tracking devices. RSAS determines absolute altitude errors, but, because the method is susceptible to aerosol interference, it is limited to latitudes and time periods with minimal aerosol contamination. ARRM, a new technique introduced in this paper, can be applied across all seasons and altitudes. However, it is only appropriate for relative altitude error estimates. The application of RSAS to Limb Profiler (LP) measurements from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) on board the Suomi NPP (SNPP) satellite indicates tangent height (TH) errors greater than 1 km with an absolute accuracy of ±200 m. Results using ARRM indicate a ˜ 300 to 400 m intra-orbital TH change varying seasonally ±100 m, likely due to either errors in the spacecraft pointing or in the geopotential height (GPH) data that we use in our analysis. ARRM shows a change of ˜ 200 m over ˜ 5 years with a relative accuracy (a long-term accuracy) of ±100 m outside the polar regions.

Temporal Development of Auroral Acceleration Potentials: High-Altitude Evolutionary Sequences, Drivers and Consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, A. J.; Wilber, M.; Chaston, C.; Bonnell, J.; Mozer, F.; McFadden, J.; Goldstein, M.; Fillingim, M.

2007-12-01

The region above the auroral acceleration region is an integral part of the auroral zone electrodynamic system. At these altitudes (≥ 3 Re) we find the source plasma and fields that determine acceleration processes occurring at lower altitudes, which play a key role in the transport of mass and energy into the ionosphere. Dynamic changes in these high-altitude regions can affect and/or control lower-altitude acceleration processes according to how field-aligned currents and specific plasma sources form and decay and how they are spatially distributed, and through magnetic configuration changes deeper in the magnetotail. Though much progress has been made, the time development and consequential effects of the high-altitude plasma and fields are still not fully understood. We present Cluster multi-point observations at key instances within and above the acceleration region (> 3 RE) of evolving auroral arc current systems. Results are presented from events occurring under different conditions, such as magnetospheric activity, associations with density depletions or gradients, and Alfvenic turbulence. A preliminary survey, primarily at or near the plasma sheet boundary, indicates quasi- static up-down current pair systems are at times associated with density depletions and other instances occur in association with density gradients. The data suggest that such quasi-static current systems may be evolving from structured Alfvenic current systems. We will discuss the temporal development of auroral acceleration potentials, plasma and currents, including quasi-static system formation from turbulent systems of structured Alfvenic field-aligned currents, density depletion and constituent reorganization of the source and ionospheric plasma that transpire in such systems. Of particular emphasis is how temporal changes in magnetospheric source plasma and fields affect the development of auroral acceleration potentials at lower altitudes.

Identification of novel serum peptide biomarkers for high-altitude adaptation: a comparative approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Juan; Li, Wenhua; Liu, Siyuan; Yuan, Dongya; Guo, Yijiao; Jia, Cheng; Song, Tusheng; Huang, Chen

2016-05-01

We aimed to identify serum biomarkers for screening individuals who could adapt to high-altitude hypoxia at sea level. HHA (high-altitude hypoxia acclimated; n = 48) and HHI (high-altitude hypoxia illness; n = 48) groups were distinguished at high altitude, routine blood tests were performed for both groups at high altitude and at sea level. Serum biomarkers were identified by comparing serum peptidome profiling between HHI and HHA groups collected at sea level. Routine blood tests revealed the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells were significantly higher in HHI than in HHA at high altitude. Serum peptidome profiling showed that ten significantly differentially expressed peaks between HHA and HHI at sea level. Three potential serum peptide peaks (m/z values: 1061.91, 1088.33, 4057.63) were further sequence identified as regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 fragment (ITIH4 347-356), regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H1 fragment (ITIH1 205-214), and isoform 1 of fibrinogen α chain precursor (FGA 588-624). Expression of their full proteins was also tested by ELISA in HHA and HHI samples collected at sea level. Our study provided a novel approach for identifying potential biomarkers for screening people at sea level who can adapt to high altitudes.

Evidence of Temporal Variation of Titan Atmospheric Density in 2005-2013

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Allan Y.; Lim, Ryan S.

2013-01-01

One major science objective of the Cassini mission is an investigation of Titan's atmosphere constituent abundances. Titan's atmospheric density is of interest not only to planetary scientists but also to mission design and mission control engineers. Knowledge of the dependency of Titan's atmospheric density with altitude is important because any unexpectedly high atmospheric density has the potential to tumble the spacecraft during a flyby. During low-altitude Titan flyby, thrusters are fired to counter the torque imparted on the spacecraft due to the Titan atmosphere. The denser the Titan's atmosphere is, the higher are the duty cycles of the thruster firings. Therefore thruster firing telemetry data could be used to estimate the atmospheric torque imparted on the spacecraft. Since the atmospheric torque imparted on the spacecraft is related to the Titan's atmospheric density, atmospheric densities are estimated accordingly. In 2005-2013, forty-three low-altitude Titan flybys were executed. The closest approach altitudes of these Titan flybys ranged from 878 to 1,074.8 km. Our density results are also compared with those reported by other investigation teams: Voyager-1 (in November 1980) and the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument, HASI (in January 2005). From our results, we observe a temporal variation of the Titan atmospheric density in 2005-2013. The observed temporal variation is significant and it isn't due to the estimation uncertainty (5.8%, 1 sigma) of the density estimation methodology. Factors that contributed to this temporal variation have been conjectured but are largely unknown. The observed temporal variation will require synergetic analysis with measurements made by other Cassini science instruments and future years of laboratory and modeling efforts to solve. The estimated atmospheric density results are given in this paper help scientists to better understand and model the density structure of the Titan atmosphere.

Water vapor in the middle atmosphere of Mars during the 2007 global dust storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorova, Anna; Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Betsis, Daria; Montmessin, Franck; Korablev, Oleg; Maltagliati, Luca; Clarke, John

2018-01-01

Recent observations of the Martian hydrogen corona in the UV H Ly-alpha emission by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) (Clarke et al., 2014) and the SPICAM UV spectrometer on Mars Express (Chaffin et al., 2014) reported its rapid change by an order of magnitude over a short few months period in 2007 (MY28), which is inconsistent with the existing models. One proposed explanation of the observed increase of the coronal emission is that during the global dust storm water vapor from the lower atmosphere can be transported to higher altitudes, where its photodissociation rate by near-UV sunlight increases, providing an additional source of hydrogen for the upper atmosphere. In this work we study the water vapor vertical distribution in the middle atmosphere of Mars during the 2007 global dust storm based on solar occultation measurements by the SPICAM IR spectrometer onboard the Mars-Express spacecraft. The vertical profiles of H2O density and mixing ratio have been obtained for solar longitudes Ls = 255°-300° in MY28. In the Northern hemisphere from Ls = 268° to Ls = 285° the H2O density at altitudes of 60-80 km increased by an order of magnitude. During the dust storm the profiles extended up to 80 km, with an H2O density exceeding 1010 molecules/cm3 (mixing ratio ≥200 ppm). Two maxima of the H2O density were detected. The largest H2O densities observed at latitudes higher than 60°N, over Ls = 269°-275°, do not directly correlate with the aerosol loading and likely relate to the downwelling branch of the meridional circulation that was intensified during the dust storm, and transported water from the Southern hemisphere to high northern latitudes. The second smaller maximum coincides with the high dust loading at middle northern latitudes. The comparison with geographically close observations in the quiet Mars year MY32, when the H2O content in the Northern hemisphere did not exceed 2 × 1010 molecules/cm3 and 50 ppm at 60 km, showed that the global dust storm was a unique event. The situation was different in the Southern hemisphere. During the dust storm the water density at 50-80 km increased by a factor of 4-5 with a mixing ratio >100 ppm, well correlated with the aerosol vertical extension. A somewhat weaker increase of the H2O density by a factor of 2-3 with a mixing ratio > 100 ppm was also observed during MY32 starting from Ls = 260°, suggesting a seasonal repeatability. The observed amount of water at high altitudes in both hemispheres can produce a large increase in the H escape rate on a timescale of weeks, as was shown in the photochemical modeling by Chaffin et al. (2017). Future modeling would be necessary to separate the seasonal and the dust storm contributions to the hydrogen escape.

Marshall Engineering Thermosphere Model, Version MET-2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, R. J.; Suggs, R. M.

2017-01-01

The region of the Earth's atmosphere between about 90 and 500 km altitude is known as the thermosphere, while the region above about 500 km is known as the exosphere. For space vehicle operations, the neutral atmosphere in these regions is significant. Even at its low density, it produces torques and drags on vehicles and affects orbital lifetimes. The thermosphere density above 100 km altitude also modulates the flux of trapped radiation and orbital debris. Atomic oxygen at orbital altitudes is important because it can erode and chemically change exposed vehicle surfaces.

Mercury's Internal Magnetic Field: Results from MESSENGER's Search for Remanent Crustal Magnetization Associated with Impact Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purucker, M. E.; Johnson, C. L.; Nicholas, J. B.; Philpott, L. C.; Korth, H.; Anderson, B. J.; Head, J. W., III; Phillips, R. J.; Solomon, S. C.

2014-12-01

Magnetic field measurements obtained by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft in orbit around Mercury have entered a new phase since April 2014, with periapsis altitudes below 200 km. MESSENGER is now obtaining magnetic profiles across large impact features at altitudes less than the horizontal scale of those features. We use data from this latest phase to investigate evidence for remanent crustal magnetization specifically associated with impact basins and large craters. The spatial resolution of magnetic field measurements for investigating crustal magnetization is approximately equal to the altitude of the observations. We focus on large impact features because their relative ages provide a powerful chronological tool for interpreting any associated magnetic signatures. We examine profiles across large impact basins such as Caloris, Shakespeare, Budh-Sobkou and Goethe. For example, coverage over Caloris during the last year of the mission will be largely at night and will comprise 18 profiles with altitudes between 125 and 200 km and 12 profiles with altitudes between 50 and 125 km over the northern part of the basin. We use large-scale magnetospheric models developed with MESSENGER data to remove contributions from the offset axial dipole, magnetopause, and magnetotail. The residual magnetic fields above 200 km are still dominated by poorly understood magnetospheric fields such as those from the cusp and from Birkeland currents. We empirically average, or exclude observations from these local times, in order to search for repeatable internal field signals. We use local basis functions such as equivalent source dipoles, applied with regularization tools, in order to map the altitude-normalized magnetic field from internal sources. These internal sources may comprise both crustal and core contributions, and we use the information from the along-track magnetic gradient in order to separate these contributions.

Centrifugal acceleration of the polar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horwitz, J. L.; Ho, C. W.; Scarbro, H. D.; Wilson, G. R.; Moore, T. E.

1994-01-01

The effect of parallel ion acceleration associated with convection was first applied to energization of test particle polar ions by Cladis (1986). However, this effect is typically neglected in 'self-consistent' models of polar plasma outflow, apart from the fluid simulation by Swift (1990). Here we include approximations for this acceleration, which we broadly characterize as centrifugal in nature, in our time-dependent, semikinetic model of polar plasma outflow and describe the effects on the bulk parameter profiles and distribution functions of H+ and O+. For meridional convection across the pole the approximate parallel force along a polar magnetic field line may be written as F(sub cent, pole) = 1.5m(E(sub i))/B(sub i))squared (r(squared)/r(sup 3)(sub i)) where m is ion mass, r is geometric distance; and E(sub i), B(sub i) and r(sub i) refer to the electric and magnetic field magnitudes and geocentric distance at the ionosphere, respectively. For purely longitudinal convection along a constant L shell the parallel force is F(cent. long) = F(sub cent, pole)(1 - (r/(r(sub i)L))(sup 3/2)/(1 - 3r/(4 r(sub i)L))(sup 5/2). For high latitudes the difference between these two cases is relatively unimportant below approximately 5 R(sub E). We find that the steady state O+ bulk velocities and parallel temperatures strongly increase and decrease, respectively, with convection strength. In particular, the bulk velocities increase from near 0 km/s at 4000 km altitude to approximately 10 km/s at 5 R(sub E) geocentric distance for 50-mV/m ionospheric convection electric field. However, the centrifugal effect on the steady O+ density profiles depends on the exobase ion and electron temperatures: for low-base temperatures (T(sub i) = T(sub e) = 3000 K) the O+ density at high altitudes increases greatly with convection, while for higher base temperatures (T(sub i) = 5000 K, T(sub e) = 9000 K), the high-altitude O+ density decreases somewhat as convection is enhanced. The centrifugal force further has a pronounced effect on the escaping O+ flux, especially for cool exobase conditions; as referenced to the 4000-km altitude, the steady state O+ flux increases from 10(exp 5) ions/sq cm/s when the ionospheric convection field E(sub i) = 0 mV/m to approximately 10(exp 7) ions/sq cm/s when E(sub i) = 100 mV/m. The centrifugal effect also decreases the time scale for approach to steady-state. For example, in the plasma expansion for T(sub i) = T(sub e) = 3000 K, the O+ density at 7 R(sub E) reaches only 10(exp -7) of it final value approximately 1.5 hours after expansion onset for E(sub i) = 0. For meridional convection driven by E(sub i) = 50 mV/m, the density at the same time after initial injection is 30-50% of its asymptotic level. The centrifugal acceleration described here is a possible explanation for the large (up to approximately 10 km/s or more) o+ outflow velocities observed in the midlatitude polar magnetosphere with the Dynamics Explorer 1 and Akebono spacecraft.

Spectral Analysis of Vector Magnetic Field Profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Robert L.; OBrien, Michael S.

1997-01-01

We investigate the power spectra and cross spectra derived from the three components of the vector magnetic field measured on a straight horizontal path above a statistically stationary source. All of these spectra, which can be estimated from the recorded time series, are related to a single two-dimensional power spectral density via integrals that run in the across-track direction in the wavenumber domain. Thus the measured spectra must obey a number of strong constraints: for example, the sum of the two power spectral densities of the two horizontal field components equals the power spectral density of the vertical component at every wavenumber and the phase spectrum between the vertical and along-track components is always pi/2. These constraints provide powerful checks on the quality of the measured data; if they are violated, measurement or environmental noise should be suspected. The noise due to errors of orientation has a clear characteristic; both the power and phase spectra of the components differ from those of crustal signals, which makes orientation noise easy to detect and to quantify. The spectra of the crustal signals can be inverted to obtain information about the cross-track structure of the field. We illustrate these ideas using a high-altitude Project Magnet profile flown in the southeastern Pacific Ocean.

Probing Venus' polar upper atmosphere in situ: Preliminary results of the Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenblatt, Pascal; Bruinsma, Sean; Mueller-Wodarg, Ingo; Haeusler, Bernd

On its highly elliptical 24 hour orbit around Venus, the Venus Express (VEx) spacecraft briefly reaches a pericenter altitude of nominally 250 km. Recently, however, dedicated and intense radio tracking campaigns have taken place in August 2008 (campaign1), October 2009 (cam-paign2), February and April 2010 (campaign3), for which the pericenter altitude was lowered to about 175 km in order to be able to probe the upper atmosphere of Venus above the North Pole for the first time ever in-situ. As the spacecraft experiences atmospheric drag, its trajectory is measurably perturbed during the pericenter pass, allowing us to infer total atmospheric mass density at the pericenter altitude. The GINS software (Géodésie par Intégration Numérique e e Simultanées) is used to accurately reconstruct the orbital motion of VEx through an iterative least-squares fitting process to the Doppler tracking data. The drag acceleration is modelled using an initial atmospheric density model (VTS model, A. Hedin). A drag scale factor is estimated for each pericenter pass, which scales Hedin's density model in order to best fit the radio tracking data. About 20 density scale factors have been obtained mainly from the second and third VExADE campaigns, which indicate a lower density by a factor of about one-third than Hedin's model predicts. These first ever polar density measurements at solar minimum have allowed us to construct a diffusive equilibrium density model for Venus' thermosphere, constrained in the lower thermosphere primarily by SPICAV-SOIR measurements and above 175 km by the VExADE drag measurements. The preliminary results of the VExADE cam-paigns show that it is possible to obtain reliable estimates of Venus' upper atmosphere densities at an altitude of around 175 km. Future VExADE campaigns will benefit from the planned further lowering of VEx pericenter altitude to below 170 Km.

Atomic oxygen ions as ionospheric biomarkers on exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendillo, Michael; Withers, Paul; Dalba, Paul A.

2018-04-01

The ionized form of atomic oxygen (O+) is the dominant ion species at the altitude of maximum electron density in only one of the many ionospheres in our Solar System — Earth's. This ionospheric composition would not be present if oxygenic photosynthesis was not an ongoing mechanism that continuously impacts the terrestrial atmosphere. We propose that dominance of ionospheric composition by O+ ions at the altitude of maximum electron density can be used to identify a planet in orbit around a solar-type star where global-scale biological activity is present. There is no absolute numerical value required for this suggestion of an atmospheric plasma biomarker — only the dominating presence of O+ ions at the altitude of peak electron density.

Inferring Nighttime Ionospheric Parameters with the Far Ultraviolet Imager Onboard the Ionospheric Connection Explorer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamalabadi, Farzad; Qin, Jianqi; Harding, Brian J.; Iliou, Dimitrios; Makela, Jonathan J.; Meier, R. R.; England, Scott L.; Frey, Harald U.; Mende, Stephen B.; Immel, Thomas J.

2018-06-01

The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) Far Ultraviolet (FUV) imager, ICON FUV, will measure altitude profiles of OI 135.6 nm emissions to infer nighttime ionospheric parameters. Accurate estimation of the ionospheric state requires the development of a comprehensive radiative transfer model from first principles to quantify the effects of physical processes on the production and transport of the 135.6 nm photons in the ionosphere including the mutual neutralization contribution as well as the effect of resonant scattering by atomic oxygen and pure absorption by oxygen molecules. This forward model is then used in conjunction with a constrained optimization algorithm to invert the anticipated ICON FUV line-of-sight integrated measurements. In this paper, we describe the connection between ICON FUV measurements and the nighttime ionosphere, along with the approach to inverting the measured emission profiles to derive the associated O+ profiles from 150-450 km in the nighttime ionosphere that directly reflect the electron density in the F-region of the ionosphere.

Sporadic-E As Observed with Rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seddon, J. Carl

1961-01-01

Data obtained with rockets flown over New Mexico, U.S.A. and Manitoba, Canada have always shown the sporadic-E layer to be a thin layer with a large electron density gradient. The vertical electron density profiles and the horizontal uniformity of the sporadic-E layer are discussed herein. These layers have a strong tendency to form at preferential altitudes separated by approximately 6 km, and a striking correlation exists with wind- shears and magnetic field variations. In two cases where comparisons with ionograms were possible, the minimum frequency of the F-region echoes was found approximately equal to the plasma frequency of the sporadic-E layer reduced by half the gyrofrequency. On the other hand, the maximum frequency of the sporadic-E echoes as noted on ionograms was sometimes as much as 1 to 2 Mc greater than the plasma frequency.

High-Latitude Topside Ionospheric Vertical Electron Density Profile Changes in Response to Large Magnetic Storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, Robert F.; Fainberg, Joseph; Osherovich, Vladimir A.; Truhlik, Vladimir; Wang, Yongli; Bilitza, Dieter; Fung, Shing F.

2016-01-01

Large magnetic-storm-induced changes were detected in high-latitude topside vertical electron density profiles Ne(h) in a database of profiles and digital topside ionograms, from the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program, that enabled Ne(h) profiles to be obtained in nearly the same region of space before, during, and after a major magnetic storm (Dst -100nT). Storms where Ne(h) profiles were available in the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere had better coverage of solar wind parameters than storms with available Ne(h) profiles in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere. Large Ne(h) changes were observed during all storms, with enhancements and depletions sometimes near a factor of 10 and 0.1, respectively, but with substantial differences in the responses in the two hemispheres. Large spatial andor temporal Ne(h) changes were often observed during Dst minimum and during the storm recovery phase. The storm-induced Ne(h) changes were the most pronounced and consistent in the Northern Hemisphere in that large enhancements were observed during winter nighttime and large depletions during winter and spring daytime. The limited available cases suggested that these Northern Hemisphere enhancements increased with increases of the time-shifted solar wind velocity v, magnetic field B, and with more negative values of the B components except for the highest common altitude (1100km) of the profiles. There was also some evidence suggesting that the Northern Hemisphere depletions were related to changes in the solar wind parameters. Southern Hemisphere storm-induced enhancements and depletions were typically considerably less with depletions observed during summer nighttime conditions and enhancements during summer daytime and fall nighttime conditions.

High-latitude topside ionospheric vertical electron density profile changes in response to large magnetic storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, Robert F.; Fainberg, Joseph; Osherovich, Vladimir A.; Truhlik, Vladimir; Wang, Yongli; Bilitza, Dieter; Fung, Shing F.

2016-05-01

Large magnetic-storm-induced changes were detected in high-latitude topside vertical electron density profiles Ne(h) in a database of profiles and digital topside ionograms, from the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program, that enabled Ne(h) profiles to be obtained in nearly the same region of space before, during, and after a major magnetic storm (Dst < -100 nT). Storms where Ne(h) profiles were available in the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere had better coverage of solar wind parameters than storms with available Ne(h) profiles in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere. Large Ne(h) changes were observed during all storms, with enhancements and depletions sometimes near a factor of 10 and 0.1, respectively, but with substantial differences in the responses in the two hemispheres. Large spatial and/or temporal Ne(h) changes were often observed during Dst minimum and during the storm recovery phase. The storm-induced Ne(h) changes were the most pronounced and consistent in the Northern Hemisphere in that large enhancements were observed during winter nighttime and large depletions during winter and spring daytime. The limited available cases suggested that these Northern Hemisphere enhancements increased with increases of the time-shifted solar wind velocity v, magnetic field B, and with more negative values of the B components except for the highest common altitude (1100 km) of the profiles. There was also some evidence suggesting that the Northern Hemisphere depletions were related to changes in the solar wind parameters. Southern Hemisphere storm-induced enhancements and depletions were typically considerably less with depletions observed during summer nighttime conditions and enhancements during summer daytime and fall nighttime conditions.

Steep, Transient Density Gradients in the Martian Ionosphere Similar to the Ionopause at Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duru, Firdevs; Gurnett, Donald; Frahm, Rudy; Winningham, D. L.; Morgan, David; Howes, Gregory

Using Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft, the electron density can be measured by two methods: from the excitation of local plasma oscillations and from remote sounding. A study of the local electron density versus time for 1664 orbits revealed that in 132 orbits very sharp gradients in the electron density occurred that are similar to the ionopause boundary commonly observed at Venus. In 40 of these cases, remote sounding data have also confirmed identical locations of steep ionopause-like density gradients. Measurements from the Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) Electron Spectrometer (ELS) and Ion Mass Analyzer (IMA) instruments (also on Mars Express) verify that these sharp decreases in the electron density occur somewhere between the end of the region where ionospheric photoelectrons are dominant and the magnetosheath. Combined studies of the two experiments reveal that the steep density gradients define a boundary where the magnetic fields change from open to closed. This study shows that, although the individual cases are from a wide range of altitudes, the average altitude of the boundary as a function of solar zenith angle is almost constant. The average altitude is approximately 500 km up to solar zenith angles of 60o, after which it shows a slight increase. The average thickness of the boundary is about 22 km according to remote sounding measurements. The altitude of the steep gradients shows an increase at locations with strong crustal magnetic fields.

ALMA Measurements of the HNC and HC3N Distributions in Titan's Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordiner, M. A.; Nixon, C. A.; Teanby, N. A.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Serigano, J.; Charnley, S. B.; Milam, S. N.; Mumma, M. J.; Lis, D. C.; Villanueva, G.; Paganini, L.; Kuan, Y.-J.; Remijan, A. J.

2014-11-01

We present spectrally and spatially resolved maps of HNC and HC3N emission from Titan's atmosphere, obtained using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array on 2013 November 17. These maps show anisotropic spatial distributions for both molecules, with resolved emission peaks in Titan's northern and southern hemispheres. The HC3N maps indicate enhanced concentrations of this molecule over the poles, consistent with previous studies of Titan's photochemistry and atmospheric circulation. Differences between the spectrally integrated flux distributions of HNC and HC3N show that these species are not co-spatial. The observed spectral line shapes are consistent with HNC being concentrated predominantly in the mesosphere and above (at altitudes z >~ 400 km), whereas HC3N is abundant at a broader range of altitudes (z ≈ 70-600 km). From spatial variations in the HC3N line profile, the locations of the HC3N emission peaks are shown to be variable as a function of altitude. The peaks in the integrated emission from HNC and the line core (upper atmosphere) component of HC3N (at z >~ 300 km) are found to be asymmetric with respect to Titan's polar axis, indicating that the mesosphere may be more longitudinally variable than previously thought. The spatially integrated HNC and HC3N spectra are modeled using the NEMESIS planetary atmosphere code and the resulting best-fitting disk-averaged vertical mixing ratio profiles are found to be in reasonable agreement with previous measurements for these species. Vertical column densities of the best-fitting gradient models for HNC and HC3N are 1.9 × 1013 cm-2 and 2.3 × 1014 cm-2, respectively.

Low-Latitude Ionospheric Density Irregularities and Associated Scintillations Investigated by Combining COSMIC RO and Ground-Based Global Positioning System Observations Over a Solar Active Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhe; Liu, Zhizhao

2018-05-01

This study for the first time presents a locally integrated analysis of occurrences of ionospheric E and F region irregularities/scintillations in southeast China, by employing radio occultation (RO) profile data retrieved from Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellites and observations from a ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System receiver over a solar active period from 2014 to 2015. Their occurrences in both nighttime and daytime were examined by using both amplitude scintillation index (S4) and the rate of change of total electron content index. It is found that (1) F region irregularities occurred predominantly during 20-03 local time (LT) and exhibited maximum (minimum) during equinoxes (solstices) and equinoctial (solstice) asymmetry. Their geographic mapping reveals the maximum occurrence in the westward tilted structure of equatorial plasma bubbles. In addition, the altitude-time variations indicate that their occurrences at higher altitudes were prevailing at 20-22 LT. (2) The E region irregularities were found prominently during 15-00 LT at altitudes of 90-110 km with an even geographic distribution. Their occurrences with maximum in summer (May-August) were distinctly detected by RO observations but insignificantly by ground-based observations. (3) By examining simultaneous observations of E and F region irregularities, it is found that they appeared absent during 21-00 LT and predominant after midnight. This could be related to the weakening/disruption of sporadic E (Es) layers during the development of equatorial plasma bubbles. A sign of coupling of E and F regions during nighttime is likely revealed from RO profile data.

Comparison of low-altitude wind-shear statistics derived from measured and proposed standard wind profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Usry, J. W.

1983-01-01

Wind shear statistics were calculated for a simulated set of wind profiles based on a proposed standard wind field data base. Wind shears were grouped in altitude in altitude bands of 100 ft between 100 and 1400 ft and in wind shear increments of 0.025 knot/ft. Frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations for each altitude band were derived for the total sample were derived for both sets. It was found that frequency distributions in each altitude band for the simulated data set were more dispersed below 800 ft and less dispersed above 900 ft than those for the measured data set. Total sample frequency of occurrence for the two data sets was about equal for wind shear values between +0.075 knot/ft, but the simulated data set had significantly larger values for all wind shears outside these boundaries. It is shown that normal distribution in both data sets neither data set was normally distributed; similar results are observed from the cumulative frequency distributions.

The altitude distribution of the Venus ultraviolet nightglow and implications on vertical transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerard, J. C.; Stewart, A. I. F.; Bougher, S. W.

1981-01-01

The altitude distribution of the nitric oxide nightglow was measured with an ultraviolet spectrometer on board Pioneer Venus, in order to study the effects of the distribution on the Venus nightside lower thermosphere transport properties. Limb profiles were obtained with an 8 ms integration period on several orbits near periapsis. The observations were made between P minus 2 min and P plus 4 min, where altitude ranges between 150 and 350 km, and latitude varies from 24 degrees N to 9 degrees S. A method independent of the spacecraft attitude data was used to fit the observed limb profiles, and to find the altitude of the maximum of the layer (115 plus or minus 2 km), and the topside scale height (about 3 km). It is shown that downward transport by diffusion alone is not sufficient, and if vertical motion is parameterized by eddy diffusion, an eddy diffusion coefficient is deduced from the altitude of the layer.

Free-Spinning Wind-Tunnel Tests of a Low-Wing Monoplane with Systematic Changes in Wings and Tails V : Effect of Airplane Relative Density

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidman, Oscar; Neihouse, A I

1940-01-01

The reported tests are a continuation of an NACA investigation being made in the free-spinning wind tunnel to determine the effects of independent variations in load distribution, wing and tail arrangement, and control disposition on the spin characteristics of airplanes. The standard series of tests was repeated to determine the effect of airplane relative density. Tests were made at values of the relative-density parameter of 6.8, 8.4 (basic), and 12.0; and the results were analyzed. The tested variations in the relative-density parameter may be considered either as variations in the wing loading of an airplane spun at a given altitude, with the radii of gyration kept constant, or as a variation of the altitude at which the spin takes place for a given airplane. The lower values of the relative-density parameter correspond to the lower wing loadings or to the lower altitudes of the spin.

Solar Illumination Control of the Polar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maes, L.; Maggiolo, R.; De Keyser, J.; André, M.; Eriksson, A. I.; Haaland, S.; Li, K.; Poedts, S.

2017-11-01

Polar wind outflow is an important process through which the ionosphere supplies plasma to the magnetosphere. The main source of energy driving the polar wind is solar illumination of the ionosphere. As a result, many studies have found a relation between polar wind flux densities and solar EUV intensity, but less is known about their relation to the solar zenith angle at the ionospheric origin, certainly at higher altitudes. The low energy of the outflowing particles and spacecraft charging means it is very difficult to measure the polar wind at high altitudes. We take advantage of an alternative method that allows estimations of the polar wind flux densities far in the lobes. We analyze measurements made by the Cluster spacecraft at altitudes from 4 up to 20 RE. We observe a strong dependence on the solar zenith angle in the ion flux density and see that both the ion velocity and density exhibit a solar zenith angle dependence as well. We also find a seasonal variation of the flux density.

Water vapor variance measurements using a Raman lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, K.; Melfi, S. H.; Ferrare, R.; Whiteman, D.

1992-01-01

Because of the importance of atmospheric water vapor variance, we have analyzed data from the NASA/Goddard Raman lidar to obtain temporal scales of water vapor mixing ratio as a function of altitude over observation periods extending to 12 hours. The ground-based lidar measures water vapor mixing ration from near the earth's surface to an altitude of 9-10 km. Moisture profiles are acquired once every minute with 75 m vertical resolution. Data at each 75 meter altitude level can be displayed as a function of time from the beginning to the end of an observation period. These time sequences have been spectrally analyzed using a fast Fourier transform technique. An example of such a temporal spectrum obtained between 00:22 and 10:29 UT on December 6, 1991 is shown in the figure. The curve shown on the figure represents the spectral average of data from 11 height levels centered on an altitude of 1 km (1 plus or minus .375 km). The spectra shows a decrease in energy density with frequency which generally follows a -5/3 power law over the spectral interval 3x10 (exp -5) to 4x10 (exp -3) Hz. The flattening of the spectrum for frequencies greater than 6x10 (exp -3) Hz is most likely a measure of instrumental noise. Spectra like that shown in the figure are calculated for other altitudes and show changes in spectral features with height. Spectral analysis versus height have been performed for several observation periods which demonstrate changes in water vapor mixing ratio spectral character from one observation period to the next. The combination of these temporal spectra with independent measurements of winds aloft provide an opportunity to infer spatial scales of moisture variance.

Night side distribution of SO2 content in Venus' upper mesosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyaev, D. A.; Evdokimova, D. G.; Montmessin, F.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Korablev, O. I.; Fedorova, A. A.; Marcq, E.; Soret, L.; Luginin, M. S.

2017-09-01

In this paper we present the first night side distribution of SO2 content in Venus' upper mesosphere (altitudes from 85 to 105 km). The dataset is based on the SPICAV UV stellar occultation experiment which took place onboard ESA's Venus Express (VEX) orbiter in 2006-2014. The UV channel of SPICAV spectrometer detected absorption bands of SO2 and CO2 in the spectral range 180-300 nm with a resolution of 1-2 nm while stellar light was occulted by the mesosphere. Altitude profiles of sulfur dioxide's volume mixing ratio (VMR) could be retrieved in the upper part of the mesosphere covering the whole night side on Venus. In parallel, we have reprocessed the terminator UV solar occultations dataset (Belyaev et al., 2012. Icarus 217, 740-751) in the same altitude range and extended its statistics until 2014. On average the SO2 VMR increases with altitude from 10-30 ppb at 85 km to 100-300 ppb at 100 km in both regimes of occultation. The midnight SO2 abundance appears to be 3-4 times higher than in the terminator region: 150-200 ppbv versus 50 pppv at altitude around 95 km. These new results were compared with the distribution of oxygen atoms, which are tracers of the global subsolar-antisolar (SS-AS) circulation at ∼100 km (the data provided by Soret et al., 2012 Icarus, 217, 849-855). The night time behavior looks similar for SO2 molecules and O atoms with a correlation coefficient Rcorr = 0.73. Moreover, the retrieved SO2 enrichment above 85 km appears to correlate with the density of H2SO4 droplets (Luginin et al., 2016; Icarus 277, 154-170).

Maximization of orbiter altitude at ALT interface airspeed, mission planning, mission analysis and software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glenn, G. M.

1976-01-01

The determination of the separation initial conditions (i.e. incidence angle) that maximize orbiter altitude at the ALT interface airspeed is considered. Optimum altitude airspeed profiles are generated for each orbiter incidence angle and tailcone configuration. Results show that the highest separation altitude does not result in the highest altitude at ALT interface airspeed. The altitude attainable at ALT interface airspeed should therefore be considered in the selection of the initial conditions (i.e. incidence angle). Without violating any known constraints, the incidence angles that maximize orbiter altitude at the ALT interface airspeeds are 7.0 deg for ALT free flight 1 and 5.5 deg for ALT free flight 6.

The NASA/MSFC Global Reference Atmospheric Model-1995 version (GRAM-95)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Jeffries, W. R., III; Yung, S. P.; Johnson, D. L.

1995-01-01

The latest version of the Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM-95) is presented and discussed. GRAM-95 uses the new Global Upper Air Climatic Atlas (GUACA) CD-ROM data set, for 0- to 27-km altitudes. As with earlier versions, GRAM-95 provides complete geographical and altitude coverage for each month of the year. Individual years 1985 to 1991 and a period-of-record (1980 to 1991) can be simulated for the GUACA height range. GRAM-95 uses a specially developed data set, based on Middle Atmosphere Program (MAP) data, for the 20- to 120-km height range, and the NASA Marshall Engineering Thermosphere (MET) model for heights above 90 km. Fairing techniques assure a smooth transition in the overlap height ranges (20 to 27 km and 90 to 120 km). In addition to the traditional GRAM variables of pressure, density, temperature and wind components, GRAM-95 now includes water vapor and 11 other atmospheric constituents (O3, N2O, CO, CH4, CO2, N2, O2, O, A, He, and H). A new, variable-scale perturbation model provides both large-scale and small-scale deviations from mean values for the thermodynamic variables and horizontal and vertical wind components. The perturbation model includes new features that simulate intermittency (patchiness) in turbulence and small-scale perturbation fields. The density perturbations and density gradients (density shears) computed by the new model compare favorably in their statistical characteristics with observed density perturbations and density shears from 32 space shuttle reentry profiles. GRAM-95 provides considerable improvement in wind estimates from the new GUACA data set, compared to winds calculated from the geostrophic wind relations previously used in the 0- to 25-km height range. The GRAM-95 code has been put into a more modular form, easier to incorporate as subroutines in other programs (e.g., trajectory codes). A complete user's guide for running the program, plus sample input and output, is provided.

MGS Radio Science Electron Density Profiles: Interannual Variability and Implications for the Martian Neutral Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bougher, Stephen W.; Engel, S.; Hinson, D. P.; Murphy, J. R.

2003-01-01

Martian electron density profiles provided by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Radio Science (RS) experiment over the 95-200 km altitude range indicate that the height of the electron peak and the longitudinal structure of the peak height are sensitive indicators of the physical state of the Mars lower atmosphere. The present analysis is carried out on five sets of occultation profiles, all at high solar zenith angles (SZA). Variations spanning 2-Martian years are investigated near aphelion conditions at high Northern latitudes (64.7-77.6N). A mean ionospheric peak height of 133.5-135 km was obtained for all aphelion profiles near SZA = 78-82; a corresponding mean peak density of 7.3-8.5 x 10(exp 4)/cu cm was also measured, reflecting solar moderate conditions. Strong wave 2-3 oscillations in peak heights were observed as a function of longitude over both Martian seasons. The Mars Thermospheric General Circulation Model (MTGCM) is exercised for Mars aphelion conditions. The measured interannual variations in the mean and longitude structure of the peak heights are small (consistent with MTGCM simulations), signifying the repeatability of the Mars atmosphere during aphelion conditions. A non-migrating (semi-diurnal period, wave#l eastward propagating) tidal mode is likely responsible for the wave#3 longitude features identified. The height of this photochemically driven peak can be observed to provide an ongoing monitor of the changing state of the Mars lower atmosphere. The magnitudes of these same peaks may reflect more than changing solar EUV fluxes when they are located in the vicinity of Mars crustal magnetic field centers.

75 FR 15632 - Proposed Amendment to and Establishment of Restricted Areas and Other Special Use Airspace...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... restricted area is inadequate for training at medium to high altitudes. The restricted areas R-2402B and R...- 2402, at 30,000 feet MSL, is considered adequate for medium to high altitude weapons employment tactics... lateral maneuvering airspace needed to practice medium to high altitude standoff weapon delivery profiles...

Vertical structure of Venus polar thermosphere from in-situ data of the Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller-Wodarg, Ingo; Svedhem, Håkan; Bruinsma, Sean; Gurvits, Leonid; Cimo, Giuseppe; Molera Calves, Guifre; Bocanegra Bahamon, Tatiana; Rosenblatt, Pascal; Duev, Dmitry; Marty, Jean-Charles; Progebenko, Sergei

The Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE) has enabled first ever in-situ measurements of the density of the near-polar thermosphere of Venus above an altitude of 165 km. The measured values have been compared with existing models such as VTS3, which has been built mainly with the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Mass Spectrometer (PV-ONMS) data taken near 16˚ latitude, but extrapolated globally. The VExADE density values have been derived from the Precise Orbit Determination (POD) of the VEx spacecraft using both navigation and dedicated tracking data around pericenter passes during several VExADE campaigns. The last campaign has also benefited from the Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) tracking. The combination of POD techniques has provided 46 reliable estimates of the polar thermosphere density. An independent set of density measurements was also taken by inferring the torque of the VEx spacecraft exerted by Venus’ upper atmosphere on the spacecraft during pericenter passes. This method has provided more than 120 density values in remarkably good agreement with the density values provided by the POD method. To date, the VExADE data have probed a range of 160 to 185 km in altitude, 80 to 90 degrees North in latitude and 5 to 20 hours in local time. While sampling in these ranges is insufficient to establish detailed horizontal density structures of the polar thermosphere a set of important properties can be inferred. First, the densities are lower by a factor of around 1.5 than the densities predicted by VTS3. At the same time, we find the density scale heights of VExADE and VTS3 to be consistent. Second, the density values exhibit strong variability, which is not taken into account in the VTS3 model. In order to investigate this dynamical behavior of the polar thermosphere, the ratio between the VExADE and VTS3 density has been analyzed. The latitude, altitude and local time trends are tentatively identified, but the sparse sampling provided by the VExADE data prevents us from drawing any definitive conclusions. We tentatively interpret the measured densities by a vertical wave-like pattern in the thermosphere with the amplitude of about 40% of the mean density value and a vertical wavelength of about 15 km. The causes of this vertical structure are as yet unknown. In order to improve sampling in this altitude range and thereby advance our understanding of the behavior of the polar thermosphere, further measurements are needed. An opportunity will be offered by the forthcoming aerobraking campaign scheduled for June-July 2014. The altitude of the spacecraft will decrease down to 130 km where the sensitivity of the accelerometer will enable density measurements. Tracking data and torque data may still be used to provide reliable density measurements at higher altitudes (150 to 185 km range).

Simulating TGF and gamma ray emission above and within stormclouds due to the interaction of TeV cosmic ray shower electrons/positrons/photons with plausible electric field geometries generated in stormclouds.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connell, P. H.

2017-12-01

The University of Valencia has developed a software simulator LEPTRACK to simulate lepton and photon scattering in any kind of media with a variable density, and permeated by electric/magnetic fields of any geometry, and which can handle an exponential runaway avalanche. Here we show results of simulating the interaction of electrons/positrons/photons in an incoming TeV cosmic ray shower with the kind of electric fields expected in a stormcloud after a CG discharge which removes much of the positive charge build up at the centre of the cloud. The point is to show not just a Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanche (RREA) above the upper negative shielding layer at 12 km but other gamma ray emission due to electron/positron interaction in the remaining positive charge around 9km and the lower negative charge at 6km altitude. We present here images, lightcurves, altitude profiles, spectra and videos showing the different ionization, excitation and photon density fields produced, their time evolution, and how they depend critically on where the cosmic ray shower beam intercepts the electric field geometry. We also show a new effect of incoming positrons, which make up a significant fraction of the shower, where they appear to "orbit" within the high altitude negative shielding layer, and which has been conjectured to produce significant microwave emission, as well as a short range 511 keV annihilation line. The interesting question is if this conjectured emission can be observed and correlated with TGF orbital observations to prove that a TGF originates in the macro-fields of stormclouds or the micro-fields of light leaders and streamers where this "positron orbiting" is not likely to occur.

Global hybrid simulation of the solar wind interaction with the dayside of Venus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, K.R.; Thomas, V.A.; McComas, D.J.

1991-05-01

The authors present a 3-dimensional global hybrid simulation of the interaction of the solar wind with the entire dayside of Venus. The model obstacle is half the size of Venus, and planetary ion mass loading is included self-consistently. Results are compared to observations as well as to results from gasdynamic convected field modeling. Magnetic field magnitudes and bulk flow speeds along the planet-Sun line are comparable in both models, but only the hybrid model reproduces the experimentally observed magnetic barrier proton density depletions. The finite gyroradius of the planetary pickup ions causes a number density asymmetry in the direction ofmore » the convective ({minus}V {times} B) electric field, as predicted and observed. Mass addition consistent with photoionization of the planetary neutral hot oxygen corona has little effect on the geometry of the shock, including the subsolar and terminator shock altitudes. Mass addition rates well in excess of likely values are required to significantly affect the model shock geometry. The hybrid model results imply that oxygen ions originating deep within the dayside Venus magnetic barrier are nearly fluidlike while oxygen ions produced higher on the dayside, at much lower densities, behave more as test particles. Gasdynamic modeling incorporating both fluid and test particle mass addition reproduces the O{sup +} terminator escape flux (a few times 10{sup 24} s{sup {minus}1}) found in the hybrid model and inferred from observations, but underestimates the escape region spatial extent. The hybrid model predictions include a shock asymmetry dependent on the upstream IMF orientation, asymmetries in the magnetic barrier position and field magnitude, an asymmetry in pickup ion speed altitude profiles, and a finite gyroradius effect asymmetry in pickup ion number density caused by field draping.« less

A Condensation–coalescence Cloud Model for Exoplanetary Atmospheres: Formulation and Test Applications to Terrestrial and Jovian Clouds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ohno, Kazumasa; Okuzumi, Satoshi

A number of transiting exoplanets have featureless transmission spectra that might suggest the presence of clouds at high altitudes. A realistic cloud model is necessary to understand the atmospheric conditions under which such high-altitude clouds can form. In this study, we present a new cloud model that takes into account the microphysics of both condensation and coalescence. Our model provides the vertical profiles of the size and density of cloud and rain particles in an updraft for a given set of physical parameters, including the updraft velocity and the number density of cloud condensation nuclei (CCNs). We test our modelmore » by comparing with observations of trade-wind cumuli on Earth and ammonia ice clouds in Jupiter. For trade-wind cumuli, the model including both condensation and coalescence gives predictions that are consistent with observations, while the model including only condensation overestimates the mass density of cloud droplets by up to an order of magnitude. For Jovian ammonia clouds, the condensation–coalescence model simultaneously reproduces the effective particle radius, cloud optical thickness, and cloud geometric thickness inferred from Voyager observations if the updraft velocity and CCN number density are taken to be consistent with the results of moist convection simulations and Galileo probe measurements, respectively. These results suggest that the coalescence of condensate particles is important not only in terrestrial water clouds but also in Jovian ice clouds. Our model will be useful to understand how the dynamics, compositions, and nucleation processes in exoplanetary atmospheres affect the vertical extent and optical thickness of exoplanetary clouds via cloud microphysics.« less

One-Dimensional Full Wave Simulation of Equatorial Magnetosonic Wave Propagation in an Inhomogeneous Magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xu; Chen, Lunjin; Yang, Lixia; Xia, Zhiyang; Malaspina, David M.

2018-01-01

The effect of the plasmapause on equatorially radially propagating fast magnetosonic (MS) waves in the Earth's dipole magnetic field is studied by using finite difference time domain method. We run 1-D simulation for three different density profiles: (1) no plasmapause, (2) with a plasmapause, and (3) with a plasmapause accompanied with fine-scale density irregularity. We find that (1) without plasmapause the radially inward propagating MS wave can reach ionosphere and continuously propagate to lower altitude if no damping mechanism is considered. The wave properties follow the cold plasma dispersion relation locally along its trajectory. (2) For simulation with a plasmapause with a scale length of 0.006 RE compared to wavelength, only a small fraction of the MS wave power is reflected by the plasmapause. WKB approximation is generally valid for such plasmapause. (3) The multiple fine-scale density irregularities near the outer edge of plasmapause can effectively block the MS wave propagation, resulting in a terminating boundary for MS waves near the plasmapause.

Vertically resolved characteristics of air pollution during two severe winter haze episodes in urban Beijing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingqing; Sun, Yele; Xu, Weiqi; Du, Wei; Zhou, Libo; Tang, Guiqian; Chen, Chen; Cheng, Xueling; Zhao, Xiujuan; Ji, Dongsheng; Han, Tingting; Wang, Zhe; Li, Jie; Wang, Zifa

2018-02-01

We conducted the first real-time continuous vertical measurements of particle extinction (bext), gaseous NO2, and black carbon (BC) from ground level to 260 m during two severe winter haze episodes at an urban site in Beijing, China. Our results illustrated four distinct types of vertical profiles: (1) uniform vertical distributions (37 % of the time) with vertical differences less than 5 %, (2) higher values at lower altitudes (29 %), (3) higher values at higher altitudes (16 %), and (4) significant decreases at the heights of ˜ 100-150 m (14 %). Further analysis demonstrated that vertical convection as indicated by mixing layer height, temperature inversion, and local emissions are three major factors affecting the changes in vertical profiles. Particularly, the formation of type 4 was strongly associated with the stratified layer that was formed due to the interactions of different air masses and temperature inversions. Aerosol composition was substantially different below and above the transition heights with ˜ 20-30 % higher contributions of local sources (e.g., biomass burning and cooking) at lower altitudes. A more detailed evolution of vertical profiles and their relationship with the changes in source emissions, mixing layer height, and aerosol chemistry was illustrated by a case study. BC showed overall similar vertical profiles as those of bext (R2 = 0.92 and 0.69 in November and January, respectively). While NO2 was correlated with bext for most of the time, the vertical profiles of bext / NO2 varied differently for different profiles, indicating the impact of chemical transformation on vertical profiles. Our results also showed that more comprehensive vertical measurements (e.g., more aerosol and gaseous species) at higher altitudes in the megacities are needed for a better understanding of the formation mechanisms and evolution of severe haze episodes in China.

MGS Radio Science Electron Density Profiles: Interannual Variability and Implications for the Martian Neutral Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bougher, S. W.; Engel, S.; Hinson, D. P.; Murphy, J. R.

2004-01-01

Martian electron density profiles provided by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Radio Science (RS) experiment over the 95-200 km altitude range indicate what the height of the electron peak and the longitudinal structure of the peak height are sensitive indicators of the physical state of the Mars lower and upper atmospheres. The present analysis is carried out on five sets of occultation profiles, all at high solar zenith angles (SZA). Variations spanning 2 Martian years are investigated near aphelion conditions at high northern latitudes (64.7 - 77.6 N) making use of four of these data sets. A mean ionospheric peak height of 133.5 - 135 km is obtained near SZA = 78 - 82 deg.; a corresponding mean peak density of 7.3 - 8.5 x l0(exp 4)/ qu cm is also measured during solar moderate conditions at Mars. Strong wave number 2 - 3 oscillations in peak heights are consistently observed as a function of longitude over the 2 Martian years. These observed ionospheric features are remarkably similar during aphelion conditions 1 Martian year apart. This year-to-year repeatability in the thermosphere-ionosphere structure is consistent with that observed in multiyear aphelion temperature data of the Mars lower atmosphere. Coupled Mars general circulation model (MGCM) and Mars thermospheric general circulation model (MTGCM) codes are run for Mars aphelion conditions, yielding mean and longitude variable ionospheric peak heights that reasonably match RS observations. A tidal decomposition of MTGCM thermospheric densities shows that observed ionospheric wave number 3 features are linked to a non-migrating tidal mode with semidiurnal period (sigma = 2) and zonal wave number 1 (s = -1) characteristics. The height of this photochemically determined ionospheric peak should be monitored regularly.

Measurements of Thermospheric O2 Density from GOLD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lumpe, J. D.; Correira, J.; Evans, J. S.; Eastes, R.; McClintock, B.; Beland, S.

2016-12-01

The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) instrument, scheduled for launch in 2017, will image the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere in the far ultraviolet from geostationary orbit. GOLD will measure a number of critical geophysical parameters, including thermospheric temperature and composition, by continuously scanning the Earth's disk and limb 18 hours per day. GOLD will also routinely perform stellar occultation measurements using bright type O and B stars. These provide a direct measurement of the atmospheric slant path transmission profile in the O2 Schumann Runge continuum, which will be used to retrieve O2 density profiles between approximately 120 and 250 km altitude. In nominal operational mode GOLD will measure approximately 12 occultation events per day. These measurements will occur at latitudes ranging from 60S to 60N at two longitudes, corresponding to the east and west limbs as observed from GOLD's fixed orbit position. Depending on timing and availability each target star can be observed twice daily, in both rising and setting mode. Additionally, both daytime and nighttime occultations are possible, which allows for O2 retrievals over a wide range of local times. Results of detailed retrieval simulations show that the precision and accuracy of the retrieved O2 density will be 10-20% depending on star brightness. We present a summary of the expected spatial, temporal and local time sampling of the GOLD Level 2 O2 data products. This data set will shed light on the response of the O2 density profile to geomagnetic disturbances and solar UV variability, and help address the extent to which the O2 distribution is determined by simple diffusive equilibrium as opposed to chemistry, which can operate on much shorter timescales.

Study of Some Planetary Atmospheres Features by Probe Entry and Descent Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gil, P. J. S.; Rosa, P. M. B.

2005-01-01

Characterization of planetary atmospheres is analyzed by its effects in the entry and descent trajectories of probes. Emphasis is on the most important variables that characterize atmospheres e.g. density profile with altitude. Probe trajectories are numerically determined with ENTRAP, a developing multi-purpose computational tool for entry and descent trajectory simulations capable of taking into account many features and perturbations. Real data from Mars Pathfinder mission is used. The goal is to be able to determine more accurately the atmosphere structure by observing real trajectories and what changes are to expect in probe descent trajectories if atmospheres have different properties than the ones assumed initially.

Cusp Dynamics-Particle Acceleration by Alfven Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ergun, Robert E.; Parker, Scott A.

2005-01-01

Successful results were obtained from this research project. This investigation answered and/or made progresses on each of the four important questions that were proposed: (1) How do Alfven waves propagate on dayside open field lines? (2) How are precipitating electrons influenced by propagating Alfven waves? (3) How are various cusp electron distributions generated? (4) How are Alfven waves modified by electrons? During the first year of this investigation, the input parameters, such as density and temperature altitude profiles, of the gyrofluid code on the cusp field lines were constructed based on 3-point satellite observations. The initial gyrofluid result was presented at the GEM meeting by Dr. Samuel Jones.

Altitude, gun ownership, rural areas, and suicide.

PubMed

Kim, Namkug; Mickelson, Jennie B; Brenner, Barry E; Haws, Charlotte A; Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah A; Renshaw, Perry F

2011-01-01

The authors recently observed a correlation between state altitude and suicide rate in the United States, which could be explained by higher rates of gun ownership and lower population density in the intermountain West. The present study evaluated the relationship between mean county and state altitude in the United States and total age-adjusted suicide rates, firearm-related suicide rates, and non-firearm-related suicide rates. The authors hypothesized that altitude would be significantly associated with suicide rate. Elevation data were calculated with an approximate spatial resolution of 0.5 km, using zonal statistics on data sets compiled from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Suicide and population density data were obtained through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER database. Gun ownership data were obtained through the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. A significant positive correlation was observed between age-adjusted suicide rate and county elevation (r=0.51). Firearm (r=0.41) and non-firearm suicide rates (r=0.32) were also positively correlated with mean county elevation. When altitude, gun ownership, and population density are considered as predictor variables for suicide rates on a state basis, altitude appears to be a significant independent risk factor. This association may be related to the effects of metabolic stress associated with mild hypoxia in individuals with mood disorders.

Altitude, Gun Ownership, Rural Areas, and Suicide

PubMed Central

Kim, Namkug; Mickelson, Jennie B.; Brenner, Barry E.; Haws, Charlotte A.; Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah A.; Renshaw, Perry F.

2015-01-01

Objective The authors recently observed a correlation between state altitude and suicide rate in the United States, which could be explained by higher rates of gun ownership and lower population density in the intermountain West. The present study evaluated the relationship between mean county and state altitude in the United States and total age-adjusted suicide rates, firearm-related suicide rates, and non-firearm-related suicide rates. The authors hypothesized that altitude would be significantly associated with suicide rate. Method Elevation data were calculated with an approximate spatial resolution of 0.5 km, using zonal statistics on data sets compiled from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Suicide and population density data were obtained through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER database. Gun ownership data were obtained through the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Results A significant positive correlation was observed between age-adjusted suicide rate and county elevation (r=0.51). Firearm (r=0.41) and non-firearm suicide rates (r=0.32) were also positively correlated with mean county elevation. Conclusions When altitude, gun ownership, and population density are considered as predictor variables for suicide rates on a state basis, altitude appears to be a significant independent risk factor. This association may be related to the effects of metabolic stress associated with mild hypoxia in individuals with mood disorders. PMID:20843869

Preacclimatization in hypoxic chambers for high altitude sojourns.

PubMed

Küpper, Thomas E A H; Schöffl, Volker

2010-09-01

Since hypoxic chambers are more and more available, they are used for preacclimatization to prepare for sojourns at high altitude. Since there are different protocols and the data differ, there is no general consensus about the standard how to perform preacclimatization by simulated altitude. The paper reviews the different types of exposure and focuses on the target groups which may benefit from preacclimatization. Since data about intermittent hypoxia for some hours per day to reduce the incidence of acute mountain sickness differ, it is suggested to perform preacclimatization by sleeping some nights at a simulated altitude which follows the altitude profile of the "gold standard" for high altitude acclimatization.

Identification of novel serum peptide biomarkers for high-altitude adaptation: a comparative approach

PubMed Central

Yang, Juan; Li, Wenhua; Liu, Siyuan; Yuan, Dongya; Guo, Yijiao; Jia, Cheng; Song, Tusheng; Huang, Chen

2016-01-01

We aimed to identify serum biomarkers for screening individuals who could adapt to high-altitude hypoxia at sea level. HHA (high-altitude hypoxia acclimated; n = 48) and HHI (high-altitude hypoxia illness; n = 48) groups were distinguished at high altitude, routine blood tests were performed for both groups at high altitude and at sea level. Serum biomarkers were identified by comparing serum peptidome profiling between HHI and HHA groups collected at sea level. Routine blood tests revealed the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells were significantly higher in HHI than in HHA at high altitude. Serum peptidome profiling showed that ten significantly differentially expressed peaks between HHA and HHI at sea level. Three potential serum peptide peaks (m/z values: 1061.91, 1088.33, 4057.63) were further sequence identified as regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 fragment (ITIH4 347–356), regions of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H1 fragment (ITIH1 205–214), and isoform 1 of fibrinogen α chain precursor (FGA 588–624). Expression of their full proteins was also tested by ELISA in HHA and HHI samples collected at sea level. Our study provided a novel approach for identifying potential biomarkers for screening people at sea level who can adapt to high altitudes. PMID:27150491

Monte Carlo Simulation of Callisto's Exosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorburger, Audrey; Wurz, Peter; Galli, André; Mousis, Olivier; Barabash, Stas; Lammer, Helmut

2014-05-01

Whereas Callisto's surface has been mapped as early as in 1980 by the two Voyager missions, Callisto's tenuous atmosphere, also called an exosphere, was not directly observed until the Galileo mission in 1999. The Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer detected a CO2 signal up to 100 km above the surface [Carlson, Science, 1999]. Radio occultation measurements, also conducted by Galileo, led to the detection of an ionosphere with inferred densities much higher than can be explained by the measured CO2 exosphere, though [Kliore et al., J. Geophys. Res, 2002]. Insight about Callisto's exosphere is expected to be boosted by the Neutral Ion Mass Spectrometer (NIM) of the Particle Environment Package (PEP) on board the planned JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, which will conduct the first-ever direct sampling of the exospheres of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. To ensure that NIM's mass resolution and mass range will be sufficient for NIM to detect most expected species in Callisto's exosphere, we model said exosphere ab initio. Since Callisto is thought to consist to about equal parts of both icy and rocky components [Showman and Malhotra, Science, 1999], we model particle release from an icy as well as from a mineral surface separately. For the ice component, we investigate two different compositions, for reducing and oxidising conditions, which find analogy in the initial gas phase conditions in the solar nebula [Mousis et al., Planet. Space Sci., submitted]. For the non-ice material, the mineral surface, we investigate surfaces with compositions similar to CI chondrites and L/LL type chondrites, both of which have been suggested to represent Callisto's non-ice material best [Kuskov and Kronrod, Icarus, 2005 and Moore et al., Cambridge University Press, 2004]. For all mentioned materials, we compute density profiles for particles released by either surface sublimation or ion induced sputtering up to an altitude of 100'000 km. Our results show that close to the surface the sublimated particles dominate the day-side exosphere, however, their density profiles (with the exception of H and H2) decrease much more rapidly with altitude than those of the sputtered particles, thus, the latter particles start to dominate at altitudes above ~1000 km. Since the JUICE flybys are as low as 200 km above Callisto's surface, NIM is expected to register both the sublimated as well as sputtered particle populations. Our simulations show that NIM's sensitivity is high enough to allow the detection of particles sputtered from the icy as well as the mineral surfaces, and to distinguish between the different composition models.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Radio Occultation Ionospheric Measurements at Mid-Latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keele, C.; Brum, C. G. M.; Rodrigues, F. S.; Aponte, N.; Sulzer, M. P.

2015-12-01

The GPS radio occultation (RO) has become a widely used technique for global measurements of the ionospheric electron density (Ne). To advance our understanding of the accuracy of the RO profiles at mid latitudes, we performed a comprehensive comparison of RO measurements made by the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellites and observations of Ne profiles made by the Arecibo Observatory incoherent scatter radar (ISR). COSMIC is formed by six satellites in circular, 800 km altitude low-Earth orbit (LEO) at 72° inclination. The satellites orbit in their own plane, approximately 24° apart in ascending node. The satellites are equipped with dual-frequency GPS receivers capable of making measurements of the total electron content (TEC) along the signal path and, therefore, RO observations. The Arecibo ISR, located at(18.35°N, 66.75°W; ˜28.25°N dip latitude), operates at a frequency of 430 MHz with a maximum bandwidth of about 1 MHz. The large collecting area provided by the 300 m dish antenna combined with high peak power transmitters (2.0-2.5 MW) allows the radar to make accurate Ne measurements throughout the entire ionospheric F-region and topside heights. We analyzed 74 and 89 days of line feed and Gregorian data, respectively, collected between 2006 and 2014. There were 638 RO profiles measured within 10° of latitude and 20° of longitude from Arecibo Observatory and within ±10 minutes of the radar measurements. Preliminary analyses of the observations show patterns in the relationship between densities measured by the Arecibo ISR and densities estimated from the COSMIC ROs. We will present and discuss the behavior of the patterns. We will also present results of a numerical model representing the patterns and discuss the possibility of using this model to improve RO estimates of density profiles.

Variation of biomass and carbon pool with NDVI and altitude in sub-tropical forests of northwestern Himalaya.

PubMed

Bhardwaj, D R; Banday, Muneesa; Pala, Nazir A; Rajput, Bhalendra Singh

2016-11-01

In the present study, forests at three altitudes, viz., A 1 (600-900 m), A 2 (900-1200 m) and A 3 (1200-1500 m) above mean sea level having normalised differential vegetation index (NDVI) values of N 1 (0.0-0.1), N 2 (0.1-0.2), N 3 (0.2-0.3), N 4 (0.3-0.4) and N 5 (0.4-0.5) were selected for studying their relationship with the biomass and carbon pool in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study reported maximum stem density of (928 trees ha -1 ) at the A 2 altitude and minimum in the A 3 and A 1 with 600 trees ha -1 each. The stem densities in relation to NDVIs were observed in the order N 5 > N 3 > N 4 > N 1 > N 2 and did not show any definite trend with increasing altitude. Highest stem volume (295.7 m 3  ha -1 ) was observed in N 1 NDVI and minimum (194.1 m 3  ha -1 ) in N 3 index. The trend observed for stem biomass at different altitudes was A 3 > A 1 > A 2 and for NDVIs, it was N 5 > N 1 > N 4 > N 2 > N 3 . Maximum aboveground biomass (265.83 t ha -1 ) was recorded in the 0.0-0.1 NDVI and minimum (169.05 t ha -1 ) in 0.2-0.3 NDVI index. Significantly, maximum total soil carbon density (90.82 t C ha -1 ) was observed in 0.4-0.5 NDVI followed by 0.3-0.4 NDVI (77.12 t C ha -1 ). The relationship between soil carbon and other studied parameters was derived through different functions simultaneously. Cubic function showed highest r 2 in most cases, followed by power, inverse and exponential function. The relationship with NDVI showed highest r 2 (0.62) through cubic functions. In relationship between ecosystem carbon with other parameters of different altitudinal gradient and NDVI, only one positively significant relation was formed with total density (0.579) through cubic function. The present study thus reveals that soil carbon density was directly related to altitude and NDVIs, but the vegetation carbon density did not bear any significant relation with altitude and NDVI.

Determination of the altitude of the nitric acid layer from very high resolution ground-based IR solar spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blatherwick, R. D.; Murcray, F. J.; Murcray, D. G.; Locker, M. H.

1991-01-01

A ground-based solar spectrum at a spectral resolution of about 0.002/cm is used to determine the altitude of the HNO3 layer. The 870/cm spectral region, which is essentially free from absorptions from other species, is employed. The data were obtained with the University of Denver 2.5-m maximum path difference Fourier Transform interferometer spectrometer system. A set of 13 HNO3 vertical profiles were used in the analysis. The best fit obtained for the 'starting' profile (which is centered at 24 km), and the best fit for the profile centered at 26 km are shown. For displacements of greater than 2 km, the discrepancy between the synthetic and observed spectra becomes readily discernible by inspection of the spectra. It is shown that the 'best fit' rms residuals are quite sensitive to the assumed altitude of the HNO3 layer.

A novel technique for evaluating the volcanic cloud top altitude using GPS Radio Occultation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biondi, Riccardo; Corradini, Stefano; Guerrieri, Lorenzo; Merucci, Luca; Stelitano, Dario; Pugnaghi, Sergio

2017-04-01

Volcanic ash and sulfuric gases are a major hazards to aviation since they damage the aircraft engines also at large distance from the eruption. Many challenges given by volcanic explosive eruptions are still discussed and several issues are far from being solved. The cloud top altitude can be detected with different techniques, but the accuracy is still quite coarse. This parameter is important for the air traffic to know what altitude can be ash free, and it assumes a key role for the contribution of the eruption to the climate change. Moreover, the cloud top altitude is also strictly related to the mass ejected by the eruption and represent a key parameter for the ash and SO2 retrievals by using several techniques. The Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) technique enables real time measurement of atmospheric density structure in any meteorological condition, in remote areas and during extreme atmospheric events with high vertical resolution and accuracy and this makes the RO an interesting tool for this kind of studies. In this study we have tracked the Eyjafjöll 2010 eruption by using MODIS satellite measurements and retrieved the volcanic cloud top altitudes by using two different procedures exploiting the thermal infrared CO2 absorption bands around 13.4 micrometers. The first approach is a modification of the standard CO2 slicing method while the second is based on look up tables computations. We have then selected all the RO profiles co-located with the volcanic cloud and implemented an algorithm based on the variation of the bending angle for detecting the cloud top altitude with high accuracy. The results of the comparison between the MODIS and RO volcanic height retrievals are encouraging and suggesting that, due to their independence from weather conditions and due to their high vertical resolution, the RO observations can contribute to improved detection and monitoring of volcanic clouds and to support warning systems.

An airborne sensor for the avoidance of clear air turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, B. L.

1981-01-01

This paper describes an airborne microwave radiometer that may be able to provide altitude guidance away from layers containing clear air turbulence, CAT. The sensor may also be able to predict upper limits for the severity of upcoming CAT. The 55 GHz radiometer is passive, not radar, and it measures the temperature of oxygen molecules in the viewing direction (averaged along a several-kilometer path). A small computer directs the viewing direction through elevation angle scans, and converts observed quantities to an 'altitude temperature profile'. The principle for CAT avoidance is that CAT is found statistically more often within inversion layers and at the tropopause, both of which are easily located from sensor-generated altitude temperature profiles.

New distributed radar technology based on UAV or UGV application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molchanov, Pavlo A.; Contarino, Vincent M.

2013-05-01

Regular micro and nano radars cannot provide reliable tracking of low altitude low profile aerial targets in urban and mountain areas because of reflection and re-reflections from buildings and terrain. They become visible and vulnerable to guided missiles if positioned on a tower or blimp. Doppler radar cannot distinguish moving cars and small low altitude aerial targets in an urban area. A new concept of pocket size distributed radar technology based on the application of UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicles), UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) is proposed for tracking of low altitude low profile aerial targets at short and medium distances for protection of stadium, camp, military facility in urban or mountain areas.

Enceladus Plume Density Modeling and Reconstruction for Cassini Attitude Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarani, Siamak

2010-01-01

In 2005, Cassini detected jets composed mostly of water, spouting from a set of nearly parallel rifts in the crust of Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn. During an Enceladus flyby, either reaction wheels or attitude control thrusters on the Cassini spacecraft are used to overcome the external torque imparted on Cassini due to Enceladus plume or jets, as well as to slew the spacecraft in order to meet the pointing needs of the on-board science instruments. If the estimated imparted torque is larger than it can be controlled by the reaction wheel control system, thrusters are used to control the spacecraft. Having an engineering model that can predict and simulate the external torque imparted on Cassini spacecraft due to the plume density during all projected low-altitude Enceladus flybys is important. Equally important is being able to reconstruct the plume density after each flyby in order to calibrate the model. This paper describes an engineering model of the Enceladus plume density, as a function of the flyby altitude, developed for the Cassini Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem, and novel methodologies that use guidance, navigation, and control data to estimate the external torque imparted on the spacecraft due to the Enceladus plume and jets. The plume density is determined accordingly. The methodologies described have already been used to reconstruct the plume density for three low-altitude Enceladus flybys of Cassini in 2008 and will continue to be used on all remaining low-altitude Enceladus flybys in Cassini's extended missions.

An empirical model of the topside plasma density around 600 km based on ROCSAT-1 and Hinotori observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, He; Chen, Yiding; Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Wan, Weixing

2015-05-01

It is an urgent task to improve the ability of ionospheric empirical models to more precisely reproduce the plasma density variations in the topside ionosphere. Based on the Republic of China Satellite 1 (ROCSAT-1) observations, we developed a new empirical model of topside plasma density around 600 km under relatively quiet geomagnetic conditions. The model reproduces the ROCSAT-1 plasma density observations with a root-mean-square-error of 0.125 in units of lg(Ni(cm-3)) and reasonably describes the temporal and spatial variations of plasma density at altitudes in the range from 550 to 660 km. The model results are also in good agreement with observations from Hinotori, Coupled Ion-Neutral Dynamics Investigations/Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System satellites and the incoherent scatter radar at Arecibo. Further, we combined ROCSAT-1 and Hinotori data to improve the ROCSAT-1 model and built a new model (R&H model) after the consistency between the two data sets had been confirmed with the original ROCSAT-1 model. In particular, we studied the solar activity dependence of topside plasma density at a fixed altitude by R&H model and find that its feature slightly differs from the case when the orbit altitude evolution is ignored. In addition, the R&H model shows the merging of the two crests of equatorial ionization anomaly above the F2 peak, while the IRI_Nq topside option always produces two separate crests in this range of altitudes.

Equatorial Density Irregularity Structures at Intermediate Scales and Their Temporal Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kil, Hyosub; Heelis, R. A.

1998-01-01

We examine high resolution measurements of ion density in the equatorial ionosphere from the AE-E satellite during the years 1977-1981. Structure over spatial scales from 18 km to 200 m is characterized by the spectrum of irregularities at larger and smaller scales and at altitudes above 350 km and below 300 km. In the low-altitude region, only small amplitude large-scale (lambda greater than 5 km) density modulations are often observed, and thus the power spectrum of these density structures exhibits a steep spectral slope at kilometer scales. In the high-altitude region, sinusoidal density fluctuations, characterized by enhanced power near 1-km scale, are frequently observed during 2000-0200 LT. However, such fluctuations are confined to regions at the edges of larger bubble structures where the average background density is high. Small amplitude irregularity structures, observed at early local time hours, grow rapidly to high-intensity structures in about 90 min. Fully developed structures, which are observed at late local time hours, decay very slowly producing only-small differences in spectral characteristics even 4 hours later. The local time evolution of irregularity structure is investigated by using average statistics for low-(1% less than sigma less than 5%) and high-intensity (sigma greater than 10%) structures. At lower altitudes, little chance in the spectral slope is seen as a function of local time, while at higher attitudes the growth and maintenance of structures near 1 km scales dramatically affects the spectral slope.

Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, R. K.; Dunkerton, T. J.

2017-04-01

Zonal mean zonal velocity profiles from cloud-tracking observations on Jupiter and Saturn are used to infer latitudinal variations of potential temperature consistent with a shear stable potential vorticity distribution. Immediately below the cloud tops, density stratification is weaker on the poleward and stronger on the equatorward flanks of midlatitude jets, while at greater depth the opposite relation holds. Thermal wind balance then yields the associated vertical shears of midlatitude jets in an altitude range bounded above by the cloud tops and bounded below by the level where the latitudinal gradient of static stability changes sign. The inferred vertical shear below the cloud tops is consistent with existing thermal profiling of the upper troposphere. The sense of the associated mean meridional circulation in the upper troposphere is discussed, and expected magnitudes are given based on existing estimates of the radiative timescale on each planet.

Four-dimensional world-wide atmospheric models (surface to 25 km altitude)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiegler, D. B.; Fowler, M. G.

1972-01-01

Four-dimensional atmospheric models previously developed for use as input to atmospheric attenuation models are evaluated to determine where refinements are warranted. The models are refined where appropriate. A computerized technique is developed that has the unique capability of extracting mean monthly and daily variance profiles of moisture, temperature, density and pressure at 1 km intervals to the height of 25 km for any location on the globe. This capability could be very useful to planners of remote sensing of earth resources missions in that the profiles may be used as input to the attenuation models that predict the expected degradation of the sensor data. Recommendations are given for procedures to use the four-dimensional models in computer mission simulations and for the approach to combining the information provided by the 4-D models with that given by the global models.

Factors governing water condensation in the Martian atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colburn, David S.; Pollack, J. B.; Haberle, Robert M.

1988-01-01

Modeling results are presented suggesting a diurnal condensation cycle at high altitudes at some seasons and latitudes. In a previous paper, the use of atmospheric optical depth measurements at the Viking lander site to show diurnal variability of water condensation at different seasons of the Mars year was described. Factors influencing the amount of condensation include latitude, season, atmospheric dust content and water vapor content at the observation site. A one-dimensional radiative-convective model is used herein based on the diabatic heating routines under development for the Mars General Circulation Model. The model predicts atmospheric temperature profiles at any latitude, season, time of day and dust load. From these profiles and an estimate of the water vapor, one can estimate the maximum occurring at an early morning hour (AM) and the minimum in the late afternoon (PM). Measured variations in the atmospheric optical density between AM and PM measurements were interpreted as differences in AM and PM condensation.

Global Distributions of Temperature Variances At Different Stratospheric Altitudes From Gps/met Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilov, N. M.; Karpova, N. V.; Jacobi, Ch.

The GPS/MET measurements at altitudes 5 - 35 km are used to obtain global distribu- tions of small-scale temperature variances at different stratospheric altitudes. Individ- ual temperature profiles are smoothed using second order polynomial approximations in 5 - 7 km thick layers centered at 10, 20 and 30 km. Temperature inclinations from the averaged values and their variances obtained for each profile are averaged for each month of year during the GPS/MET experiment. Global distributions of temperature variances have inhomogeneous structure. Locations and latitude distributions of the maxima and minima of the variances depend on altitudes and season. One of the rea- sons for the small-scale temperature perturbations in the stratosphere could be internal gravity waves (IGWs). Some assumptions are made about peculiarities of IGW gener- ation and propagation in the tropo-stratosphere based on the results of GPS/MET data analysis.

Boundary-layer electron profiles for entry of a blunts slender body at high altitude

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, J. S.; Schexnayder, C. J., Jr.; Huber, P. W.

1973-01-01

New calculations of boundary-layer electron concentration profiles for entry of a blunt-nosed slender body into the earth's atmosphere are compared with previous calculations in which ambipolar diffusion was neglected. The old and new results agree in those flight regimes where ambipolar diffusion is unimportant, but large differences are noted in both peak electron concentration and profile shape at the higher altitudes, where diffusion effects are greatest. The new results are also compared with flight-measured profiles and with calculated profiles for a viscous-shock-layer theory which was recently reported in the literature. The boundary-layer results and the data agree in most respects. Differences which occur between predicted results and the data in the outer parts of the profile are discussed in terms of the effects of aerodynamic heating of the probes.

Multiple Magnetic Storm Study of the High-Altitude Redistribution of Equatorial Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bust, G. S.; Crowley, G.; Curtis, N.; Anderson, D.

2008-12-01

During geomagnetic storms, particularly when prompt penetration electric fields (PPE) occur, the equatorial plasma can be lifted to very high altitudes and then diffuse along magnetic field lines to higher than normal latitudes. During these cases very high plasma density (total electron content (TEC) greater than 200 TECU) can be found at these higher latitudes. Shortly after the PPE lifts the equatorial plasma to higher altitudes, at least in the US sector, phenomena known as storm-enhanced density (SED) can occur. SEDs occur in the post-noon time frame and consist of a very high density bulge that seems to occur in the southern USA and Caribbean region, followed by a narrow plume of high density plasma that flows into the high-latitude throat near local noon, and across the polar cap. An outstanding research question is: Exactly how is the high density SED plasma, particularly in the bulge related to the PPE and lifting of the equatorial plasma? Ionospheric imaging of electron density and TEC seem to show a gap in density between the poleward extent of the equatorial plasma and the equatorial extent of the SED plasma. Further, there are magnetic storm events where SEDs do not form (November 2004 as a good example). This paper will investigate the relationship between the equatorial high altitude plasma distribution during magnetic storms, and the initiation and evolution of the SED feature. We will examine eight separate storms from 2003-2006 using the ionospheric data assimilation algorithm IDA4D. In particular we will focus on time periods when LEO satellite GPS TEC data is available from CHAMP, SACC, GRACE and the COSMIC constellation (2006 and beyond). These data sets directly measure the TEC above the satellites, and therefore are good tracers of the high altitude plasma distribution. IDA4D ingests these data sets and uses them to get an improved image of the plasma density for the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere. The resulting 4D images of high altitude densities will be cross compared for the various storms and the similarities and differences will be studied and correlated with various geophysical parameters such as the interplanetary magnetic field (Bz), Dst, hemispheric power, cross cap potential, PPE, equatorial vertical drifts, and the interplanetary electric field. The overall objective is to elucidate the physical relationships that govern the redistribution of equatorial plasma during storms, and the generation and evolution of SEDs.

Performance of B. M. W. 185-Horsepower Airplane Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sparrow, S W

1923-01-01

This report deals with the results of a test made upon a B. M. W. Engine in the altitude chamber of the Bureau of Standards, where controlled conditions of temperature and pressure can be made to simulate those of the desired altitude. A remarkably low value of fuel consumption - 041 per B. H. P. hour - is obtained at 1,200 revolutions per minute at an air density of 0.064 pound per cubic foot and a brake thermal efficiency of 33 per cent and an indicated efficiency of 37 per cent at the above speed and density. In spite of the fact that the carburetor adjustment does not permit the air-fuel ratio of maximum economy to be obtained at air densities lower than 0.064, the economy is superior to most engines tested thus far, even at a density lower than 0.064, the economies superior to most engines tested thus far, even at a density (0.03) corresponding to an altitude of 25,000 feet. The brake mean effective pressure even at full throttle is rather low. Since the weight of much of the engine is governed more by its piston displacement than by the power developed, a decreased mean effective pressure usually necessitates increased weight per horsepower. The altitude performance of the engine is, in general, excellent, and its low fuel consumption is the outstanding feature of merit.

Variations of ionospheric plasma at different altitudes before the 2005 Sumatra Indonesia Ms 7.2 earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jing; Zhang, Xuemin; Novikov, Victor; Shen, Xuhui

2016-09-01

In recent years, many researchers pay more attention to abnormities before earthquake, and in this study, seismo-ionospheric synchronous disturbances at different altitudes by GPS and satellite observations were first studied around one Sumatra Indonesia Ms 7.2 earthquake that occurred on 5 July 2005. By using the same temporal and spatial methods, data of GPS-total electron content (TEC) from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, electron density (Ne) from Detection of Electro-Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions, and ion density (Ni) from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program were deeply analyzed. The ionospheric plasma disturbances in GPS-TEC and increasement of Ne at 710 km were found on 4 July, and plasma density at the three altitudes has all increased on 7 July after the earthquake. All the disturbances were not just above the epicenter. TEC perturbations have happened at the east of the epicenter for the two days, and electron density enhancement at 710 km has moved to west of the TEC perturbations at the same time on 4 July, which may be caused by E × B drift. The moving direction of upgoing plasma was simulated using SAMI2 model. The results have shown that the plasma will move to higher altitude along the geomagnetic force line, which could exactly account for the plasma density enhancement in the northern direction of the geomagnetic south latitude earthquake.

Evaluation of four supervised learning methods for groundwater spring potential mapping in Khalkhal region (Iran) using GIS-based features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghibi, Seyed Amir; Moradi Dashtpagerdi, Mostafa

2017-01-01

One important tool for water resources management in arid and semi-arid areas is groundwater potential mapping. In this study, four data-mining models including K-nearest neighbor (KNN), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and quadric discriminant analysis (QDA) were used for groundwater potential mapping to get better and more accurate groundwater potential maps (GPMs). For this purpose, 14 groundwater influence factors were considered, such as altitude, slope angle, slope aspect, plan curvature, profile curvature, slope length, topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index, distance from rivers, river density, distance from faults, fault density, land use, and lithology. From 842 springs in the study area, in the Khalkhal region of Iran, 70 % (589 springs) were considered for training and 30 % (253 springs) were used as a validation dataset. Then, KNN, LDA, MARS, and QDA models were applied in the R statistical software and the results were mapped as GPMs. Finally, the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was implemented to evaluate the performance of the models. According to the results, the area under the curve of ROCs were calculated as 81.4, 80.5, 79.6, and 79.2 % for MARS, QDA, KNN, and LDA, respectively. So, it can be concluded that the performances of KNN and LDA were acceptable and the performances of MARS and QDA were excellent. Also, the results depicted high contribution of altitude, TWI, slope angle, and fault density, while plan curvature and land use were seen to be the least important factors.

Low altitude wind shear statistics derived from measured and FAA proposed standard wind profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, R. E., Jr.; Usry, J. W.

1984-01-01

Wind shear statistics were calculated for a simulated data set using wind profiles proposed as a standard and compared to statistics derived from measured wind profile data. Wind shear values were grouped in altitude bands of 100 ft between 100 and 1400 ft, and in wind shear increments of 0.025 kt/ft between + or - 0.600 kt/ft for the simulated data set and between + or - 0.200 kt/ft for the measured set. No values existed outside the + or - 0.200 kt/ft boundaries for the measured data. Frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations were derived for each altitude band for both data sets, and compared. Also, frequency distributions were derived for the total sample for both data sets and compared. Frequency of occurrence of a given wind shear was about the same for both data sets for wind shears, but less than + or 0.10 kt/ft, but the simulated data set had larger values outside these boundaries. Neglecting the vertical wind component did not significantly affect the statistics for these data sets. The frequency of occurrence of wind shears for the flight measured data was essentially the same for each altitude band and the total sample, but the simulated data distributions were different for each altitude band. The larger wind shears for the flight measured data were found to have short durations.

UV stellar occultation measurements of nighttime equatorial ozone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riegler, G. R.; Liu, S. C.; Wasser, B.; Atreya, S. K.; Donahue, T. M.; Drake, J. F.

1977-01-01

The ultraviolet spectrometer-telescope on Copernicus was used for stellar occultation measurements of atmospheric ozone. Two sets of observations of the target star Beta-Cen were carried out on 26 July 1975 and 13-14 June 1976 at wavelengths from 2550 A to 3100 A. After unfolding of the data, ozone density profiles near the equator within 3 hours of local midnight were obtained at altitudes from 47 to 114 km. A secondary maximum at 97 km has been observed in both sets of data. The ozone density between 47 and 75 km is a factor of 2 to 3 times as large as current models predict. At the lower boundary, about half the ozone destruction should be caused by NOx and ClOx. Above 55 km, virtually all loss is due to HOx. These results suggest an overestimate of HOx and ClOx loss processes or a serious underestimate of the Ox production rate.

Properties of the mesosphere and thermosphere and comparison with CIRA 72

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champion, K. S. W.

Exospheric temperatures of several reference atmosphere are reviewed and a recommendation is made for the exospheric temperature of a proposed mean CIRA. One of the deficiencies of CIRA 72 and other present thermospheric models is the representation of density changes with geomagnetic activity. This deficiency is illustrated with samples of data. The data show the effects of geomagnetic activity, particle precipitation, a solar proton event, and gravity waves. An empirical model developed from the unique AFGL satellite density data bank using multiple linear regression is reviewed. The present model is for low to moderate solar flux and quiet geomagnetic conditions, but it is planned to extend the model to active conditions. Good progress has been made since CIRA 72 was specified in our knowledge and understanding of the properties of the lower thermosphere, although there are still some unresolved problems. The biggest progress has been made in the theory of tidal effects and of particulate energy deposition and of electrojet heating. On the other hand, it is still not possible to define adequately the systematic variations of the lower boundary conditions of thermospheric models. This is due to lack of knowledge of the systematic variations of the structure properties in the 100 to 120 km altitude region and inadequate information on the mesospheric turbulence profile and variations in the turbopause altitude.

Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in the Earth's Ionosphere Synchronized with Solar Flare Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, L.; Gallagher, P.; McCauley, J.; Dennis, B. R.; Ireland, J.; Inglis, A. R.

2017-12-01

Solar flare activity is a powerful factor affecting the geophysical processes in the Earth's ionosphere. In particular, X-ray photons with wavelength < 10 A can penetrate down to the D-region ( 60-90 km in altitude) resulting in a dramatic increase of ionization in this lowest lying region of the Earth's ionosphere. This manifests as a substantial enhancement of electron density height profile at these altitudes to extents large enough to change the propagation conditions for Very Low Frequency (VLF 3-30 kHz) radio waves that travel in the waveguide formed by the Earth and the lower ionosphere. Recently, it has become clear that flares exhibit quasi-periodic pulsations with periods of seconds to minutes at EUV, X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. To date, it has not been known if the Earth's ionosphere is sensitive to these dynamic solar pulsations. Here, we report ionospheric pulsations with periods of 20 minutes that are synchronized with a set of pulsating flare loops using VLF observations of the ionospheric D-layer together with X-ray and EUV observations of a solar flare from the NOAA/GOES and NASA/SDO satellites. Modeling of the ionosphere show that the D-region electron density varies by up to an order of magnitude over the timescale of the pulsations. Our results show that the Earth's ionosphere is more sensitive to small-scale changes in solar activity than previously thought.

The detection of the electric field vertical distribution underneath thundercloud: Principle and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soula, Serge; Chauzy, Serge

1991-01-01

During the Florida 89 experiment at Kennedy Space Center, a new system was used in order to obtain the vertical distribution of the electric field underneath thunderstorms. It consists of a standard shutter field mill at ground level and five other field sensors suspended from a cable fastened to a tethered balloon located at an altitude of about 1000 meters. It also includes a reception station for telemetered information transmitted by sensors, a processing system in order to store data, and real time display on a screen to show the simultaneous field variations at each level along with the instantaneous electric field profile. The first results obtained show the great importance of the electric field vertical distribution. The field detected at a height of 600m reaches 65 kV/m while that at the surface does not exceed 5 kV/m. The field intensity in altitude is a better criterion for determining the right moment to launch a rocket devoted to flash triggering. Using Gauss's law, the simultaneous field variations at several levels are used in order to evaluate charge densities. Average values close to 1nC.m(-3) are calculated in layers up to 600 m. The calculation of different average charge densities leads to the characterization of the layer between cloud and ground just before the leader propagation in the case of cloud to ground flash.

Modeling of very low frequency (VLF) radio wave signal profile due to solar flares using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation coupled with ionospheric chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palit, S.; Basak, T.; Mondal, S. K.; Pal, S.; Chakrabarti, S. K.

2013-09-01

X-ray photons emitted during solar flares cause ionization in the lower ionosphere (~60 to 100 km) in excess of what is expected to occur due to a quiet sun. Very low frequency (VLF) radio wave signals reflected from the D-region of the ionosphere are affected by this excess ionization. In this paper, we reproduce the deviation in VLF signal strength during solar flares by numerical modeling. We use GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation code to compute the rate of ionization due to a M-class flare and a X-class flare. The output of the simulation is then used in a simplified ionospheric chemistry model to calculate the time variation of electron density at different altitudes in the D-region of the ionosphere. The resulting electron density variation profile is then self-consistently used in the LWPC code to obtain the time variation of the change in VLF signal. We did the modeling of the VLF signal along the NWC (Australia) to IERC/ICSP (India) propagation path and compared the results with observations. The agreement is found to be very satisfactory.

Reversibility of electrophysiological changes induced by chronic high-altitude hypoxia in adult rat heart.

PubMed

Chouabe, C; Amsellem, J; Espinosa, L; Ribaux, P; Blaineau, S; Mégas, P; Bonvallet, R

2002-04-01

Recent studies indicate that regression of left ventricular hypertrophy normalizes membrane ionic current abnormalities. This work was designed to determine whether regression of right ventricular hypertrophy induced by permanent high-altitude exposure (4,500 m, 20 days) in adult rats also normalizes changes of ventricular myocyte electrophysiology. According to the current data, prolonged action potential, decreased transient outward current density, and increased inward sodium/calcium exchange current density normalized 20 days after the end of altitude exposure, whereas right ventricular hypertrophy evidenced by both the right ventricular weight-to-heart weight ratio and the right ventricular free wall thickness measurement normalized 40 days after the end of altitude exposure. This morphological normalization occurred at both the level of muscular tissue, as shown by the decrease toward control values of some myocyte parameters (perimeter, capacitance, and width), and the level of the interstitial collagenous connective tissue. In the chronic high-altitude hypoxia model, the regression of right ventricular hypertrophy would not be a prerequisite for normalization of ventricular electrophysiological abnormalities.

Venus: mass, gravity field, atmosphere, and ionosphere as measured by the mariner 10 dual-frequency radio system.

PubMed

Howard, H T; Tyler, G L; Fjeldbo, G; Kliore, A J; Levy, G S; Brunn, D L; Dickinson, R; Edelson, R E; Martin, W L; Postal, R B; Seidel, B; Sesplaukis, T T; Shirley, D L; Stelzried, C T; Sweetnam, D N; Zygielbaum, A I; Esposito, P B; Anderson, J D; Shapiro, I I; Reasenberg, R D

1974-03-29

Analysis of the Doppler tracking data near encounter yields a value for the ratio of the mass of the sun to that of Venus of 408,523.9 +/- 1.2, which is in good agreement with prior determinations based on data from Mariner 2 and Mariner 5. Preliminary analysis indicates that the magnitudes of the fractional differences in the principal moments of inertia of Venus are no larger than 10(-4), given that the effects of gravity-field harmonics higher than the second are negligible. Additional analysis is needed to determine the influence of the higher order harmonics on this bound. Four distinct temperature inversions exist at altitudes of 56, 58, 61, and 63 kilometers. The X-band signal was much more rapidly attenuated than the S-band signal and disappeared completely at 52-kilometer altitude. The nightside ionosphere consists of two layers having a peak density of 10(4) electrons per cubic centimeter at altitudes of 140 and 120 kilometers. The dayside ionosphere has a peak density of 3 X 10(5) electrons per cubic centimeter at an altitude of 145 kilometers. The electron number density observed at higher altitudes was ten times less than that observed by Mariner 5, and no strong evidence for a well-defined plasmapause was found.

77 FR 71735 - Minimum Altitudes for Use of Autopilots

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-04

... Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) technologies and procedures (Optimized Profile Descents... altitudes for use of autopilots were unduly restrictive and would limit the ability to use new technologies..., including the rise of new technologies.'' [[Page 71736

Preliminary results for an aeromagnetic survey flown over Italy using the HALO (High Altitude and LOng range) research aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesur, V.; Schachtschneider, R.; Gebler, A.

2013-12-01

In June 2012 the GEOHALO mission was flown over Italy using the high altitude and long-range German research aircraft HALO (Gulfstream jet - G550). One goal of the mission was to demonstrate the feasibility of using geodetic and geophysical instrumentation on such fast flying aircraft. The magnetic data were collected through two independent acquisition chains placed inside under-wing containers. Each chain included a total intensity cesium magnetometer, a three-component fluxgate magnetometer, several temperature censors and a digitizer. Seven parallel profiles, each around 1000 km long, were flown over the Apennine peninsula from north-west to south-east. The flight altitude was about 3500 m and the survey line spacing around 40 km. These long profiles were complemented by four crossing profiles, and a repeated flight line at a higher altitude (approx. 10500 m). The measured magnetic data appear to be consistent with the expected signal. Here we present preliminary results of the data processing. From the calibration maneuvers we have been able to correct the data for most of the plane generated signal. High frequency noise, probably associated with the plane engines, has been filtered out. Along profile data are compared with the Italian aeromagnetic grid as provided by the last version of the WDMAM (World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map).

Structure and composition of Pluto's atmosphere from the New Horizons solar ultraviolet occultation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Leslie A.; Kammer, Joshua A.; Steffl, Andrew J.; Gladstone, G. Randall; Summers, Michael E.; Strobel, Darrell F.; Hinson, David P.; Stern, S. Alan; Weaver, Harold A.; Olkin, Catherine B.; Ennico, Kimberly; McComas, David J.; Cheng, Andrew F.; Gao, Peter; Lavvas, Panayotis; Linscott, Ivan R.; Wong, Michael L.; Yung, Yuk L.; Cunningham, Nathanial; Davis, Michael; Parker, Joel Wm.; Schindhelm, Eric; Siegmund, Oswald H. W.; Stone, John; Retherford, Kurt; Versteeg, Maarten

2018-01-01

The Alice instrument on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft observed an ultraviolet solar occultation by Pluto's atmosphere on 2015 July 14. The transmission vs. altitude was sensitive to the presence of N2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, and haze. We derived line-of-sight abundances and local number densities for the 5 molecular species, and line-of-sight optical depth and extinction coefficients for the haze. We found the following major conclusions: (1) We confirmed temperatures in Pluto's upper atmosphere that were colder than expected before the New Horizons flyby, with upper atmospheric temperatures near 65-68 K. The inferred enhanced Jeans escape rates were (3-7) × 1022 N2 s-1 and (4-8) × 1025 CH4 s-1 at the exobase (at a radius of ∼ 2900 km, or an altitude of ∼1710 km). (2) We measured CH4 abundances from 80 to 1200 km above the surface. A joint analysis of the Alice CH4 and Alice and REX N2 measurements implied a very stable lower atmosphere with a small eddy diffusion coefficient, most likely between 550 and 4000 cm2 s-1. Such a small eddy diffusion coefficient placed the homopause within 12 km of the surface, giving Pluto a small planetary boundary layer. The inferred CH4 surface mixing ratio was ∼ 0.28-0.35%. (3) The abundance profiles of the ;C2Hx hydrocarbons; (C2H2, C2H4, C2H6) were not simply exponential with altitude. We detected local maxima in line-of-sight abundance near 410 km altitude for C2H4, near 320 km for C2H2, and an inflection point or the suggestion of a local maximum at 260 km for C2H6. We also detected local minima near 200 km altitude for C2H4, near 170 km for C2H2, and an inflection point or minimum near 170-200 km for C2H6. These compared favorably with models for hydrocarbon production near 300-400 km and haze condensation near 200 km, especially for C2H2 and C2H4 (Wong et al., 2017). (4) We found haze that had an extinction coefficient approximately proportional to N2 density.

Titan's Stratospheric Water Vapor profile from Cassini CIRS far-infrared Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottini, V.; Nixon, C. A.; Achterberg, R. K.; Gorius, N.; Coustenis, A.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Anderson, C. M.; Bjoraker, G. L.; Jennings, D. E.; Flasar, F. M.; Ansty, T. M.

2017-09-01

In this work we present an update of water vapor abundance in Titan's stratosphere through modeling of its emission lines present in the spectral range (100 - 300 cm-1) observed by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) far-IR Focal Plane 1 (FP1) detector. We model and analyze high spectral resolution (0.5 cm-1) disk and limb observations acquired from December 2004 to December 2016 to determine the water mixing ratio profile. Nadir data and limb data acquired up to 2011 and pointing at two altitudes in Titan's stratosphere (125 and 225 km) have been previously used in [1] to detect water vapor and retrieve its abundance at two limb altitudes. Few years of more data and improved calibrations are now available to further investigate water vapor. In particular, three far-infrared limb integrations were planned and acquired in 2014 and 2016 with CIRS staring at a single altitude (175 km) for longer time. These new data provided us with one more altitude point to derive the water vapor abundance and improve its retrieved vertical profile, increasing significantly the science results. These results will also be compared to previous results and to the latest photochemical models of Titan's oxygen species.

Observation of large-scale density cavities and parametric-decay instabilities in the high-altitude discrete auroral ionosphere under pulsed electromagnetic radiation.

PubMed

Wong, A Y; Chen, J; Lee, L C; Liu, L Y

2009-03-13

A large density cavity that measured 2000 km across and 500 km in height was observed by DEMETER and Formosat/COSMIC satellites in temporal and spatial relation to a new mode of propagation of electromagnetic (em) pulses between discrete magnetic field-aligned auroral plasmas to high altitudes. Recorded positive plasma potential from satellite probes is consistent with the expulsion of electrons in the creation of density cavities. High-frequency decay spectra support the concept of parametric instabilities fed by free energy sources.

Effects of hiking at moderate and low altitude on cardiovascular parameters in male patients with metabolic syndrome: Austrian Moderate Altitude Study.

PubMed

Neumayr, Günther; Fries, Dietmar; Mittermayer, Markus; Humpeler, Egon; Klingler, Anton; Schobersberger, Wolfgang; Spiesberger, Reinhard; Pokan, Rochus; Schmid, Peter; Berent, Robert

2014-09-01

Physical activity is a cornerstone in therapy for patients with metabolic syndrome. Walking and hiking in a mountain scenery represents an ideal approach to make them move. The Austrian Moderate Altitude Study (AMAS) 2000 main study is a randomized controlled trial to investigate the cardiovascular effects of hiking at moderate altitude on patients with metabolic syndrome compared with a control group at low altitude, to assess a potential altitude-specific effect. Seventy-one male patients with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to a moderate altitude group (at 1700 m), with 36 participants, or to a low altitude group (at 200 m), with 35 participants. The 3-week vacation program included 12 hiking tours (4 per week, average duration 2.5 hours, intensity 55% to 65% of heart rate maximum). Physical parameters, performance capacity, 24-hour blood pressure, and heart rate profiles were obtained before, during, and after the stay. In both groups, we found a significant mean weight loss of -3.13 kg; changes in performance capacity were minor. Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures and circadian heart rate profiles were significantly reduced in both groups, with no differences between them. Consequently, the pressure-rate product was reduced as well. All study participants tolerated the vacation well without any adverse events. A 3-week hiking vacation at moderate or low altitude is safe for patients with metabolic syndrome and provides several improvements in their cardiovascular parameters. The cardiovascular benefits achieved are more likely to be the result of regular physical activity than the altitude-specific effect of a mountain environment. Copyright © 2014 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity study for a remotely piloted microwave-powered sailplane used as a high-altitude observation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turriziani, R. V.

1979-01-01

The sensitivity of several performance characteristics of a proposed design for a microwave-powered, remotely piloted, high-altitude sailplane to changes in independently varied design parameters was investigated. Results were expressed as variations from baseline values of range, final climb altitude and onboard storage of radiated energy. Calculated range decreased with increases in either gross weight or parasite drag coefficient; it also decreased with decreases in lift coefficient, propeller efficiency, or microwave beam density. The sensitivity trends for range and final climb altitude were very similar. The sensitivity trends for stored energy were reversed from those for range, except for decreasing microwave beam density. Some study results for single parameter variations were combined to estimate the effect of the simultaneous variation of several parameters: for two parameters, this appeared to give reasonably accurate results.

Landslide Failure Likelihoods Estimated Through Analysis of Suspended Sediment and Streamflow Time Series Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, C. P.; Rudd, S.; Lall, U.; Hovius, N.; Dadson, S.; Chen, M.-C.

Off-Axis DOAS measurements with non-artificial scattered light, based upon the renowned DOAS technique, allow to optimize the sensitivity of the technique for the trace gas profile in question by strongly increasing the light's path through the relevant atmosphere layers. Multi-Axis-(MAX) DOAS probe several directions simultaneously or sequentially to increase the spatial resolution. Several devices (ground based, air- borne and ship-built) are operated by our group in the framework of the SCIAMACHY validation. Radiative transfer models are an essential requirement for the interpretation of these measurements and their conversion into detailed profile data. Apart from some existing Monte Carlo Models most codes use analytical algorithms to solve the radia- tive transfer equation for given atmospheric conditions. For specific circumstances, e.g. photon scattering within clouds, these approaches are not efficient enough to pro- vide sufficient accuracy. Also horizontal gradients in atmospheric parameters have to be taken into account. To meet the needs of measurement situations for all kinds of scattered light DOAS platforms, a three dimensional full spherical Monte Carlo model was devised. Here we present Air Mass Factors (AMF) to calculate vertical column densities (VCD) from measured slant column densities (SCD). Sensitivity studies on the influence of the wavelength and telescope direction used, of the altitude of profile layers, albedo, refraction and basic aerosols are shown. Also modelled intensity series are compared with radiometer data.

The impact of consecutive freshwater trimix dives at altitude on human cardiovascular function.

PubMed

Lozo, Mislav; Madden, Dennis; Gunjaca, Grgo; Ljubkovic, Marko; Marinovic, Jasna; Dujic, Zeljko

2015-03-01

Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving is regularly associated with numerous asymptomatic changes in cardiovascular function. Freshwater SCUBA diving presents unique challenges compared with open sea diving related to differences in water density and the potential for dive locations at altitude. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of freshwater trimix diving at altitude on human cardiovascular function. Ten divers performed two dives in consecutive days at 294 m altitude with the surface interval of 24 h. Both dives were at a depth of 45 m with total dive time 29 and 26 min for the first and second dive, respectively. Assessment of venous gas embolization, hydration status, cardiac function and arterial stiffness was performed. Production of venous gas emboli was low, and there were no significant differences between the dives. After the first dive, diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced, which persisted up to 24 h. Left ventricular stroke volume decreased, and heart rate increased after both dives. Pulse wave velocity was unchanged following the dives. However, the central and peripheral augmentation index became more negative after both dives, indicating reduced wave reflection. Ejection duration and round trip travel time were prolonged 24 h after the first dive, suggesting longer-lasting suppression of cardiac and endothelial function. This study shows that freshwater trimix dives with conservative profiles and low venous gas bubble loads can result in multiple asymptomatic acute cardiovascular changes some of which were present up to 24 h after dive. © 2014 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prediction of three sigma maximum dispersed density for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, Terri L.; Nitschke, Michael D.

1993-01-01

Free molecular heating (FMH) is caused by the transfer of energy during collisions between the upper atmosphere molecules and a space vehicle. The dispersed free molecular heating on a surface is an important constraint for space vehicle thermal analyses since it can be a significant source of heating. To reduce FMH to a spacecraft, the parking orbit is often designed to a higher altitude at the expense of payload capability. Dispersed FMH is a function of both space vehicle velocity and atmospheric density, however, the space vehicle velocity variations are insignificant when compared to the atmospheric density variations. The density of the upper atmosphere molecules is a function of altitude, but also varies with other environmental factors, such as solar activity, geomagnetic activity, location, and time. A method has been developed to predict three sigma maximum dispersed density for up to 15 years into the future. This method uses a state-of-the-art atmospheric density code, MSIS 86, along with 50 years of solar data, NASA and NOAA solar activity predictions for the next 15 years, and an Aerospace Corporation correlation to account for density code inaccuracies to generate dispersed maximum density ratios denoted as 'K-factors'. The calculated K-factors can be used on a mission unique basis to calculate dispersed density, and hence dispersed free molecular heating rates. These more accurate K-factors can allow lower parking orbit altitudes, resulting in increased payload capability.

A Computational Study to Investigate the Effect of Altitude on Deteriorated Engine Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koh, W. C.; Mazlan, N. M.; Rajendran, P.; Ismail, M. A.

2018-05-01

This study presents an investigation on the effect of operational altitudes on the performance of the deteriorated engine. A two-spool high bypass ratio turbofan engine is used as the test subject for this study. The engine is modelled in Gas Turbine Simulation Program (GSP) based on an existing engine model from literature. Real flight data were used for the validation. Deterioration rate of 0.1% per day is applied for all turbofan components engine. The simulation is performed by varying the altitude from sea level until 9000m. Results obtained show reduction in air mass flow rate and engine thrust as altitude increases. The reduction in air mass flow rate is due to the lower air density at higher altitude hence reduces amount of engine thrust. At 1000m to 4000m, thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC) of the engine is improved compared to sea level. However depleted in TSFC is shown when the aircraft flies at altitude higher than 4000m. At this altitude, the effect of air density is dominant. As a result, the engine is required to burn more fuel to provide a higher thrust to sustain the aircraft speed. More fuel is consumed hence depletion in TSFC is obtained.

Analysis of Vertical Weighting Functions for Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 and O2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kooi, S.; Mao, J.; Abshire, J. B.; Browell, E. V.; Weaver, C. J.; Kawa, S. R.

2011-12-01

Several NASA groups have developed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar approaches to measure atmospheric CO2 concentrations from space as a candidates for NASA's ASCENDS space mission. For example, the Goddard CO2 Sounder approach uses two pulsed lasers to simultaneously measure both CO2 and O2 absorption in the vertical path to the surface at a number of wavelengths across a CO2 line near 1572 nm and an O2 line doublet near 764 nm. The measurements of CO2 and O2 absorption allow computing their vertically weighted number densities and then their ratios for estimating CO2 concentration relative to dry air. Since both the CO2 and O2 densities and their absorption line-width decrease with altitude, the absorption response (or weighting function) varies with both altitude and absorption wavelength. We have used some standard atmospheres and HITRAN 2008 spectroscopy to calculate the vertical weighting functions for two CO2 lines near 1571 nm and the O2 lines near 764.7 and 1260 nm for candidate online wavelength selections for ASCENDS. For CO2, the primary candidate on-line wavelengths are 10-12 pm away from line center with the weighting function peaking in the atmospheric boundary layer to measure CO2 sources and sinks at the surface. Using another on-line wavelength 3-5 pm away from line center allows the weighting function to peak in the mid- to upper troposphere, which is sensitive to CO2 transport in the free atmosphere. The Goddard CO2 sounder team developed an airborne precursor version of a space instrument. During the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2011 it has participated in airborne measurement campaigns over a variety of different sites in the US, flying with other NASA ASCENDS lidar candidates along with accurate in-situ atmospheric sensors. All flights used altitude patterns with measurements at steps in altitudes between 3 and 13 km, along with spirals from 13 km altitude to near the surface. Measurements from in-situ sensors allowed an accurate characterization of the CO2 and dry air vertical density profiles for each flight. Using this data, we have also computed some representative vertical weighting functions for CO2 lines near 1572 nm and the and O2 lines near 764 and 1270 nm and compared to the weighting functions of the NASA Langley's Continuous-Wave Laser Absorption Spectrometer for several flights in the ASCENDS airborne campaigns. The analysis provides guidance for measurement wavelength selection, retrieval algorithm development and ASCENDS mission simulation studies. Details of the methodology and computations for the airborne and future space measurements will be presented.

Balloon profiles of stratospheric NO2 and HNO3 for testing the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 on sulfate aerosols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, C. R.; May, R. D.; Allen, M.; Jaegle, L.; Mccormick, M. P.

1994-01-01

Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric NO2, HNO3, HCl, and CH4 from 34 to 24 km were made in August 1992 from Palestine, Texas, using the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS) tunable diode laser spectrometer. Although the measurements of NO2, HNO3, and NO2/HNO3 agree well with gas-phase model calculations near 34 km where Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) 2 data show little sulfate aerosol, this is not true at the lower altitudes where SAGE 2 shows high aerosol loadings. At 24 km the BLISS NO2 and HNO3 measurements are 70% lower and 50% higher, respectively, than the gas phase model predictions, with a measured NO2/HNO3 ratio 5 times smaller. When the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 and ClONO2 on sulfate aerosol of surface area densities matching the SAGE 2 measurements is added to the model, good agreement with the BLISS measurements is found over the whole altitude range.

Experiment D005: Star occultation navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silva, R. M.; Jorris, T. R.; Vallerie, E. M., III

1971-01-01

The usefulness of star occultation measurements for space navigation and the determination of a horizon density profile which could be used to update atmospheric models for horizon-based measurement systems were studied. The time of occultation of a known star by a celestial body, as seen by an orbiting observer, determines a cylinder of position, the axis of which is the line through the star and the body center, and the radius of which is equal to the occulting-body radius. The dimming percentage, with respect to the altitude of this grazing ray from the star to the observer, is a percentage altitude for occultation. That is, the star can be assumed to be occulted when it reaches a predetermined percentage of its unattenuated value. The procedure used was to measure this attenuation with respect to time to determine the usefulness of the measurements for autonomous space navigation. In this experiment, the crewmembers had to accomplish star acquisition, identification, calibration, and tracking. Instrumentation was required only for measurement of the relative intensity of the star as it set into the atmosphere.

Validation of SAGE II ozone measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cunnold, D. M.; Chu, W. P.; Mccormick, M. P.; Veiga, R. E.; Barnes, R. A.

1989-01-01

Five ozone profiles from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II are compared with coincident ozonesonde measurements obtained at Natal, Brazil, and Wallops Island, Virginia. It is shown that the mean difference between all of the measurements is about 1 percent and that the agreement is within 7 percent at altitudes between 20 and 53 km. Good agreement is also found for ozone mixing ratios on pressure surfaces. It is concluded that the SAGE II profiles provide useful ozone information up to about 60 km altitude.

Measurement of stratospheric HOCl - Concentration profiles, including diurnal variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chance, K. V.; Johnson, D. G.; Traub, W. A.

1989-01-01

Determinations have been made of concentration profiles of HOCl in the earth's stratosphere, including the diurnal variation. Measurements of the rotational Q2 branch at 99.5/cm and of five RR(J3) transitions between 143 and 159/cm were made using far-infrared thermal emission spectroscopy. The spectra were obtained during a balloon flight of the FIRS 2 far-infrared Fourier-transform spectrometer and telescope from Palestine, Texas on May 12-13, 1988. From these measurements, altitude profiles of HOCl from 23 to 42 km are obtained. Daytime and nighttime average profiles of HOCl, as well as measurements on a 30-min time scale through the sunset transition at a single (35 km) altitude are presented. The measured profiles are lower than the current predictions from several modeling groups by a factor of approximately 0.6.

A new topside profiler based on Alouette/ISIS topside sounding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Biqiang; Zhu, Jie

2016-04-01

A new empirical model of the topside ionospheric density was developed to describe the measured topside profile accurately. This profiler is a composite of two separate layers of different ion species in the topside ionosphere, the O+ layer and the light-ions (H+ and He+) layer. The light-ions layer is characterized by an a-Chapman function with a linearly increasing scale height with altitude. This new model appears to perform the best as compared to five other typical topside profilers in representing data from ISIS-1&2 and Alouette-1&2 observations. We also analyzed the magnetic latitude dependence, seasonal variation, and day-night difference of the characteristic parameters of the light-ions layer during the magnetic quiet (Kp < 4) and low solar activity (f107 < 120 solar flux unit, sfu) period within magnetic latitudes from 60 to 90 degree. The statistical results show the expected different behaviors of light-ions and O+ parameters. In addition, the portion of the light-ion components contributing to the topside-ionospheric total electron content (TTEC) was studied also. The results suggest that the light ions make a great contribution to the TTEC, especially in magnetic low- and middle-latitudes at night.

Modulation of terrestrial ion escape flux composition /by low-altitude acceleration and charge exchange chemistry/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, T. E.

1980-01-01

Motivated by recent observations of highly variable hot plasma composition in the magnetosphere, control of the ionospheric escape flux composition by low-altitude particle dynamics and ion chemistry has been investigated for an e(-), H(+), O(+) ionosphere. It is found that the fraction of the steady state escape flux which is O(+) can be controlled very sensitively by the occurrence of parallel or transverse ion acceleration at altitudes below the altitude where the neutral oxygen density falls rapidly below the neutral hydrogen density and the ionospheric source of O(+) tends to be rapidly converted by charge exchange to H(+). The acceleration is required both to overcome the gravitational confinement of O(+) and to violate charge exchange equilibrium so that the neutral hydrogen atmosphere appears 'optically' thin to escaping O(+). Constraints are placed on the acceleration processes, and it is shown that O(+) escape is facilitated by observed ionospheric responses to magnetic activity.

Angle of Attack Modulation for Mars Entry Terminal State Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafleur, Jarret M.; Cerimele, Christopher J.

2009-01-01

From the perspective of atmospheric entry, descent, and landing (EDL), one of the most foreboding destinations in the solar system is Mars due in part to its exceedingly thin atmosphere. To benchmark best possible scenarios for evaluation of potential Mars EDL system designs, a study is conducted to optimize the entry-to-terminal-state portion of EDL for a variety of entry velocities and vehicle masses, focusing on the identification of potential benefits of enabling angle of attack modulation. The terminal state is envisioned as one appropriate for the initiation of terminal descent via parachute or other means. A particle swarm optimizer varies entry flight path angle, ten bank profile points, and ten angle of attack profile points to find maximum-final-altitude trajectories for a 10 30 m ellipsled at 180 different combinations of values for entry mass, entry velocity, terminal Mach number, and minimum allowable altitude. Parametric plots of maximum achievable altitude are shown, as are examples of optimized trajectories. It is shown that appreciable terminal state altitude gains (2.5-4.0 km) over pure bank angle control may be possible if angle of attack modulation is enabled for Mars entry vehicles. Gains of this magnitude could prove to be enabling for missions requiring high-altitude landing sites. Conclusions are also drawn regarding trends in the bank and angle of attack profiles that produce the optimal trajectories in this study, and directions for future work are identified.

A Total Ozone Dependent Ozone Profile Climatology Based on Ozone-Sondes and Aura MLS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labow, G. J.; McPeters, R. D.; Ziemke, J. R.

2014-12-01

A new total ozone-based ozone profile climatology has been created for use in satellite and/or ground based ozone retrievals. This climatology was formed by combining data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) with data from balloon sondes and binned by zone and total ozone. Because profile shape varies with total column ozone, this climatology better captures the ozone variations than the previously used seasonal climatologies, especially near the tropopause. This is significantly different than ozone climatologies used in the past as there is no time component. The MLS instrument on Aura has excellent latitude coverage and measures ozone profiles daily from the upper troposphere to the lower mesosphere at ~3.5 km resolution. Almost a million individual MLS ozone measurements are merged with data from over 55,000 ozonesondes which are then binned as a function of total ozone. The climatology consists of average ozone profiles as a function of total ozone for six 30 degree latitude bands covering altitudes from 0-75 km (in Z* pressure altitude coordinates). This new climatology better represents the profile shape as a function of total ozone than previous climatologies and shows some remarkable and somewhat unexpected correlations between total ozone and ozone in the lower altitudes, particularly in the lower and middle troposphere. These data can also be used to infer biases and errors in either the MLS retrievals or ozone sondes.

The thermal field of the terminator mesosphere of Venus using solar transit data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanga, Paolo; Widemann, Thomas; Pere, Christophe; Babcock, Brice A.; Berthier, Jerome; Pasachoff, Jay M.; Roos-Serote, Maarten

2016-10-01

We exploit the solar transits of Venus in 2004 and 2012, to derive useful constraints on the mesosphere of the planet by the observation of the so-called "aureole" resulting from direct sunlight refraction. In 2012 we organized an extensive campaign, involving observations through both space- and ground- based telescopes. A specific design adapted from the Lyot coronograph was developed and replicated in several copies to improve the SNR in proximity of the solar disk (Venus Twilight Experiment).we report on the different data sets collected during the 2012 transit, and present lightcurve analyses based on imaging from NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), JAXA's Hinode, and by the instruments of the Venus Twilight Experiment.We explored different approaches to model the variation of the aureole brightness, ranging from simple isothermal modeling to multi-layer.Although less resolved than the local measurements obtained by Venus Express (SOIR experiment), aureole modeling has the advantage of being able to cover simultaneously a wide range of latitudes. We were able to compare the aureole-derived vertical refractivity profiles to density profiles obtained simultaneously by SOIR during the transit itself. Our inverse model, constraining the vertical temperature profiles at all latitudes, detects a cold layer (at ~86-94 km altitude on average) whose vertical extent depends on latitude (thicker towards the N pole than at the Equator), and a latitude-dependent aerosol slanted-opacity altitude (τ=1).Eventually our model shows that a relevant contribution to the aureole flux comes from deep layers where aerosol absorption cannot be neglected, allowing us to put some constraints on the scale height of aerosol dispersion.

Revised Correlation between Odin/OSIRIS PMC Properties and Coincident TIMED/SABER Mesospheric Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feofilov, A. G.; Petelina, S V.; Kutepov, A. A.; Pesnell, W. D.; Goldberg, R. A.; Llewellyn, E. J.; Russell, J. M.

2006-01-01

The Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) instrument on board the Odin satellite detects Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) through the enhancement in the limb scattered solar radiance. The Sounding of the Atmosphere using the Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on board the TIMED satellite is a limb scanning infrared radiometer that measures temperature and vertical profiles and energetic parameters for minor constituents in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The combination of OSIRIS and SABER data has been previously used to statistically derive thermal conditions for PMC existence [Petelina et al., 2005]. In this work, we employ the simultaneous common volume measurements of PMCs by OSIRIS and temperature profiles measured by SABER for the Northern Hemisphere summers of 2002-2005 and corrected in the polar region by accounting for the vibrational-vibrational energy exchange among the CO2 isotopes [Kutepov et al., 2006]. For each of 20 coincidences identified within plus or minus 1 degree latitude, plus or minus 2 degrees longitude and less than 1 hour time the frost point temperatures were calculated using the corresponding SABER temperature profile and water vapor densities of 1,3, and 10 ppmv. We found that the PMC presence and brightness correlated only with the temperature threshold that corresponds to the frost point. The absolute value of the temperature below the frost point, however, didn't play a significant role in the intensity of PMC signal for the majority of selected coincidences. The presence of several bright clouds at temperatures above the frost point is obviously related to the limitation of the limb geometry when some near- or far-field PMCs located at higher (and warmer) altitudes appear to be at lower altitudes.

Revised Correlation between Odin/OSIRIS PMC Properties and Coincident TIMED/SABER Mesospheric Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feofilov, A. G.; Petelina, S. V.; Kutepov, A. A.; Pesnell, W. D.; Goldberg, R. A.; Llewellyn, E. J.; Russell, J. M.

2006-01-01

The Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) instrument on board the Odin satellite detects Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) through the enhancement in the limb-scattered solar radiance. The Sounding of the Atmosphere using the Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on board the TIMED satellite is a limb scanning infrared radiometer that measures temperature and vertical profiles and energetic parameters for minor constituents in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The combination of OSIRIS and SABER data has been previously used to statistically derive thermal conditions for PMC existence [Petelina et al., 2005]. a, A.A. Kutepov, W.D. Pesnell, In this work, we employ the simultaneous common volume measurements of PMCs by OSIRIS and temperature profiles measured by SABER for the Northern Hemisphere summers of 2002-2005 and corrected in the polar region by accounting for the vibrational-vibrational energy exchange among the CO2 isotopes [Kutepov et al., 2006]. For each of 20 coincidences identified within plus or minus 1 degree latitude, plus or minus 2 degrees longitude and less than 1 hour time the frost point temperatures were calculated using the corresponding SABER temperature profile and water vapor densities of 1,3, and 10 ppmv. We found that the PMC presence and brightness correlated only with the temperature threshold that corresponds to the frost point. The absolute value of the temperature below the frost point, however, didn't play a significant role in the intensity of PMC signal for the majority of selected coincidences. The presence of several bright clouds at temperatures above the frost point is obviously related to the limitation of the limb geometry when some near- or far-field PMCs located at higher (and warmer) altitudes appear to be at lower altitudes.

Techniques in Altitude Registration for Limb Scatter Instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moy, L.; Jaross, G.; Bhartia, P. K.; Kramarova, N. A.

2017-12-01

One of the largest constraints to the retrieval of accurate ozone profiles from limb sounding sensors is altitude registration. As described in Moy et al. (2017) two methods applicable to UV limb scattering, the Rayleigh Scattering Attitude Sensing (RSAS) and Absolute Radiance Residual Method (ARRM), have been used to determine altitude registration to the accuracy necessary for long-term ozone monitoring. The methods compare model calculations of radiances to measured radiances and are independent of onboard tracking devices. RSAS determines absolute altitude errors but, because the method is susceptible to aerosol interference, it is limited to latitudes and time periods with minimal aerosol contamination. ARRM, a new technique using wavelengths near 300 nm, can be applied across all seasons and altitudes, but its sensitivity to accurate instrument calibration means it may be inappropriate for anything but monitoring change. These characteristics make the two techniques complementary. Both methods have been applied to Limb Profiler instrument measurements from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) onboard the Suomi NPP (SNPP) satellite. The results from RSAS and ARRM differ by as much as 500 m over orbital and seasonal time scales, but long-term pointing trends derived from the two indicate changes within 100 m over the 5 year data record. In this paper we further discuss what these methods are revealing about the stability of LP's altitude registration. An independent evaluation of pointing errors using VIIRS, another sensor onboard the Suomi NPP satellite, indicates changes of as much as 80 m over the course of the mission. The correlations between VIIRS and the ARRM time series suggest a high degree of precision in this limb technique. We have therefore relied upon ARRM to evaluate error sources in more widespread altitude registration techniques such as RSAS and lunar observations. These techniques can be more readily applied to other limb scatter missions such as SAGE III and ALTIUS

Validation of DSMC results for chemically nonequilibrium air flows against measurements of the electron number density in RAM-C II flight experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shevyrin, Alexander A.; Vashchenkov, Pavel V.; Bondar, Yevgeniy A.

An ionized flow around the RAM C-II vehicle in the range of altitudes from 73 to 81 km is studied by the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method with three models of chemical reactions. It is demonstrated that vibration favoring in reactions of dissociation of neutral molecules affects significantly the predicted values of plasma density in the shock layer, and good agreement between the results of experiments and DSMC computations can be achieved in terms of the plasma density as a function of the flight altitude.

MAESTRO Measurements of Atmospheric Aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElroy, Tom; Drummond, James; Zou, Jason

2014-05-01

MAESTRO (Measurements of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation) is now in its 11th year on orbit as part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment on the Canadian Space Agency's SCISAT satellite. MAESTRO data analysis has been dogged by a deficiency in accurate timing between the measurements made by the partner instrument, the ACE-FTS (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment, Fourier Transform Spectrometer), that provides the atmospheric pressure-temperature profile and observation tangent altitudes used in the MAESTRO data analysis. Attempts have been made to use apparent air column density and oxygen A-band absorption as a mechanism to line up the tangent heights, but to no avail. A new product is now being produced, based on matching the modeled ozone slant columns from the ACE-FTS retrievals with the MAESTRO slant column measurements. The approach is very promising and indicates that a valuable product from the MAESTRO wavelength-dependent aerosol extinction likely result. The usefulness of the profile matching technique will be demonstrated and some aerosol absorption profiles will be presented in comparison with measurements made by the ACE Imager aerosol profile results. While the process optimizes the comparison between ACE-FTS ozone profile data and that from MAESTRO, it does not detract from the higher vertical resolution information provided by MAESTRO.

Extreme changes in the dayside ionosphere during a Carrington-type magnetic storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsurutani, Bruce T.; Verkhoglyadova, Olga P.; Mannucci, Anthony J.; Lakhina, Gurbax S.; Huba, Joseph D.

2012-06-01

It is shown that during the 30 October 2003 superstorm, dayside O+ ions were uplifted to DMSP altitudes (~850 km). Peak densities were ~9 × 105 cm-3 during the magnetic storm main phase (peak Dst = -390 nT). By comparison the 1-2 September 1859 Carrington magnetic storm (peak Dst estimated at -1760 nT) was considerably stronger. We investigate the impact of this storm on the low- to mid-latitude ionosphere using a modified version of the NRL SAMI2 ionospheric code. It is found that the equatorial region (LAT = 0° ± 15°) is swept free of plasma within 15 min (or less) of storm onset. The plasma is swept to higher altitudes and higher latitudes due to E × B convection associated with the prompt penetration electric field. Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) O+ density enhancements are found to be located within the broad range of latitudes ~ ± (25°-40°) at ~500-900 km altitudes. Densities within these peaks are ~6 × 106 oxygen ions-cm-3 at ~700 km altitude, approximately +600% quiet time values. The oxygen ions at the top portions (850-1000 km) of uplifted EIAs will cause strong low-altitude satellite drag. Calculations are currently being performed on possible uplift of oxygen neutrals by ion-neutral coupling to understand if there might be further significant satellite drag forces present.

Mast cells in the human lung at high altitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heath, Donald

1992-12-01

Mast cell densities in the lung were measured in five native highlanders of La Paz (3600 m) and in one lowlander dying from high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPO) at 3440 m. Two of the highlanders were mestizos with normal pulmonary arteries and the others were Aymara Indians with muscular remodelling of their pulmonary vasculature. The aim of the investigation was to determine if accumulation of mast cells in the lung at high altitude (HA) is related to alveolar hypoxia alone, to a combination of hypoxia and muscularization of the pulmonary arterial tree, or to oedema of the lung. The lungs of four lowlanders were used as normoxic controls. The results showed that the mast cell density of the two Mestizos was in the normal range of lowlanders (0.6-8.8 cells/mm2). In the Aymara Indians the mast cell counts were raised (25.6-26.0 cells/mm2). In the lowlander dying from HAPO the mast cell count was greatly raised to 70.1 cells/mm2 lung tissue. The results show that in native highlanders an accumulation of mast cells in the lung is not related to hypoxia alone but to a combination of hypoxia and muscular remodelling of the pulmonary arteries. However, the most potent cause of increased mast cell density in the lung at high altitude appears to be high-altitude pulmonary oedema.

Analysis of wind bias change with respect to time at Cape Kennedy, Florida, and Vandenberg AFB, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelfang, S. I.

1978-01-01

A statistical analysis is presented of the temporal variability of wind vectors at 1 km altitude intervals from 0 to 27 km altitude after applying a digital filter to the original wind profile data sample.

Vertical profiles of aerosol and black carbon in the Arctic: a seasonal phenomenology along 2 years (2011-2012) of field campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrero, Luca; Cappelletti, David; Busetto, Maurizio; Mazzola, Mauro; Lupi, Angelo; Lanconelli, Christian; Becagli, Silvia; Traversi, Rita; Caiazzo, Laura; Giardi, Fabio; Moroni, Beatrice; Crocchianti, Stefano; Fierz, Martin; Močnik, Griša; Sangiorgi, Giorgia; Perrone, Maria G.; Maturilli, Marion; Vitale, Vito; Udisti, Roberto; Bolzacchini, Ezio

2016-10-01

We present results from a systematic study of vertical profiles of aerosol number size distribution and black carbon (BC) concentrations conducted in the Arctic, over Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard). The campaign lasted 2 years (2011-2012) and resulted in 200 vertical profiles measured by means of a tethered balloon (up to 1200 m a.g.l.) during the spring and summer seasons. In addition, chemical analysis of filter samples, aerosol size distribution and a full set of meteorological parameters were determined at ground. The collected experimental data allowed a classification of the vertical profiles into different typologies, which allowed us to describe the seasonal phenomenology of vertical aerosol properties in the Arctic. During spring, four main types of profiles were found and their behavior was related to the main aerosol and atmospheric dynamics occurring at the measuring site. Background conditions generated homogenous profiles. Transport events caused an increase of aerosol concentration with altitude. High Arctic haze pollution trapped below thermal inversions promoted a decrease of aerosol concentration with altitude. Finally, ground-based plumes of locally formed secondary aerosol determined profiles with decreasing aerosol concentration located at different altitude as a function of size. During the summer season, the impact from shipping caused aerosol and BC pollution plumes to be constrained close to the ground, indicating that increasing shipping emissions in the Arctic could bring anthropogenic aerosol and BC in the Arctic summer, affecting the climate.

Equatorial waves in temperature in the altitude range 4 to 70 km

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna Murthy, B. V.; Satheesan, K.; Parameswaran, K.; Sasi, M. N.; Ramkumar, Geetha; Bhavanikumar, Y.; Raghunath, K.; Krishniah, M.

2002-04-01

Using altitude profiles of temperature in the range 4 to 70 km derived from Mesosphere-Stratosphere- Troposphere radar and lidar observations at Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) from 18 January 1999 to 5 March 1999, characteristics of equatorial waves are studied. Two-dimensional Fourier-transform analysis of the temperature profiles is carried out to identify the periodicities and their vertical wave numbers. From the characteristics obtained, equatorial slow Kelvin waves with periodicities 15.7 d, 9.4 d, 7.8 d and 6.7 d are identified in the troposphere and stratosphere regions and among these 7.8 d and 6.7 d periodicities are found to penetrate into the mesosphere. Equatorial waves with smaller periodicities in the range 5.2 d to 3.6 d are also observed. The vertical flux of horizontal momentum (zonal) of the identified slow Kelvin-wave periodicities in the altitude region 4-25 km is estimated. It is found that equatorial waves modulate tropical tropopause temperature and altitude.

Global Distribution of Density Irregularities in the Equatorial Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kil, Hyosub; Heelis, R. A.

1998-01-01

We analyzed measurements of ion number density made by the retarding potential analyzer aboard the Atmosphere Explorer-E (AE-E) satellite, which was in an approximately circular orbit at an altitude near 300 km in 1977 and later at an altitude near 400 km. Large-scale (greater than 60 km) density measurements in the high-altitude regions show large depletions of bubble-like structures which are confined to narrow local time longitude, and magnetic latitude ranges, while those in the low-altitude regions show relatively small depletions which are broadly distributed,in space. For this reason we considered the altitude regions below 300 km and above 350 km and investigated the global distribution of irregularities using the rms deviation delta N/N over a path length of 18 km as an indicator of overall irregularity intensity. Seasonal variations of irregularity occurrence probability are significant in the Pacific regions, while the occurrence probability is always high in die Atlantic-African regions and is always low in die Indian regions. We find that the high occurrence probability in the Pacific regions is associated with isolated bubble structures, while that near 0 deg longitude is produced by large depictions with bubble structures which are superimposed on a large-scale wave-like background. Considerations of longitude variations due to seeding mechanisms and due to F region winds and drifts are necessary to adequately explain the observations at low and high altitudes. Seeding effects are most obvious near 0 deg longitude, while the most easily observed effect of the F region is the suppression of irregularity growth by interhemispheric neutral winds.

Species richness and trait composition of butterfly assemblages change along an altitudinal gradient.

PubMed

Leingärtner, Annette; Krauss, Jochen; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf

2014-06-01

Species richness patterns along altitudinal gradients are well-documented ecological phenomena, yet very little data are available on how environmental filtering processes influence the composition and traits of butterfly assemblages at high altitudes. We have studied the diversity patterns of butterfly species at 34 sites along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 600 to 2,000 m a.s.l. in the National Park Berchtesgaden (Germany) and analysed traits of butterfly assemblages associated with dispersal capacity, reproductive strategies and developmental time from lowlands to highlands, including phylogenetic analyses. We found a linear decline in butterfly species richness along the altitudinal gradient, but the phylogenetic relatedness of the butterfly assemblages did not increase with altitude. Compared to butterfly assemblages at lower altitudes, those at higher altitudes were composed of species with larger wings (on average 9%) which laid an average of 68% more eggs. In contrast, egg maturation time in butterfly assemblages decreased by about 22% along the altitudinal gradient. Further, butterfly assemblages at higher altitudes were increasingly dominated by less widespread species. Based on our abundance data, but not on data in the literature, population density increased with altitude, suggesting a reversed density-distribution relationship, with higher population densities of habitat specialists in harsh environments. In conclusion, our data provide evidence for significant shifts in the composition of butterfly assemblages and for the dominance of different traits along the altitudinal gradient. In our study, these changes were mainly driven by environmental factors, whereas phylogenetic filtering played a minor role along the studied altitudinal range.

High/variable mixture ratio O2/H2 engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, A.; Parsley, R. C.

1988-01-01

Vehicle/engine analysis studies have identified the High/Dual Mixture Ratio O2/H2 Engine cycle as a leading candidate for an advanced Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) propulsion system. This cycle is designed to allow operation at a higher than normal O/F ratio of 12 during liftoff and then transition to a more optimum O/F ratio of 6 at altitude. While operation at high mixture ratios lowers specific impulse, the resultant high propellant bulk density and high power density combine to minimize the influence of atmospheric drag and low altitude gravitational forces. Transition to a lower mixture ratio at altitude then provides improved specific impulse relative to a single mixture ratio engine that must select a mixture ratio that is balanced for both low and high altitude operation. This combination of increased altitude specific impulse and high propellant bulk density more than offsets the compromised low altitude performance and results in an overall mission benefit. Two areas of technical concern relative to the execution of this dual mixture ratio cycle concept are addressed. First, actions required to transition from high to low mixture ratio are examined, including an assessment of the main chamber environment as the main chamber mixture ratio passes through stoichiometric. Secondly, two approaches to meet a requirement for high turbine power at high mixture ratio condition are examined. One approach uses high turbine temperature to produce the power and requires cooled turbines. The other approach incorporates an oxidizer-rich preburner to increase turbine work capability via increased turbine mass flow.

A new parameterization of the UV irradiance altitude dependence for clear-sky conditions and its application in the on-line UV tool over Northern Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chubarova, Nataly; Zhdanova, Yekaterina; Nezval, Yelena

2016-09-01

A new method for calculating the altitude UV dependence is proposed for different types of biologically active UV radiation (erythemally weighted, vitamin-D-weighted and cataract-weighted types). We show that for the specified groups of parameters the altitude UV amplification (AUV) can be presented as a composite of independent contributions of UV amplification from different factors within a wide range of their changes with mean uncertainty of 1 % and standard deviation of 3 % compared with the exact model simulations with the same input parameters. The parameterization takes into account for the altitude dependence of molecular number density, ozone content, aerosol and spatial surface albedo. We also provide generalized altitude dependencies of the parameters for evaluating the AUV. The resulting comparison of the altitude UV effects using the proposed method shows a good agreement with the accurate 8-stream DISORT model simulations with correlation coefficient r > 0.996. A satisfactory agreement was also obtained with the experimental UV data in mountain regions. Using this parameterization we analyzed the role of different geophysical parameters in UV variations with altitude. The decrease in molecular number density, especially at high altitudes, and the increase in surface albedo play the most significant role in the UV growth. Typical aerosol and ozone altitude UV effects do not exceed 10-20 %. Using the proposed parameterization implemented in the on-line UV tool (http://momsu.ru/uv/) for Northern Eurasia over the PEEX domain we analyzed the altitude UV increase and its possible effects on human health considering different skin types and various open body fraction for January and April conditions in the Alpine region.

Ionosphere Profile Estimation Using Ionosonde & GPS Data in an Inverse Refraction Calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psiaki, M. L.

2014-12-01

A method has been developed to assimilate ionosonde virtual heights and GPS slant TEC data to estimate the parameters of a local ionosphere model, including estimates of the topside and of latitude and longitude variations. This effort seeks to better assimilate a variety of remote sensing data in order to characterize local (and eventually regional and global) ionosphere electron density profiles. The core calculations involve a forward refractive ray-tracing solution and a nonlinear optimal estimation algorithm that inverts the forward model. The ray-tracing calculations solve a nonlinear two-point boundary value problem for the curved ionosonde or GPS ray path through a parameterized electron density profile. It implements a full 3D solution that can handle the case of a tilted ionosphere. These calculations use Hamiltonian equivalents of the Appleton-Hartree magneto-plasma refraction index model. The current ionosphere parameterization is a modified Booker profile. It has been augmented to include latitude and longitude dependencies. The forward ray-tracing solution yields a given signal's group delay and beat carrier phase observables. An auxiliary set of boundary value problem solutions determine the sensitivities of the ray paths and observables with respect to the parameters of the augmented Booker profile. The nonlinear estimation algorithm compares the measured ionosonde virtual-altitude observables and GPS slant-TEC observables to the corresponding values from the forward refraction model. It uses the parameter sensitivities of the model to iteratively improve its parameter estimates in a way the reduces the residual errors between the measurements and their modeled values. This method has been applied to data from HAARP in Gakona, AK and has produced good TEC and virtual height fits. It has been extended to characterize electron density perturbations caused by HAARP heating experiments through the use of GPS slant TEC data for an LOS through the heated zone. The next planned extension of the method is to estimate the parameters of a regional ionosphere profile. The input observables will be slant TEC from an array of GPS receivers and group delay and carrier phase observables from an array of high-frequency beacons. The beacon array will function as a sort of multi-static ionosonde.

Stratospheric NO and NO2 profiles at sunset from analysis of high-resolution balloon-borne infrared solar absorption spectra obtained at 33 deg N and calculations with a time-dependent photochemical model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinsland, C. P.; Boughner, R. E.; Larsen, J. C.; Goldman, A.; Murcray, F. J.; Murcray, D. G.

1984-01-01

Simultaneous stratospheric vertical profiles of NO and NO2 at sunset were derived from an analysis of infrared solar absorption spectra recorded from a float altitude of 33 km with an interferometer system during a balloon flight. A nonlinear least squares procedure was used to analyze the spectral data in regions of absorption by NO and NO2 lines. Normalized factors, determined from calculations of time dependent altitude profiles with a detailed photochemical model, were included in the onion peeling analysis to correct for the rapid diurnal changes in NO and NO2 concentrations with time near sunset. The CO2 profile was also derived from the analysis and is reported.

An inexpensive active optical remote sensing instrument for assessing aerosol distributions.

PubMed

Barnes, John E; Sharma, Nimmi C P

2012-02-01

Air quality studies on a broad variety of topics from health impacts to source/sink analyses, require information on the distributions of atmospheric aerosols over both altitude and time. An inexpensive, simple to implement, ground-based optical remote sensing technique has been developed to assess aerosol distributions. The technique, called CLidar (Charge Coupled Device Camera Light Detection and Ranging), provides aerosol altitude profiles over time. In the CLidar technique a relatively low-power laser transmits light vertically into the atmosphere. The transmitted laser light scatters off of air molecules, clouds, and aerosols. The entire beam from ground to zenith is imaged using a CCD camera and wide-angle (100 degree) optics which are a few hundred meters from the laser. The CLidar technique is optimized for low altitude (boundary layer and lower troposphere) measurements where most aerosols are found and where many other profiling techniques face difficulties. Currently the technique is limited to nighttime measurements. Using the CLidar technique aerosols may be mapped over both altitude and time. The instrumentation required is portable and can easily be moved to locations of interest (e.g. downwind from factories or power plants, near highways). This paper describes the CLidar technique, implementation and data analysis and offers specifics for users wishing to apply the technique for aerosol profiles.

Preliminary results for an aeromagnetic survey flown over Italy using the HALO (High Altitude and LOng range) research aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesur, V.; Gebler, A.; Schachtschneider, R.

2012-12-01

In June 2012 the GEOHALO mission was flown over Italy using the high altitude and long-range German research aircraft HALO (Gulfstream jet - G550). One goal of the mission was to demonstrate the feasibility of using geodetic and geophysical instrumentation on such fast flying aircraft. Several types of data were acquired including gravity, GNSS signals (reflectometry, spectrometry and occultation), laser altimetry and magnetic data. The magnetic data were collected through two independent acquisition chains placed inside under-wing containers. Each chain included a total intensity cesium magnetometer, a three-component fluxgate magnetometer, several temperature censors and a digitizer. Magnetic and temperature data were collected at a 10 Hz sampling rate. Seven parallel profiles, each around 1000 km long, were flown over the Apennine peninsula from north-west to south-east. The flight altitude was about 3500 m and the survey line spacing around 40 km. These long profiles were complemented by four crossing profiles, and a repeated flight line at a higher altitude (approx. 10500 m). The ground speed during the flight was generally around 125 m/s (450 km/h). The output from the first steps of the magnetic data processing will be shown. The measured magnetic data appear to be consistent with the expected signal.

Evidence for day-to-night ion transport at low solar activity in the Venus pre-dawn ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brannon, J. F.; Fox, J. L.; Porter, H. S.

1993-01-01

Periapsis of the Pioneer Venus (PV) spacecraft dropped below 180 km on August 28, 1992 near midnight, and 42 orbits of low altitude data at moderately low solar activity in the pre-dawn sector were obtained before contact was lost to the spacecraft in October, 1992. Through a combination of analysis of data from the PV orbiter ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) and modeling, we consider here what can be learned about the relative importance of plasma transport from the dayside and electron precipitation in maintaining the nightside ionosphere during the re-entry period. In particular, we examine here the atomic ion density profiles. We compute the average peak density of O(+) as a function of solar zenith angle and determine what fluxes of atomic ions or precipitating electrons would be necessary to produce those values. We then compare model calculations of the ion densities to those observed during the re-entry period. We find that the low solar activity nightside ionosphere shows evidence of significant day-to-night plasma transport.

Evidence for Day-to-Night Ion Transport at Low Solar Activity in the Venus Pre-Dawn Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brannon, J. F.; Fox, J. L.; Porter, H. S.

1993-01-01

Periapsis of the Pioneer Venus spacecraft dropped below 180 km on August 28, 1992 near midnight, and 42 orbits of low altitude data at moderately low solar activity in the pre-dawn sector were obtained before contact was lost to the spacecraft in October, 1992. Through a combination of analysis of data from the PV orbiter ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) and modeling, we consider here what can be learned about the relative importance of plasma transport from the dayside and electron precipitation in maintaining the nightside ionosphere during the re-entry period. In particular, we examine here the atomic ion density profiles. We compute the average peak density of O(+) as a function of solar zenith angle and determine what fluxes of atomic ions or precipitating electrons would be necessary to produce those values. We then compare model calculations of the ion densities to those observed during the re-entry period. We find that the low solar activity nightside ionosphere shows evidence of significant day-to-night plasma transport.

Evidence for Day-to-Night Ion Transport at Low Solar Activity in the Venus Pre-Dawn Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brannon, J. F.; Fox, J. L.; Porter, H. S.

1993-01-01

Periapsis of the Pioneer Venus spacecraft 2 dropped below 180 km on August 28, 1992 near midnight, and 42 orbits of low altitude data at moderately low solar activity in the pre-dawn sector were obtained before contact was lost to the spacecraft in October, 1992. Through a combination of analysis of data from the PV orbiter ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) and modeling, we consider here what can be learned about the relative importance of plasma transport from the dayside and electron precipitation in maintaining the nightside ionosphere during the re-entry period. In particular, we examine here the atomic ion density profiles. We compute the average peak density of O(+) as a function of solar zenith angle and determine what fluxes of atomic ions or precipitating electrons would he necessary to produce those values. We then compare model calculations of the ion densities to those observed during the re-entry period. We find that the low solar activity nightside ionosphere shows evidence of significant day-to-night plasma transport.

Fluid-kinetic simulations of the passage of Storm Enhanced Density (SED) plasma flux tubes through the dayside cleft auroral processes region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, W.; Horwitz, J. L.

2007-12-01

Foster et al. [2002] and others have reported on elevated ionospheric density regions being convected from the subauroral plasmaspheric region toward noon, in association with convection of plasmaspheric tails in the dayside magnetosphere. It has been suggested that these so-called Storm Enhanced Density (SED) regions could serve as ionospheric plasma source populations for cleft ion fountain outflows. To investigate this scenario, we have used our Dynamic Fluid Kinetic (DyFK) model to simulate the entry of a high-density "plasmasphere-like" flux tube entering the cleft region and subjected to an episode of wave-driven transverse ion heating. We find that the O+ ion density at higher altitudes increases and the density at lower altitudes decreases, following this heating episode, indicating increased numbers of O+ ions from the ionospheric source gain sufficient energy to reach higher altitudes after the effects of transverse wave heating. We also find that O+- H+ crossing point in topside ionosphere moves upward as the wave heating continues. Foster, J. C., P. J. Erickson, A. J. Coster, J. Goldstein, and F. J. Rich, Ionospheric signatures of plasmaspheric tails, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(13), 1623, doi:10.1029/2002GL015067, 2002.

Dosimetry of secondary cosmic radiation up to an altitude of 30 km.

PubMed

Wissmann, F; Burda, O; Khurana, S; Klages, T; Langner, F

2014-10-01

Dosimetric measurements in the field of secondary cosmic radiation were extensively made during the last years. Since the majority of these measurements were performed on-board passenger aircraft at altitudes between 10 and 12 km, measurements at higher altitudes are desirable for the verification of the legal dose assessment procedures for aircrew. A simple solution is to use a high-altitude balloon that reaches altitudes as high as 30 km. In this work, it is shown that the dose rate profile up to 30 km can be measured with acceptable uncertainties using a Si-detector. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Measurements of the ambient photoelectron spectrum from Atmosphere Explorer. I - AE-E measurements below 300 km during solar minimum conditions. II - AE-E measurements from 300 to 1000 km during solar minimum conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. S.; Doering, J. P.; Potemra, T. A.; Brace, L. H.

1980-01-01

A study is presented of the ambient photoelectron spectrum below 300 km which includes 500 AE-E orbits observed from Dec. 13, 1975 to Feb. 24, 1976. The daytime photoelectron spectrum from 1 to 100 eV was illustrated by several spectra; high resolution 10-32 eV spectra show the widths of the photoelectron lines and the variation of the linewidth and intensity with altitude. The photoelectron flux below 300 km is constant over a period of several months; the photoelectron lines between 20 and 30 eV are very sharp when the total plasma density is low, but broaden at high altitudes as the plasma density builds up during the day. The photo-electron flux above 300 km had an intensity and energy spectrum characteristic of the 250-300 km region only in the presence of low plasma density at the satellite altitude. The flux at high altitudes was extremely variable 3 h after sunrise as a result of attenuation and energy loss to thermal plasma along the path of escaping electrons.

The Role of Neutral Atmospheric Dynamics in Cusp Density - 2nd Campaign

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-30

density enhancement at the CHAMP altitude of 400 km. Then Clemmons et al. (2008) presented observations from Distribution A: Approved for public release...250 km. This appeared to contradict the CHAMP observations, so Clemmons et al. proposed that heating occurred at an altitude above Streak, caused by...temperatures less than 1000 K. The ion temperatures can be related to the speed of the plasma as shown by St Maurice and Hanson (1982) using the assumption

LIDAR Developments at Clermont-Ferrand—France for Atmospheric Observation

PubMed Central

Fréville, Patrick; Montoux, Nadège; Baray, Jean-Luc; Chauvigné, Aurélien; Réveret, François; Hervo, Maxime; Dionisi, Davide; Payen, Guillaume; Sellegri, Karine

2015-01-01

We present a Rayleigh-Mie-Raman LIDAR system in operation at Clermont-Ferrand (France) since 2008. The system provides continuous vertical tropospheric profiles of aerosols, cirrus optical properties and water vapour mixing ratio. Located in proximity to the high altitude Puy de Dôme station, labelled as the GAW global station PUY since August 2014, it is a useful tool to describe the boundary layer dynamics and hence interpret in situ measurements. This LIDAR has been upgraded with specific hardware/software developments and laboratory calibrations in order to improve the quality of the profiles, calibrate the depolarization ratio, and increase the automation of operation. As a result, we provide a climatological water vapour profile analysis for the 2009–2013 period, showing an annual cycle with a winter minimum and a summer maximum, consistent with in-situ observations at the PUY station. An overview of a preliminary climatology of cirrus clouds frequency shows that in 2014, more than 30% of days present cirrus events. Finally, the backscatter coefficient profile observed on 27 September 2014 shows the capacity of the system to detect cirrus clouds at 13 km altitude, in presence of aerosols below the 5 km altitude. PMID:25643059

Combining various space geodetic techniques for regional modeling of ionospheric electron density over Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zare, Saeed; Alizadeh, M. Mahdi; Schuh, Harald

2017-04-01

Ionosphere is a layer of the upper atmosphere, between the thermosphere and the exosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. As an important part of human living environment, ionosphere affects our modern society in many ways. International broadcasters use this medium to reflect radio signals back toward the Earth. Ionosphere provides long range capabilities for commercial ship-to-shore communications, for trans-oceanic aircraft links, and for military communication and surveillance systems. Space geodetic techniques have turned into a capable tool for studying the ionosphere in the last decades. Up to now, two dimensional (2-D) models of vertical TEC (VTEC) have been widely developed and used by different communities; however, due to the fact that these models provide information about the integral of the whole electron content along the vertical or slant ray path, these maps are not useful when information about the ionosphere at different altitude is required. The aim of this study is to develop three dimensional (3-D) regional model of electron density by using combination of various space geodetic techniques. B-Spline basis functions are used for longitude and latitude variations of the electron density and Chapman profile function for altitude variations. The National Cartographic Center of Iran (NCC) has established a network of one hundred GPS stations: The Iranian Permanent GPS Network for Geodynamics (IPGN). The main task of the GPS stations is to collect and store raw GPS data and send it to Tehran processing center on a daily basis for final processing. The required data for our investigation are ground based measurements of permanent GPS stations over Iran and radio occultation data from Formosat-3/Cosmic for region of interest. We expect to increase accuracy and reliability of final model by integrating different observation techniques.

The first new application of the mathematical theory of stochastic processes to lunar and planetary science: topography profile diagrams of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamuniccar, G.

The Mathematical Statistics Theory (MST) and the Mathematical Theory of Stochastic Processes (MTSP) are different branches of the more general Mathematical Probability Theory (MPT) that represents different aspects of some physical processes we can analyze using mathematics. Each model of a stochastic process according to MTSP can provide one or more interpretations in MST domain. Large body of work on the impact crater statistics according to MST was already done many years ago, for e.g., where Cratering Chronology Diagrams (CCD) were shown in log/log scale, showing Cum. Crater Frequency [N km-2] that is the function of Age [years] for some particular crater diameter. However, all this is only one possible representation in MST domain, of the bombardment of the planetary surface modeled as stochastic process according to MTSP. The idea that other representations in MST domain of the same stochastic process from MTSP are possible was recently presented [G. Salamuniæcar, Adv. Space Res. in press]. The importance of the approach is that each such interpretation can provide large amount of new information. Topography Profile Diagrams (TPDs) are one example, that with MOLA data provide us with large amount of new information regarding history of Mars. TPDs consists of [34thLPS #1403]: (1) Topography-Profile Curve (TPC) that is representation of the planet topography, (2) Density-of-Craters Curve (DCC) that represents density of craters, (3) Filtered-DCC (FDCC) that represents DCC filtered by a low-pass filter included with the purpose of reducing the noise and (4) Level-of-Substance-Over-Time Curve (LSOTC). While definition of TPC uniquely corresponds to way we will compute it, the same is not also the case with DCC and FDCC. While DCC depends on algorithms for computing crater altitude according to the topography, center coordinates and radius of impact crater [34thLPS #1409], FDCC depends on the architecture of the custom designed low-pass filter for filtering DCC [34thLPS #1415]. However all variations of DCC and FDCC including the different input craters data-sets confirmed correlation between density of craters and topographic altitude over 70˜ 80% of the planet surface. For the assumption that ocean primarily caused noted correlation, LSOTC additionally for the first time offers mathematical approach how to compute how level of ocean was changing over time [6thMars #3187]. Accordingly, conclusion is that TPDs are the first new practical application of MTSP to the Lunar and Planetary Science (LPS).

Measurements of CO2 Concentration and Wind Profiles with A Scanning 1.6μm DIAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abo, M.; Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.; Nagai, T.; Sakai, T.; Tsukamoto, M.

2012-12-01

Horizontal carbon dioxide (CO2) distribution and wind profiles are important information for understanding of the regional sink and source of CO2. The differential absorption lidar (DIAL) and the Doppler lidar with the range resolution is expected to bring several advantages over passive measurements. We have developed a new scanning 1.6μm DIAL and incoherent Doppler lidar system to perform simultaniously measurements of CO2 concentration and wind speed profiles in the atmosphere. The 1.6μm DIAL and Doppler lidar system consists of the Optical Parametric Generator (OPG) transmitter that excited by the LD pumped Nd:YAG laser with high repetition rate (500 Hz). The receiving optics include the near-infrared photomultiplier tube with high quantum efficiency operating at the photon counting mode, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) filter to detct Doppler shift, and a 25 cm telescope[1][2]. Laser beam is transmitted coaxially and motorized scanning mirror system can scan the laser beam and field of view 0-360deg horizontally and 0-52deg vertically. We report the results of vertical CO2 scanning measurenents and vertical wind profiles. The scanning elevation angles were from 12deg to 24deg with angular step of 4deg and CO2 concentration profiles were obtained up to 1 km altitude with 200 m altitude resolution. We also obtained vertical wind vector profiles by measuring line-of-sight wind profiles at two azimuth angles with a fixed elevation angle 52deg. Vertical wind vector profiles were obtained up to 5 km altitude with 1 km altitude rasolution. This work was financially supported by the System Development Program for Advanced Measurement and Analysis of the Japan Science and Technology Agency. References [1] L. B. Vann, et al., "Narrowband fiber-optic phase-shifted Fabry-Perot Bragg grating filters for atmospheric water vapor lidar measurements", Appl. Opt., 44, pp. 7371-7377 (2005). [2] Y. Shibata, et al., "1.5μm incoherent Doppler lidar using a FBG filter", Proceedings of 25th International Laser Radar Conference (ILRC25), pp. 338-340 (2010)

Trends in stratospheric ozone profiles using functional mixed models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, A.; Guillas, S.; Petropavlovskikh, I.

2013-11-01

This paper is devoted to the modeling of altitude-dependent patterns of ozone variations over time. Umkehr ozone profiles (quarter of Umkehr layer) from 1978 to 2011 are investigated at two locations: Boulder (USA) and Arosa (Switzerland). The study consists of two statistical stages. First we approximate ozone profiles employing an appropriate basis. To capture primary modes of ozone variations without losing essential information, a functional principal component analysis is performed. It penalizes roughness of the function and smooths excessive variations in the shape of the ozone profiles. As a result, data-driven basis functions (empirical basis functions) are obtained. The coefficients (principal component scores) corresponding to the empirical basis functions represent dominant temporal evolution in the shape of ozone profiles. We use those time series coefficients in the second statistical step to reveal the important sources of the patterns and variations in the profiles. We estimate the effects of covariates - month, year (trend), quasi-biennial oscillation, the solar cycle, the Arctic oscillation, the El Niño/Southern Oscillation cycle and the Eliassen-Palm flux - on the principal component scores of ozone profiles using additive mixed effects models. The effects are represented as smooth functions and the smooth functions are estimated by penalized regression splines. We also impose a heteroscedastic error structure that reflects the observed seasonality in the errors. The more complex error structure enables us to provide more accurate estimates of influences and trends, together with enhanced uncertainty quantification. Also, we are able to capture fine variations in the time evolution of the profiles, such as the semi-annual oscillation. We conclude by showing the trends by altitude over Boulder and Arosa, as well as for total column ozone. There are great variations in the trends across altitudes, which highlights the benefits of modeling ozone profiles.

Asymmetrical features of frequency and intensity in the Io-related Jovian decametric radio sources: Modeling of the Io-Jupiter system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuda, K.; Misawa, H.; Terada, N.; Katoh, Y.

2010-12-01

Part of the Io-related Jovian decametric radiation (Io-DAM) has been thought to be excited in the auroral cavity formed on field lines downstream of Io. Since source regions of Io-DAM called Io-A and Io-B are located in dusk and dawn local times despite having nearly equal magnetic longitudes, some of the observed asymmetries between Io-A and Io-B events are expected to be due to the difference in the local times. We developed a static Vlasov code, applied it to the Io-Jupiter system, and investigated source structure in order to clarify the ways in which the characteristics of Io-DAM are affected by the plasma in the Jovian ionosphere. Generally there are various solutions which satisfy the quasi-neutrality condition for almost identical boundary conditions. With regard to the solutions with two transition layers, if the altitude of a low-altitude transition layer (LATL) is higher, the voltage at the LATL and the ionospheric proton current density is smaller. Similarly, if the altitude of a high-altitude transition layer (HATL) is higher, the voltage at the HATL and the magnetospheric electron current density is larger. A solution with a smaller ionospheric density for Io-B than for Io-A indicates lower altitude of the LATL for Io-B, which is consistent with the observed high-frequency limit higher for Io-B than for Io-A. This suggests that the high-frequency limit is affected by the local time. It is also expected that the difference in ionospheric proton current densities would be associated with the observed asymmetry of emission intensity.

Rayleigh lidar observations of gravity wave activity in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, M. S.; Gardner, C. S.; Liu, C. H.

1987-01-01

Forty-two monochromatic gravity wave events were observed in the 25 to 55 km altitude region during 16 nights of Rayleigh lidar measurements at Poker Flat, Alaska and Urbana, Illinois. The measured wave parameters were compared to previous radar and lidar measurements of gravity wave activity. Vertical wavelengths, lambda(z), between 2 and 11.5 km with vertical phase velocities, c(z), between 0.1 and 1 m/s were observed. Measured values of lambda(z) and c(z) were used to infer observed wave periods, T(ob), between 50 and 1000 minutes and horizontal wavelengths, lambda(x), from 25 to 2000 km. Dominant wave activity was found at vertical wavelengths between 2 to 4 km and 7 to 10 km. No seasonal variations were evident in the observed wave parameters. Vertical and horizontal wavelengths showed a clear tendency to increase with T(ob), which is consistent with recent sodium lidar studies of monochromatic wave events near the mesopause. Measured power law relationships between the wave parameters were lambda(z) varies as T(ob) sup 0.96, lambda(x) varies as T(ob) sup 1.8, and c(z) varies as T(ob) sup -0.85. The kinetic energy calculated for the monochromatic wave events varied as k(z) sup -2, k(x) sup -1, and f(ob) sup -1.7. The atmospheric scale heights calculated for each observation date range from 6.5 to 7.6 km with a mean value of 7 km. The increase of rms wind perturbations with altitude indicated an amplitude growth length of 20.9 km. The altitude profile of kinetic energy density decreased with height, suggesting that waves in this altitude region were subject to dissipation or saturation effects.

The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO Cirrus Case Study: Cloud Optical Properties Determined by High Spectral Resolution Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grund, C. J.; Eloranta, E. W.

1996-01-01

During the First ISCCP Region Experiment (FIRE) cirrus intensive field observation (IFO) the High Spectral Resolution Lidar was operated from a roof top site on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Because the HSRL technique separately measures the molecular and cloud particle backscatter components of the lidar return, the optical thickness is determined independent of particle backscatter. This is accomplished by comparing the known molecular density distribution to the observed decrease in molecular backscatter signal with altitude. The particle to molecular backscatter ratio yields calibrated measurements of backscatter cross sections that can be plotted ro reveal cloud morphology without distortion due to attenuation. Changes in cloud particle size, shape, and phase affect the backscatter to extinction ratio (backscatter-phase function). The HSRL independently measures cloud particle backscatter phase function. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the HSRL cirrus cloud data acquired over an approximate 33 hour period of continuous near zenith observations. Correlations between small scale wind structure and cirrus cloud morphology have been observed. These correlations can bias the range averaging inherent in wind profiling lidars of modest vertical resolution, leading to increased measurement errors at cirrus altitudes. Extended periods of low intensity backscatter were noted between more strongly organized cirrus cloud activity. Optical thicknesses ranging from 0.01-1.4, backscatter phase functions between 0.02-0.065 sr (exp -1) and backscatter cross sections spanning 4 orders of magnitude were observed. the altitude relationship between cloud top and bottom boundaries and the cloud optical center altitude was dependent on the type of formation observed Cirrus features were observed with characteristic wind drift estimated horizontal sizes of 5-400 km. The clouds frequently exhibited cellular structure with vertical to horizontal dimension ratios of 1:5-1:1.

High Definition Sounding System Test and Integration with NASA Atmospheric Science Program Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

of the High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) on NASA high altitude Airborne Science Program platforms, specifically the NASA P-3 and NASA WB-57. When...demonstrate the system reliability in a Global Hawk’s 62000’ altitude regime of thin air and very cold temperatures. APPROACH: Mission Profile One or more WB...57 test flights will prove airworthiness and verify the High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) is safe and functional at high altitudes , essentially

ALMA MEASUREMENTS OF THE HNC AND HC{sub 3}N DISTRIBUTIONS IN TITAN'S ATMOSPHERE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cordiner, M. A.; Nixon, C. A.; Serigano, J.

2014-11-10

We present spectrally and spatially resolved maps of HNC and HC{sub 3}N emission from Titan's atmosphere, obtained using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array on 2013 November 17. These maps show anisotropic spatial distributions for both molecules, with resolved emission peaks in Titan's northern and southern hemispheres. The HC{sub 3}N maps indicate enhanced concentrations of this molecule over the poles, consistent with previous studies of Titan's photochemistry and atmospheric circulation. Differences between the spectrally integrated flux distributions of HNC and HC{sub 3}N show that these species are not co-spatial. The observed spectral line shapes are consistent with HNC being concentrated predominantlymore » in the mesosphere and above (at altitudes z ≳ 400 km), whereas HC{sub 3}N is abundant at a broader range of altitudes (z ≈ 70-600 km). From spatial variations in the HC{sub 3}N line profile, the locations of the HC{sub 3}N emission peaks are shown to be variable as a function of altitude. The peaks in the integrated emission from HNC and the line core (upper atmosphere) component of HC{sub 3}N (at z ≳ 300 km) are found to be asymmetric with respect to Titan's polar axis, indicating that the mesosphere may be more longitudinally variable than previously thought. The spatially integrated HNC and HC{sub 3}N spectra are modeled using the NEMESIS planetary atmosphere code and the resulting best-fitting disk-averaged vertical mixing ratio profiles are found to be in reasonable agreement with previous measurements for these species. Vertical column densities of the best-fitting gradient models for HNC and HC{sub 3}N are 1.9 × 10{sup 13} cm{sup –2} and 2.3 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup –2}, respectively.« less

Wargaming the Enemy Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

and various current and future short range air defense systems. In addition, the EWF experiments had Army high altitude airship (HAA) with a...component during these experiments dealt with controlling high speed fighters operating at low altitude over the ground commander’s AO. The...JAGIC).18 “”During experimentation with JAGIC, the ACA delegated a volume of airspace, either below a coordinating altitude or within a high density

Electron acceleration in downward auroral field-aligned currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cran-McGreehin, Alexandra P.; Wright, Andrew N.

2005-10-01

The auroral downward field-aligned current is mainly carried by electrons accelerated up from the ionosphere into the magnetosphere along magnetic field lines. Current densities are typically of the order of a few μ Am-2, and the associated electrons are accelerated to energies of several hundred eV up to a few keV. This downward current has been modeled by Temerin and Carlson (1998) using an electron fluid. This paper extends that model by describing the electron populations via distribution functions and modeling all of the F region. We assume a given ion density profile, and invoke quasi-neutrality to solve for the potential along the field line. Several important locations and quantities emerge from this model: the ionospheric trapping point, below which the ionospheric population is trapped by an ambipolar electric field; the location of maximum E∥, of the order of a few mVm-1, which lies earthward of the B/n peak; the acceleration region, located around the B/n peak, which normally extends between altitudes of 500 and 3000 km; and the total potential increase along the field line, of the order of a few hundred V up to several kV. The B/n peak is found to be the central factor determining the altitude and magnitude of the accelerating potential required. Indeed, the total potential drop is found to depend solely on the equilibrium properties in the immediate vicinity of the B/n peak.

On the nature of the variability in the Martian thermospheric mass density: Results from the Mars Global Surveyor Electron Reflectometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

England, S.; Lillis, R. J.

2011-12-01

Knowledge of Mars' thermospheric mass density (~120--200 km altitude) is important for understanding the current state and evolution of the Martian atmosphere and for spacecraft such as the upcoming MAVEN mission that will fly through this region every orbit. Global-scale atmospheric models have been shown thus far to do an inconsistent job of matching mass density observations at these altitudes, especially on the nightside. Thus there is a clear need for a data-driven estimate of the mass density in this region. Given the wide range of conditions and locations over which these must be defined, the dataset of thermospheric mass densities derived from energy and angular distributions of super-thermal electrons measured by the MAG/ER experiment on Mars Global Surveyor, spanning 4 full Martian years, is an extremely valuable resource that can be used to enhance our prediction of these densities beyond what is given by such global-scale models. Here we present an empirical model of the thermospheric density structure based on the MAG/ER dataset. Using this new model, we assess the global-scale response of the thermosphere to dust storms in the lower atmosphere and show that this varies with latitude. Further, we examine the short- and longer-term variability of the thermospheric density and show that it exhibits a complex behavior with latitude and season that is indicative of both atmospheric conditions at lower altitudes and possible lower atmosphere wave sources.

Observations of the electron density perturbation in the cusp irregularities during the ICI-2 campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, Takumi; Moen, J. I.

The ICI-2 (Investigation of Cusp Irregularities-2) sounding rocket campaign was conducted in Svalbard, Norway on December 2008. The scientific objective of ICI-2 is to investigate genera-tion mechanism(s) of coherent HF radar backscatter targets. Strong coherent HF backscatter echoes are well-known phenomena in the polar ionospheric cusp, and are thought to result from field-aligned plasma irregularities with decameter scale length. However, the generation mech-anism of backscatter targets has not yet been understood, and even the altitude profile of HF cusp backscatter is unknown. The ICI-2 rocket was launched at 10:35:10 UT at Ny-˚lesund, A and reached an apogee of 330 km at about 5 minutes after the launch. All onboard systems functioned flawlessly. A comprehensive measurement of the electron density, low energy elec-tron flux, medium energy particle flux, AC and DC electric fields was conducted to exploit the potential role of the gradient drift instability versus the other suggested mechanisms. We present a result obtained from a Fixed-Biased Probe (FBP) which was aimed at measuring fine-scale (< 1 m) electron density perturbation. Our analysis of the FBP data during the rocket's flight indicates that the rocket traversed HF backscatter regions where the electron density perturbation is relatively large. The power spectrum analysis of the electron density shows that the amplitude increases not only in the decameter wavelength but also in the broad range of frequency. Characteristic features of the electron density perturbation are summarized as follows: 1) A strong perturbation of the electron density was observed by the FBP when the ICI-2 rocket passed through a front side of the poleward moving 630 nm emission region which was identified by the all-sky imager. This means that the electron density perturbation and the 630 nm emission are observed to coexist in the same region. 2) The absolute value of the electron density becomes larger in the disturbed region than in the surrounding region. The electron density gradient in the boundary with the outer region is larger in the equatorward side than in the poleward side. 3) The amplitude of the electron density perturbation is remarkably large in the equatorward edge rather than the poleward boundaries. 4) The FBP identified the electron density perturbation at three different altitudes during the rocket flight. This indicates that the perturbation likely exists not only within the narrow limits but in a larger extent in the vertical direction.

Advancing spaceborne tools for the characterization of planetary ionospheres and circumstellar environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, Ewan Streets

This work explores remote sensing of planetary atmospheres and their circumstellar surroundings. The terrestrial ionosphere is a highly variable space plasma embedded in the thermosphere. Generated by solar radiation and predominantly composed of oxygen ions at high altitudes, the ionosphere is dynamically and chemically coupled to the neutral atmosphere. Variations in ionospheric plasma density impact radio astronomy and communications. Inverting observations of 83.4 nm photons resonantly scattered by singly ionized oxygen holds promise for remotely sensing the ionospheric plasma density. This hypothesis was tested by comparing 83.4 nm limb profiles recorded by the Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System aboard the International Space Station to a forward model driven by coincident plasma densities measured independently via ground-based incoherent scatter radar. A comparison study of two separate radar overflights with different limb profile morphologies found agreement between the forward model and measured limb profiles. A new implementation of Chapman parameter retrieval via Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques quantifies the precision of the plasma densities inferred from 83.4 nm emission profiles. This first study demonstrates the utility of 83.4 nm emission for ionospheric remote sensing. Future visible and ultraviolet spectroscopy will characterize the composition of exoplanet atmospheres; therefore, the second study advances technologies for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets. Such spectroscopy requires the development of new technologies to separate relatively dim exoplanet light from parent star light. High-contrast observations at short wavelengths require spaceborne telescopes to circumvent atmospheric aberrations. The Planet Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment (PICTURE) team designed a suborbital sounding rocket payload to demonstrate visible light high-contrast imaging with a visible nulling coronagraph. Laboratory operations of the PICTURE coronagraph achieved the high-contrast imaging sensitivity necessary to test for the predicted warm circumstellar belt around Epsilon Eridani. Interferometric wavefront measurements of calibration target Beta Orionis recorded during the second test flight in November 2015 demonstrate the first active wavefront sensing with a piezoelectric mirror stage and activation of a micromachine deformable mirror in space. These two studies advance our "close-to-home'' knowledge of atmospheres and move exoplanetary studies closer to detailed measurements of atmospheres outside our solar system.

MIRA: review of inputs from updated results of the phobos mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moroz, V. I.; Korablev, O. I.; Rodin, A. V.; Titov, D. V.

1999-01-01

The future Mars International Reference Atmosphere (MIRA) is intended to replace the present COSPAR Mars Reference Model compiled in 1979 on the basis of Mariner 9 and Viking 1,2 missions results. At the moment, several sources of the post-Viking data potentially useful for MIRA are available. Among them is a data set obtained during Phobos mission in 1989. The interpretation of these data has undergone thorough refinement, so final recommendations for MIRA can be made. The principal points are: 1) vertical profile of water vapor with a ``knee'' at the height about 25 km retrieved in the spring equinox season near equator; 2) variations of water vapor column density including peculiarities on the slopes of high mountains; 3) vertical profiles of ozone; 4) new estimates of CO abundance; 5) surface pressure/height mapping (CO2 altimetry) in selected regions; 6) optical depths of aerosols; 7) vertical profiles of aerosol between surface and 40 km; 8) properties of high altitude ice layers and clouds above mountains; 9) microphysical properties of aerosol particles (size, composition, and number density estimates). The data have been obtained by means of instruments AUGUSTE (UV and NIR spectrometers for limb sounding of the atmosphere using solar occultations), ISM (NIR scanning spectrometer), TERMOSKAN (thermal IR scanning radiometer), KRFM (near-UV and visible multi-band photometer). The observations were performed in equatorial regions during northern spring (solar aerocentric longitudes 8° < Ls < 18°).

Evaluation of vertical profiles to design continuous descent approach procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradeep, Priyank

The current research focuses on predictability, variability and operational feasibility aspect of Continuous Descent Approach (CDA), which is among the key concepts of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The idle-thrust CDA is a fuel economical, noise and emission abatement procedure, but requires increased separation to accommodate for variability and uncertainties in vertical and speed profiles of arriving aircraft. Although a considerable amount of researches have been devoted to the estimation of potential benefits of the CDA, only few have attempted to explain the predictability, variability and operational feasibility aspect of CDA. The analytical equations derived using flight dynamics and Base of Aircraft and Data (BADA) Total Energy Model (TEM) in this research gives insight into dependency of vertical profile of CDA on various factors like wind speed and gradient, weight, aircraft type and configuration, thrust settings, atmospheric factors (deviation from ISA (DISA), pressure and density of the air) and descent speed profile. Application of the derived equations to idle-thrust CDA gives an insight into sensitivity of its vertical profile to multiple factors. This suggests fixed geometric flight path angle (FPA) CDA has higher degree of predictability and lesser variability at the cost of non-idle and low thrust engine settings. However, with optimized design this impact can be overall minimized. The CDA simulations were performed using Future ATM Concept Evaluation Tool (FACET) based on radar-track and aircraft type data (BADA) of the real air-traffic to some of the busiest airports in the USA (ATL, SFO and New York Metroplex (JFK, EWR and LGA)). The statistical analysis of the vertical profiles of CDA shows 1) mean geometric FPAs derived from various simulated vertical profiles are consistently shallower than 3° glideslope angle and 2) high level of variability in vertical profiles of idle-thrust CDA even in absence of uncertainties in external factors. Analysis from operational feasibility perspective suggests that two key features of the performance based Flight Management System (FMS) i.e. required time of arrival (RTA) and geometric descent path would help in reduction of unpredictability associated with arrival time and vertical profile of aircraft guided by the FMS coupled with auto-pilot (AP) and auto-throttle (AT). The statistical analysis of the vertical profiles of CDA also suggests that for procedure design window type, 'AT or above' and 'AT or below' altitude and FPA constraints are more realistic and useful compared to obsolete 'AT' type altitude constraint.

Sublingual microcirculatory blood flow and vessel density in Sherpas at high altitude

PubMed Central

Coppel, Jonny; Court, Jo; van der Kaaij, Jildou; Vercueil, Andre; Feelisch, Martin; Levett, Denny; Mythen, Monty; Grocott, Michael P.; Martin, Daniel

2017-01-01

Anecdotal reports suggest that Sherpa highlanders demonstrate extraordinary tolerance to hypoxia at high altitude, despite exhibiting lower arterial oxygen content than acclimatized lowlanders. This study tested the hypothesis that Sherpas exposed to hypobaric hypoxia on ascent to 5,300 m develop increased microcirculatory blood flow as a means of maintaining tissue oxygen delivery. Incident dark-field imaging was used to obtain images of the sublingual microcirculation from 64 Sherpas and 69 lowlanders. Serial measurements were obtained from participants undertaking an ascent from baseline testing (35 m or 1,300 m) to Everest base camp (5,300 m) and following subsequent descent in Kathmandu (1,300 m). Microcirculatory flow index and heterogeneity index were used to provide indexes of microcirculatory flow, while capillary density was assessed using small vessel density. Sherpas demonstrated significantly greater microcirculatory blood flow at Everest base camp, but not at baseline testing or on return in Kathmandu, than lowlanders. Additionally, blood flow exhibited greater homogeneity at 5,300 and 1,300 m (descent) in Sherpas than lowlanders. Sublingual small vessel density was not different between the two cohorts at baseline testing or at 1,300 m; however, at 5,300 m, capillary density was up to 30% greater in Sherpas. These data suggest that Sherpas can maintain a significantly greater microcirculatory flow per unit time and flow per unit volume of tissue at high altitude than lowlanders. These findings support the notion that peripheral vascular factors at the microcirculatory level may be important in the process of adaptation to hypoxia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Sherpa highlanders demonstrate extraordinary tolerance to hypoxia at high altitude, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying this tolerance remain unknown. In our prospective study, conducted on healthy volunteers ascending to Everest base camp (5,300 m), we demonstrated that Sherpas have a higher sublingual microcirculatory blood flow and greater capillary density at high altitude than lowlanders. These findings support the notion that the peripheral microcirculation plays a key role in the process of long-term adaptation to hypoxia. PMID:28126908

Trends in stratospheric ozone profiles using functional mixed models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, A. Y.; Guillas, S.; Petropavlovskikh, I.

2013-05-01

This paper is devoted to the modeling of altitude-dependent patterns of ozone variations over time. Umkher ozone profiles (quarter of Umkehr layer) from 1978 to 2011 are investigated at two locations: Boulder (USA) and Arosa (Switzerland). The study consists of two statistical stages. First we approximate ozone profiles employing an appropriate basis. To capture primary modes of ozone variations without losing essential information, a functional principal component analysis is performed as it penalizes roughness of the function and smooths excessive variations in the shape of the ozone profiles. As a result, data driven basis functions are obtained. Secondly we estimate the effects of covariates - month, year (trend), quasi biennial oscillation, the Solar cycle, arctic oscillation and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation cycle - on the principal component scores of ozone profiles over time using generalized additive models. The effects are smooth functions of the covariates, and are represented by knot-based regression cubic splines. Finally we employ generalized additive mixed effects models incorporating a more complex error structure that reflects the observed seasonality in the data. The analysis provides more accurate estimates of influences and trends, together with enhanced uncertainty quantification. We are able to capture fine variations in the time evolution of the profiles such as the semi-annual oscillation. We conclude by showing the trends by altitude over Boulder. The strongly declining trends over 2003-2011 for altitudes of 32-64 hPa show that stratospheric ozone is not yet fully recovering.

Computational Model of D-Region Ion Production Caused by Energetic Electron Precipitations Based on General Monte Carlo Transport Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouznetsov, A.; Cully, C. M.

2017-12-01

During enhanced magnetic activities, large ejections of energetic electrons from radiation belts are deposited in the upper polar atmosphere where they play important roles in its physical and chemical processes, including VLF signals subionospheric propagation. Electron deposition can affect D-Region ionization, which are estimated based on ionization rates derived from energy depositions. We present a model of D-region ion production caused by an arbitrary (in energy and pitch angle) distribution of fast (10 keV - 1 MeV) electrons. The model relies on a set of pre-calculated results obtained using a general Monte Carlo approach with the latest version of the MCNP6 (Monte Carlo N-Particle) code for the explicit electron tracking in magnetic fields. By expressing those results using the ionization yield functions, the pre-calculated results are extended to cover arbitrary magnetic field inclinations and atmospheric density profiles, allowing ionization rate altitude profile computations in the range of 20 and 200 km at any geographic point of interest and date/time by adopting results from an external atmospheric density model (e.g. NRLMSISE-00). The pre-calculated MCNP6 results are stored in a CDF (Common Data Format) file, and IDL routines library is written to provide an end-user interface to the model.

Energy Estimates of Lightning-Generated Whistler-Mode Waves in the Venus Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Richard; Russell, Christopher T.; Zhang, Tielong

2016-10-01

The dual fluxgate magnetometer on the Venus Express Mission sampled at 128 Hz allowing for signals up to 64 Hz to be detected. These signals are found at all local times and at altitudes up to 600 km while near periapsis. The spacecraft had a periapsis within 15 degrees of the north pole for nearly the entire mission, concentrating observations at high latitudes. At solar minimum, when the ionosphere can become strongly magnetized, the waves were more readily guided along the field up to the spacecraft. During this time, whistlers were observed 3% of the time while VEX was at 250 km altitude. Detection rates reached 5% at this altitude while near the dawn terminator due to a low altitude magnetic belt that provides a radial component enabling better access of the signals to the spacecraft.Since the majority of these observations were made at relatively low altitudes, reasonable assumptions can be made about the ionospheric conditions along the wave's path from the base of the ionosphere to the spacecraft. The electron density can be inferred by utilizing the VERA model and scaling it to match the solar cycle conditions during the Venus Express campaign. With the electron density and the three components of the magnetic field measurement, we then calculate the Poynting flux to determine the energy density of the wave. This enables us to determine the strength of the source lightning and compares this strength to that on Earth.

Energy Estimates of Lightning-Generated Whistler-Mode Waves in the Ionosphere of Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, R. A.; Russell, C. T.; Zhang, T.

2016-12-01

The dual fluxgate magnetometer on the Venus Express Mission sampled at 128 Hz allowing for signals up to 64 Hz to be detected. These signals are found at all local times and at altitudes up to 600 km while near periapsis. The spacecraft had a periapsis within 15º of the north pole for nearly the entire mission, concentrating observations at high latitudes. At solar minimum, when the ionosphere can become strongly magnetized, the waves were more readily guided along the field up to the spacecraft. During this time, whistlers were observed 3% of the time while VEX was at 250 km altitude. Detection rates reached 5% at this altitude while near the dawn terminator due to a low altitude magnetic belt that provides a radial component enabling better access of the signals to the spacecraft. Since the majority of these observations were made at relatively low altitudes, reasonable assumptions can be made about the ionospheric conditions along the wave's path from the base of the ionosphere to the spacecraft. The electron density can be inferred by utilizing the VERA model and scaling it to match the solar cycle conditions during the Venus Express campaign. With the electron density and the three components of the magnetic field measurement, we then calculate the Poynting flux to determine the energy density of the wave. This enables us to determine the strength of the source lightning and compare it to that on Earth.

Radiosonde pressure sensor performance - Evaluation using tracking radars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, C. L.; Norcross, G. A.; Brooks, R. L.

1984-01-01

The standard balloon-borne radiosonde employed for synoptic meteorology provides vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity as a function of elapsed time. These parameters are used in the hypsometric equation to calculate the geopotential altitude at each sampling point during the balloon's flight. It is important that the vertical location information be accurate. The present investigation was conducted with the objective to evaluate the altitude determination accuracy of the standard radiosonde throughout the entire balloon profile. The tests included two other commercially available pressure sensors to see if they could provide improved accuracy in the stratosphere. The pressure-measuring performance of standard baroswitches, premium baroswitches, and hypsometers in balloon-borne sondes was correlated with tracking radars. It was found that the standard and premium baroswitches perform well up to about 25 km altitude, while hypsometers provide more reliable data above 25 km.

Daytime O/N2 Retrieval Algorithm for the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephan, Andrew W.; Meier, R. R.; England, Scott L.; Mende, Stephen B.; Frey, Harald U.; Immel, Thomas J.

2018-02-01

The NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer Far-Ultraviolet spectrometer, ICON FUV, will measure altitude profiles of the daytime far-ultraviolet (FUV) OI 135.6 nm and N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) band emissions that are used to determine thermospheric density profiles and state parameters related to thermospheric composition; specifically the thermospheric column O/N2 ratio (symbolized as ΣO/N2). This paper describes the algorithm concept that has been adapted and updated from one previously applied with success to limb data from the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on the NASA Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission. We also describe the requirements that are imposed on the ICON FUV to measure ΣO/N2 over any 500-km sample in daytime with a precision of better than 8.7%. We present results from orbit-simulation testing that demonstrates that the ICON FUV and our thermospheric composition retrieval algorithm can meet these requirements and provide the measurements necessary to address ICON science objectives.

Retrieval of profile information from airborne multiaxis UV-visible skylight absorption measurements.

PubMed

Bruns, Marco; Buehler, Stefan A; Burrows, John P; Heue, Klaus-Peter; Platt, Ulrich; Pundt, Irene; Richter, Andreas; Rozanov, Alexej; Wagner, Thomas; Wang, Ping

2004-08-01

A recent development in ground-based remote sensing of atmospheric constituents by UV-visible absorption measurements of scattered light is the simultaneous use of several horizon viewing directions in addition to the traditional zenith-sky pointing. The different light paths through the atmosphere enable the vertical distribution of some atmospheric absorbers, such as NO2, BrO, or O3, to be retrieved. This approach has recently been implemented on an airborne platform. This novel instrument, the airborne multiaxis differential optical absorption spectrometer (AMAXDOAS), has been flown for the first time. In this study, the amount of profile information that can be retrieved from such measurements is investigated for the trace gas NO2. Sensitivity studies on synthetic data are performed for a variety of representative measurement conditions including two wavelengths, one in the UV and one in the visible, two different surface spectral reflectances, various lines of sight (LOSs), and for two different flight altitudes. The results demonstrate that the AMAXDOAS measurements contain useful profile information, mainly at flight altitude and below the aircraft. Depending on wavelength and LOS used, the vertical resolution of the retrieved profiles is as good as 2 km near flight altitude. Above 14 km the profile information content of AMAXDOAS measurements is sparse. Airborne multiaxis measurements are thus a promising tool for atmospheric studies in the troposphere and the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere region.

Assimilation of Wind Profiles from Multiple Doppler Radar Wind Profilers for Space Launch Vehicle Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, Ryan K.; Walker, John R.; Barbre, Robert E., Jr.; Leach, Richard D.

2015-01-01

Atmospheric wind data are required by space launch vehicles in order to assess flight vehicle loads and performance on day-of-launch. Space launch ranges at NASA's Kennedy Space Center co-located with the United States Air Force's (USAF) Eastern Range (ER) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and USAF's Western Range (WR) at Vandenberg Air Force Base have extensive networks of in-situ and remote sensing instrumentation to measure atmospheric winds. Each instrument's technique to measure winds has advantages and disadvantages in regards to use within vehicle trajectory analyses. Balloons measure wind at all altitudes necessary for vehicle assessments, but two primary disadvantages exist when applying balloon output. First, balloons require approximately one hour to reach required altitudes. Second, balloons are steered by atmospheric winds down range of the launch site that could significantly differ from those winds along the vehicle ascent trajectory. These issues are mitigated by use of vertically pointing Doppler Radar Wind Profilers (DRWPs). However, multiple DRWP instruments are required to provide wind data over altitude ranges necessary for vehicle trajectory assessments. The various DRWP systems have different operating configurations resulting in different temporal and spatial sampling intervals. Therefore, software was developed to combine data from both DRWP-generated profiles into a single profile for use in vehicle trajectory analyses. This paper will present details of the splicing software algorithms and will provide sample output.

Analysis of Pulsed Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption During the ASCENDS 2009-2011 Airborne Campaigns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abshire, J. B.; Weaver, C. J.; Riris, H.; Mao, J.; Sun, X; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Browell, E. V.

2012-01-01

We have developed a pulsed lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission and have demonstrated the CO2 and O2 measurements from aircraft. Our technique uses two pulsed lasers allowing simultaneous measurement of a single CO2 absorption line near 1572 nm, O2 extinction in the Oxygen A-band, surface height and backscatter profile. The lasers are stepped in wavelength across the CO2 line and an O2 line doublet during the measurement. The column densities for the CO2 and O2 are estimated from the differential optical depths (DOD) of the scanned absorption lines via the IPDA technique. For the 2009 ASCENDS campaign we flew the CO2 lidar on a Lear-25 aircraft, and measured the absorption line shapes of the CO2 line using 20 wavelength samples per scan. Measurements were made at stepped altitudes from 3 to 12.6 km over the Lamont OK, central Illinois, North Carolina, and over the Virginia Eastern Shore. Although the received signal energies were weaker than expected for ASCENDS, clear CO2 line shapes were observed at all altitudes. Most flights had 5-6 altitude steps with 200-300 seconds of recorded measurements per step. We averaged every 10 seconds of measurements and used a cross-correlation approach to estimate the range to the scattering surface and the echo pulse energy at each wavelength. We then solved for the best-fit CO2 absorption line shape, and calculated the DOD of the fitted CO2 line, and computed its statistics at the various altitude steps. We compared them to CO2 optical depths calculated from spectroscopy based on HITRAN 2008 and the column number densities calculated from the airborne in-situ readings. The 2009 measurements have been analyzed and they were similar on all flights. The results show clear CO2 line shape and absorption signals, which follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude from 3 to 13 km. They showed the expected nearly the linear dependence of DOD vs altitude. The measurements showed 1 ppm random errors for 8-10 km altitudes and 30 sec averaging times. For the 2010 ASCENDS campaigns we flew the CO2lidar on the NASA DC-8 and added an 02lidar channel. During July 2010 we made measurements of CO2 and O2 column absorption during longer flights over Railroad Valley NV, the Pacific Ocean and over Lamont OK. CO2 measurements were made with 30 steps/scan, 300 scans/sec and improved line resolution and receiver sensitivity. Analysis of the 2010 CO2 measurements shows the expected linear change of DOD with altitude. For measurements at altitudes> 6 km the random errors were 0.3 ppm for 80 sec averaging times. For the summer 2011 ASCENDS campaigns we made further improvements to the lidar's CO2 line scan and receiver sensitivity. We demonstrated measurements over the California Central Valley, to stratus cloud tops over the Pacific Ocean, over mountain regions with snow, and over several areas with broken clouds. Details of the lidar measurements and their analysis will be described in the presentation.

Pulsed Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption and Range During the ASCENDS 2009-2011 Airborne Campaigns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abshire, J. B.; Weaver, C. J.; Riris, H.; Mao, J.; Sun, X.; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Browell, E. V.

2012-01-01

We have developed a pulsed lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission and have demonstrated the CO2 and O2 measurements from aircraft. Our technique uses two pulsed lasers allowing simultaneous measurement of a single CO2 absorption line near 1572 nm, O2 extinction in the Oxygen A-band, surface height and backscatter profile. The lasers are stepped in wavelength across the CO2 line and an O2 line doublet during the measurement. The column densities for the CO2 and O2 are estimated from the differential optical depths (DOD) of the scanned absorption lines via the IPDA technique. For the 2009 ASCENDS campaign we flew the CO2 lidar only on a Lear-25 aircraft, and measured the absorption line shapes of the CO2 line using 20 wavelength samples per scan. Measurements were made at stepped altitudes from 3 to 12.6 km over the Lamont OK, central Illinois, North Carolina, and over the Virginia Eastern Shore. Although the received signal energies were weaker than expected for ASCENDS, clear C02 line shapes were observed at all altitudes. Most flights had 5-6 altitude steps with 200-300 seconds of recorded measurements per step. We averaged every 10 seconds of measurements and used a cross-correlation approach to estimate the range to the scattering surface and the echo pulse energy at each wavelength. We then solved for the best-fit CO2 absorption line shape, and calculated the DOD of the fitted CO2 line, and computed its statistics at the various altitude steps. We compared them to CO2 optical depths calculated from spectroscopy based on HITRAN 2008 and the column number densities calculated from the airborne in-situ readings. The 2009 measurements have been analyzed in detail and they were similar on all flights. The results show clear CO2 line shape and absorption signals, which follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude from 3 to 13 km. They showed the expected nearly the linear dependence of DOD vs altitude. The measurements showed -1 ppm random errors for 8-10 km altitudes and -30 sec averaging times. For the 2010 ASCENDS campaigns we flew the CO2 lidar on the NASA DC-8 and added an O2 lidar channel. During July 2010 we made measurements of CO2 and O2 column absorption during longer flights over Railroad Valley NV, the Pacific Ocean and over Lamont OK. CO2 measurements were made with 30 steps/scan, 300 scans/sec and improved line resolution and receiver sensitivity. Analysis of the 2010 CO2 measurements shows the expected -linear change of DOD with altitude. For measurements at altitudes> 6 km the random errors were 0.3 ppm for 80 sec averaging times. For the summer 2011 ASCENDS campaigns we made further improvements to the lidar's CO2 line scan and receiver sensitivity. The seven flights in the 2011 Ascends campaign were flown over a wide variety of surface and cloud conditions in the US, which produced a wide variety of lidar signal conditions. Details of the lidar measurements and their analysis will be described in the presentation.

High Altitude, Wavelength-dependent Extinction in Titan's Atmosphere from the 2003 Nov. 14 Occultation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalucha, A.; Elliot, J. L.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Dhillon, V.; Marsh, T.; Hammel, H. B.; Irwin, P.; Thomas-Osip, J.; Taylor, F.

2005-08-01

A stellar occultation by Titan on 2003 Nov. 14 was observed from La Palma Observatory (Fitzsimmons et al., RAS Time Domain Astrophysics, 2004) using ULTRACAM with three Sloan filters: u', g', and i' (350, 480, and 770 nm, respectively; Dhillon and Marsh, NewAR, 25, 91, 2001). The latitudes probed during immersion and emersion were 1.1S and 1.8N, respectively. A central flash was seen in only the i' filter, indicating wavelength-dependent atmospheric extinction. The light curves were inverted to obtain six lower-limit temperature profiles between 360 and 500 km (30 and 2 microbar) altitude. The i' profiles agreed with the model of Yelle (ApJ, 383, 380, 1991) above 415 km (10 microbar). The temperature profiles are expected to be independent of wavelength; instead, it is found that the profiles obtained at different wavelengths diverged as altitude decreases, which implies significant extinction in the light curves. The onset of extinction occurred between 550 and 600 km (0.9 and 0.4 microbar) altitude with optical depth increasing below this height. This is ˜ 50-100 km higher than the detached haze layer seen by Cassini in 2004 (Porco et al., Nature, 434, 159, 2005). No discrete haze layers have yet been resolved in our data. Applying the model used by Elliot and Young (AJ, 103, 991,1992) gives the altitudes of optical depth equal to unity: 382 ± 5 km and 436 ± 5 km (u' immersion and emersion); 406 ± 4 km and 403 ± 10 km (g' immersion and emersion); and 345 ± 5 km and 326 ± 3 km (i' immersion and emersion). Another method shows that the optical depth behaved as a power law in wavelength, with exponent approximately -3. We gratefully acknowledge support from NSF grant AST-0073447 and NASA grant NNG04GF25G

Thermospheric Studies with Mars Global Surveyor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemoine, F. G.; Bruinsma, S.; Chin, D. S.; Forbes, J. M.

2006-01-01

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has been located in a near-circular, polar, and low-altitude mapping orbit about Mars for six years, since February 1999. The spacecraft is tracked routinely by the antennae of the Deep Space Network (DSN), using the X Band radio system of the spacecraft. These tracking data have been used for routine spacecraft navigation, and for radio science studies, such as the estimation of the static and time-varying gravity field of Mars. In this paper we describe the methodology for reduction of these data in order to estimate the Mars atmospheric density (normalized to an altitude 380 km) over half a solar cycle, where we discern the correlation of the density with the incident solar flux, and the 27-day solar rotation. The results show that the density at the MGS altitude varies from a mean of 0.7 x 10(exp -17) grams/cu cm near aphelion to a mean of 3.0 x 10(exp -17)grams/cu cm near perihelion.

High Altitude Bird Migration at Temperate Latitudes: A Synoptic Perspective on Wind Assistance

PubMed Central

Dokter, Adriaan M.; Shamoun-Baranes, Judy; Kemp, Michael U.; Tijm, Sander; Holleman, Iwan

2013-01-01

At temperate latitudes the synoptic patterns of bird migration are strongly structured by the presence of cyclones and anticyclones, both in the horizontal and altitudinal dimensions. In certain synoptic conditions, birds may efficiently cross regions with opposing surface wind by choosing a higher flight altitude with more favourable wind. We observed migratory passerines at mid-latitudes that selected high altitude wind optima on particular nights, leading to the formation of structured migration layers at varying altitude up to 3 km. Using long-term vertical profiling of bird migration by C-band Doppler radar in the Netherlands, we find that such migration layers occur nearly exclusively during spring migration in the presence of a high-pressure system. A conceptual analytic framework providing insight into the synoptic patterns of wind assistance for migrants that includes the altitudinal dimension has so far been lacking. We present a simple model for a baroclinic atmosphere that relates vertical profiles of wind assistance to the pressure and temperature patterns occurring at temperate latitudes. We show how the magnitude and direction of the large scale horizontal temperature gradient affects the relative gain in wind assistance that migrants obtain through ascending. Temperature gradients typical for northerly high-pressure systems in spring are shown to cause high altitude wind optima in the easterly sectors of anticyclones, thereby explaining the frequent observations of high altitude migration in these synoptic conditions. Given the recurring synoptic arrangements of pressure systems across temperate continents, the opportunities for exploiting high altitude wind will differ between flyways, for example between easterly and westerly oceanic coasts. PMID:23300969

High altitude bird migration at temperate latitudes: a synoptic perspective on wind assistance.

PubMed

Dokter, Adriaan M; Shamoun-Baranes, Judy; Kemp, Michael U; Tijm, Sander; Holleman, Iwan

2013-01-01

At temperate latitudes the synoptic patterns of bird migration are strongly structured by the presence of cyclones and anticyclones, both in the horizontal and altitudinal dimensions. In certain synoptic conditions, birds may efficiently cross regions with opposing surface wind by choosing a higher flight altitude with more favourable wind. We observed migratory passerines at mid-latitudes that selected high altitude wind optima on particular nights, leading to the formation of structured migration layers at varying altitude up to 3 km. Using long-term vertical profiling of bird migration by C-band Doppler radar in the Netherlands, we find that such migration layers occur nearly exclusively during spring migration in the presence of a high-pressure system. A conceptual analytic framework providing insight into the synoptic patterns of wind assistance for migrants that includes the altitudinal dimension has so far been lacking. We present a simple model for a baroclinic atmosphere that relates vertical profiles of wind assistance to the pressure and temperature patterns occurring at temperate latitudes. We show how the magnitude and direction of the large scale horizontal temperature gradient affects the relative gain in wind assistance that migrants obtain through ascending. Temperature gradients typical for northerly high-pressure systems in spring are shown to cause high altitude wind optima in the easterly sectors of anticyclones, thereby explaining the frequent observations of high altitude migration in these synoptic conditions. Given the recurring synoptic arrangements of pressure systems across temperate continents, the opportunities for exploiting high altitude wind will differ between flyways, for example between easterly and westerly oceanic coasts.

An Overview of Advanced Concepts for Near-Space Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-30

Density (kg/m 3 ) I. Introduction ear space is qualitatively defined as the range of Earth altitudes above where commercial aircraft can produce...with the relative benefits of both high-altitude aircraft and low-altitude satellites. 1 The common assumption is that operating in this range of... aircraft and near-space vehicles this can effectively be their useful endurance. For LEO satellites, however, the total time in view can be a major

TRAGEN: Computer program to simulate an aircraft steered to follow a specified verticle profile. User's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The longitudinal dynamics of a medium range twin-jet or tri-jet transport aircraft are simulated. For the climbing trajectory, the thrust is constrained to maximum value, and for descent, the thrust is set at idle. For cruise, the aircraft is held in the trim condition. For climb or descent, the aircraft is steered to follow either (a) a fixed profile which is input to the program or (b) a profile computed at the beginning of that segment of the run. For climb, the aircraft is steered to maintain the given airspeed as a function of altitude. For descent, the aircraft is steered to maintain the given altitude as a function of range-to-go. In both cases, the control variable is angle-of-attack. The given output trajectory is presented and compared with the input trajectory. Step climb is treated just as climb. For cruise, the Breguet equations are used to compute the fuel burned to achieve a given range and to connect given initial and final values of altitude and Mach number.

An occultation satellite system for determining pressure levels in the atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ungar, S. G.; Lusignan, B. B.

1972-01-01

An operational two-satellite microwave occultation system will establish a pressure reference level to be used in fixing the temperature-pressure profile generated by the SIRS infrared sensor as a function of altitude. In the final error analysis, simulated data for the SIRS sensor were used to test the performance of the occultation system. The results of this analysis indicate that the occultation system is capable of measuring the altitude of the 300-mb level to within 24 mrms, given a maximum error of 2 K in the input temperature profile. The effects of water vapor can be corrected by suitable climatological profiles, and improvements in the accuracy of the SIRS instrument should yield additional improvements in the performance of the occultation system.

Vector wind profile gust model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelfang, S. I.

1979-01-01

Work towards establishing a vector wind profile gust model for the Space Transportation System flight operations and trade studies is reported. To date, all the statistical and computational techniques required were established and partially implemented. An analysis of wind profile gust at Cape Kennedy within the theoretical framework is presented. The variability of theoretical and observed gust magnitude with filter type, altitude, and season is described. Various examples are presented which illustrate agreement between theoretical and observed gust percentiles. The preliminary analysis of the gust data indicates a strong variability with altitude, season, and wavelength regime. An extension of the analyses to include conditional distributions of gust magnitude given gust length, distributions of gust modulus, and phase differences between gust components has begun.

Estimation of 557.7 nm Emission Altitude using Co-located Lidars and Photometers over Arecibo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franco, E.; Raizada, S.; Lautenbach, J.; Brum, C. G. M.

2017-12-01

Airglow at 557.7 nm (green line emission) is generated through the Barth mechanism in the E-region altitude and is sometimes associated with red line (630.0 nm) originating at F-region altitudes. Photons at 557.7 nm are produced through the quenching of excited atomic oxygen atoms, O(1S), while 630.0 nm results through the de-excitation of O(1D) atoms. Even though, the contribution of the green line from F-region is negligible and the significant component comes from the mesosphere, this uncertainty gives rise to a question related to its precise altitude. Previous studies have shown that perturbations generated by atmospheric gravity Waves (GWs) alter the airglow intensity and can be used for studying dynamics of the region where it originates. The uncertainty in the emission altitude of green line can be resolved by using co-located lidars, which provide altitude resolved metal densities. At Arecibo, the resonance lidars tuned to Na and K resonance wavelengths at 589 nm and 770 nm can be used in conjunction with simultaneous measurements from green line photometer to resolve this issue. Both photometer and lidars have narrow field of view as compared to airglow imagers, and hence provide an added advantage that these instruments sample same GW spectrum. Hence, correlation between density perturbations inferred from lidars and airglow intensity perturbations can shed light on the exact altitude of green line emission.

Development of Aptitude at Altitude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Alexandra M.; Virues-Ortega, Javier; Botti, Ana Baya; Bucks, Romola; Holloway, John W.; Rose-Zerilli, Matthew J.; Palmer, Lyle J.; Webster, Rebecca J.; Baldeweg, Torsten; Kirkham, Fenella J.

2010-01-01

Millions of people currently live at altitudes in excess of 2500 metres, where oxygen supply is limited, but very little is known about the development of brain and behavioural function under such hypoxic conditions. We describe the physiological, cognitive and behavioural profile of a large cohort of infants (6-12 months), children (6-10 years)…

The influence of NO and ClO variations at twilight on the interpretation of solar occultation measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boughner, R.; Larsen, J. C.; Natarajan, M.

1980-01-01

The influence of short lived photochemically produced species on solar occultation measurements of ClO and NO was examined. Time varying altitude profiles of ClO and NO were calculated with a time dependent photochemical model to simulate the distribution of these species during a solar occultation measurement. These distributions were subsequently used to calculate simulated radiances for various tangent paths from which mixing ratios were inferred with a conventional technique that assumes spherical symmetry. These results show that neglecting the variation of ClO in the retrieval process produces less than a 10 percent error between the true and inverted profile for both sunrise and sunset above 18 km. For NO, errors are less than 10 percent for tangent altitudes above about 35 km for sunrise and sunset; at lower altitudes, the error increases, approaching 100 percent at altitudes near 25 km. the results also show that average inhomogeneity factors, which measure the concentration variation along the tangent path and which can be calculated from a photochemical model, can indicate which species require more careful data analysis.

Saving a Unique Data Set for Space Weather Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilitza, D.; Benson, R. F.; Reinisch, B. W.; Huang, X. A.

2017-12-01

The Canadian/US International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program included the four satellites Alouette 1 and 2, ISIS 1 and 2 launched in 1962, 1965, 1969, and 1971, respectively and in operation for 10, 10, 21, and 19 years, respectively. The core experiment on these satellites was a topside sounder that could determine the ionospheric electron density from the orbit altitude down to about 250-500 km near where the ionosphere reaches its point of highest density, the F-peak. The mission was long lasting and highly successful, producing a wealth of information about the topside ionosphere in the form of analog ionosphere soundings on 7-track tapes. The analysis process required a tedious manual scaling of ionogram traces that could then, with appropriate software, be converted into electron density profiles. Even with the combined effort involving ionospheric groups from many countries only a relatively small percentage of the huge volume of recorded ionograms could be converted to electron density profiles. Even with this limited number significant new insights were achieved documented by the many Alouette/ISIS-related papers published in the 1960s and 1970s. Recognizing the importance of this unique data set for space weather research a new effort was undertaken in the late Nineties to analyze more of the Alouette/ISIS ionograms. The immediate cause for action was the threat to the more than 100,000 analog telemetry tapes in storage in Canada because of space limitations and storage costs. We were able to have nearly 20,000 tapes shipped to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for analog-to-digital conversion and succeeded in developing software that automatically scales and converts the ionograms to electron density profiles. This rescue effort is still ongoing and has already produced a significant increase in the information available for the topside ionosphere and has resulted in numerous publications. The data have led to improvements of the representation of the topside ionosphere in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) the international standard for the ionosphere. The data are of particular interest for studying the effects of ionospheric storms on topside profiles and, together with newer data, for studying the solar cycle and long-term variations of the ionospheric topside.

Modeling the Zeeman effect in high altitude SSMIS channels for numerical weather prediction profiles: comparing a fast model and a line-by-line model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsson, R.; Milz, M.; Rayer, P.; Saunders, R.; Bell, W.; Booton, A.; Buehler, S. A.; Eriksson, P.; John, V.

2015-10-01

We present a comparison of a reference and a fast radiative transfer model using numerical weather prediction profiles for the Zeeman-affected high altitude Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder channels 19-22. We find that the models agree well for channels 21 and 22 compared to the channels' system noise temperatures (1.9 and 1.3 K, respectively) and the expected profile errors at the affected altitudes (estimated to be around 5 K). For channel 22 there is a 0.5 K average difference between the models, with a standard deviation of 0.24 K for the full set of atmospheric profiles. Same channel, there is 1.2 K in average between the fast model and the sensor measurement, with 1.4 K standard deviation. For channel 21 there is a 0.9 K average difference between the models, with a standard deviation of 0.56 K. Same channel, there is 1.3 K in average between the fast model and the sensor measurement, with 2.4 K standard deviation. We consider the relatively small model differences as a validation of the fast Zeeman effect scheme for these channels. Both channels 19 and 20 have smaller average differences between the models (at below 0.2 K) and smaller standard deviations (at below 0.4 K) when both models use a two-dimensional magnetic field profile. However, when the reference model is switched to using a full three-dimensional magnetic field profile, the standard deviation to the fast model is increased to almost 2 K due to viewing geometry dependencies causing up to ± 7 K differences near the equator. The average differences between the two models remain small despite changing magnetic field configurations. We are unable to compare channels 19 and 20 to sensor measurements due to limited altitude range of the numerical weather prediction profiles. We recommended that numerical weather prediction software using the fast model takes the available fast Zeeman scheme into account for data assimilation of the affected sensor channels to better constrain the upper atmospheric temperatures.

Modeling the Zeeman effect in high-altitude SSMIS channels for numerical weather prediction profiles: comparing a fast model and a line-by-line model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsson, Richard; Milz, Mathias; Rayer, Peter; Saunders, Roger; Bell, William; Booton, Anna; Buehler, Stefan A.; Eriksson, Patrick; John, Viju O.

2016-03-01

We present a comparison of a reference and a fast radiative transfer model using numerical weather prediction profiles for the Zeeman-affected high-altitude Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder channels 19-22. We find that the models agree well for channels 21 and 22 compared to the channels' system noise temperatures (1.9 and 1.3 K, respectively) and the expected profile errors at the affected altitudes (estimated to be around 5 K). For channel 22 there is a 0.5 K average difference between the models, with a standard deviation of 0.24 K for the full set of atmospheric profiles. Concerning the same channel, there is 1.2 K on average between the fast model and the sensor measurement, with 1.4 K standard deviation. For channel 21 there is a 0.9 K average difference between the models, with a standard deviation of 0.56 K. Regarding the same channel, there is 1.3 K on average between the fast model and the sensor measurement, with 2.4 K standard deviation. We consider the relatively small model differences as a validation of the fast Zeeman effect scheme for these channels. Both channels 19 and 20 have smaller average differences between the models (at below 0.2 K) and smaller standard deviations (at below 0.4 K) when both models use a two-dimensional magnetic field profile. However, when the reference model is switched to using a full three-dimensional magnetic field profile, the standard deviation to the fast model is increased to almost 2 K due to viewing geometry dependencies, causing up to ±7 K differences near the equator. The average differences between the two models remain small despite changing magnetic field configurations. We are unable to compare channels 19 and 20 to sensor measurements due to limited altitude range of the numerical weather prediction profiles. We recommended that numerical weather prediction software using the fast model takes the available fast Zeeman scheme into account for data assimilation of the affected sensor channels to better constrain the upper atmospheric temperatures.

Predicted optical performance of the high-altitude balloon experiment (HABE) telescope in an adverse thermal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akau, Ronald L.; Givler, Richard C.; Eastman, Daniel R.

1994-07-01

The High-Altitude Balloon Experiment telescope was designed to operate at an ambient temperature of -55 degree(s)C and an altitude of 26 km, using a precooled primary mirror. Although at this altitude the air density is only 1.4 percent of the value at sea level, the temperature gradients within the telescope are high enough to deform the optical wavefront. This problem is considerably lessened by precooling the primary mirror to -35 degree(s)C. This paper describes the application of several codes to determine the range of wavefront deformation during a mission.

Evolved changes in the intracellular distribution and physiology of muscle mitochondria in high-altitude native deer mice.

PubMed

Mahalingam, Sajeni; McClelland, Grant B; Scott, Graham R

2017-07-15

Mitochondrial function changes over time at high altitudes, but the potential benefits of these changes for hypoxia resistance remains unclear. We used high-altitude-adapted populations of deer mice, which exhibit enhanced aerobic performance in hypoxia, to examine whether changes in mitochondrial physiology or intracellular distribution in the muscle contribute to hypoxia resistance. Permeabilized muscle fibres from the gastrocnemius muscle had higher respiratory capacities in high-altitude mice than in low-altitude mice. Highlanders also had higher mitochondrial volume densities, due entirely to an enriched abundance of subsarcolemmal mitochondria, such that more mitochondria were situated near the cell membrane and adjacent to capillaries. There were several effects of hypoxia acclimation on mitochondrial function, some of which were population specific, but they differed from the evolved changes in high-altitude natives, which probably provide a better indication of adaptive traits that improve performance and hypoxia resistance at high altitudes. High-altitude natives that have evolved to live in hypoxic environments provide a compelling system to understand how animals can overcome impairments in oxygen availability. We examined whether these include changes in mitochondrial physiology or intracellular distribution that contribute to hypoxia resistance in high-altitude deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Mice from populations native to high and low altitudes were born and raised in captivity, and as adults were acclimated to normoxia or hypobaric hypoxia (equivalent to 4300 m elevation). We found that highlanders had higher respiratory capacities in the gastrocnemius (but not soleus) muscle than lowlanders (assessed using permeabilized fibres with single or multiple inputs to the electron transport system), due in large part to higher mitochondrial volume densities in the gastrocnemius. The latter was attributed to an increased abundance of subsarcolemmal (but not intermyofibrillar) mitochondria, such that more mitochondria were situated near the cell membrane and adjacent to capillaries. Hypoxia acclimation had no significant effect on these population differences, but it did increase mitochondrial cristae surface densities of mitochondria in both populations. Hypoxia acclimation also altered the physiology of isolated mitochondria by affecting respiratory capacities and cytochrome c oxidase activities in population-specific manners. Chronic hypoxia decreased the release of reactive oxygen species by isolated mitochondria in both populations. There were subtle differences in O 2 kinetics between populations, with highlanders exhibiting increased mitochondrial O 2 affinity or catalytic efficiency in some conditions. Our results suggest that evolved changes in mitochondrial physiology in high-altitude natives are distinct from the effects of hypoxia acclimation, and probably provide a better indication of adaptive traits that improve performance and hypoxia resistance at high altitudes. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2017 The Physiological Society.

Plasma Pancakes and Deep Cavities Generated by High Power Radio Waves from the Arecibo Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernhardt, P. A.; Briczinski, S. J., Jr.; Zawdie, K.; Huba, J.; Siefring, C. L.; Sulzer, M. P.; Nossa, E.; Aponte, N.; Perillat, P.; Jackson-Booth, N.

2017-12-01

Breakdown of the neutral atmosphere at ionospheric altitudes can be achieved with high power HF waves that reflect on the bottomside of the ionosphere. For overdense heating (i.e., wave frequency < maximum plasma frequency in the F-layer), the largest electric fields in the plasma are found just below the reflection altitude. There, electromagnetic waves are converted into electron plasma (Langmir) waves and ion acoustic waves. These waves are measured by scattering of the 430 MHz radar at Arecibo to from an enhanced plasma line. The photo-electron excitation of Langmuir waves yields a weaker plasma-line profile that shows the complete electron profile with the radar. Once HF enhanced Langmuir waves are formed, they can accelerate the photo-electron population to sufficient energies for neutral breakdown and enhanced ionization inside the HF Radio Beam. Plasma pancakes are produced because the breakdown process continues to build up plasma on bottom of the breakdown clouds and recombination occurs on the older breakdown plasma at the top of these clouds. Thus, the plasma pancake falls with altitude from the initial HF wave reflection altitude near 250 km to about 160 km where ion-electron recombination prevents the plasma cloud from being sustained by the high power HF. Experiments in March 2017 have produced plasma pancakes with about 100 Mega-Watts effective radiated power 5.1 MHz with the Arecibo HF Facility. Observations using the 430 MHz radar show falling plasma pancakes that disappear at low altitudes and reform at the F-layer critical reflection altitude. Sometimes the periodic and regular falling motion of the plasma pancakes is influenced by Acoustic Gravity Waves (AGW) propagating through the modified HF region. A rising AGW can cause the plasma pancake to reside at nearly constant altitude for 10 to 20 minutes. Dense cavities are also produced by high power radio waves interacting with the F-Layer. These structures are observed with the Arecibo 430 MHz radar as intense bight-outs in the plasma profile. Multiple cavities are seen simultaneously.

Storm Time Global Observations of Large-Scale TIDs From Ground-Based and In Situ Satellite Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habarulema, John Bosco; Yizengaw, Endawoke; Katamzi-Joseph, Zama T.; Moldwin, Mark B.; Buchert, Stephan

2018-01-01

This paper discusses the ionosphere's response to the largest storm of solar cycle 24 during 16-18 March 2015. We have used the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) total electron content data to study large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) over the American, African, and Asian regions. Equatorward large-scale TIDs propagated and crossed the equator to the other side of the hemisphere especially over the American and Asian sectors. Poleward TIDs with velocities in the range ≈400-700 m/s have been observed during local daytime over the American and African sectors with origin from around the geomagnetic equator. Our investigation over the American sector shows that poleward TIDs may have been launched by increased Lorentz coupling as a result of penetrating electric field during the southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field, Bz. We have observed increase in SWARM satellite electron density (Ne) at the same time when equatorward large-scale TIDs are visible over the European-African sector. The altitude Ne profiles from ionosonde observations show a possible link that storm-induced TIDs may have influenced the plasma distribution in the topside ionosphere at SWARM satellite altitude.

Density and community structure of soil- and bark-dwelling microarthropods along an altitudinal gradient in a tropical montane rainforest.

PubMed

Illig, Jens; Norton, Roy A; Scheu, Stefan; Maraun, Mark

2010-09-01

Microarthropod communities in the soil and on the bark of trees were investigated along an elevation gradient (1,850, 2,000, 2,150, 2,300 m) in a tropical montane rain forest in southern Ecuador. We hypothesised that the density of microarthropods declines with depth in soil and increases with increasing altitude mainly due to the availability of resources, i.e. organic matter. In addition, we expected bark and soil communities to differ strongly, since the bark of trees is more exposed to harsher factors. In contrast to our hypothesis, the density of major microarthropod groups (Collembola, Oribatida, Gamasina, Uropodina) was generally low and decreased with altitude. However, as we predicted the density of each of the groups decreased with soil depth. Density of microarthropods on tree bark was lower than in soil. Overall, 43 species of oribatid mites were found, with the most abundant higher taxa being Poronota, pycnonotic Apheredermata, Mixonomata and Eupheredermata. The oribatid mite community on bark did not differ significantly from that in soil. The number of oribatid mite species declined with altitude (24, 23, 17 and 13 species at 1,850, 2,000, 2,150 and 2,300 m, respectively). Rarefaction curves indicate that overall about 50 oribatid mite species are to be expected along the studied altitudinal gradient. Results of this study indicate (1) that microarthropods may be limited by the quality of resources at high altitudes and by the amount of resources at deeper soil layers, and (2) that the bark of trees and the soil are habitats of similar quality for oribatid mites.

Strategies to Improve the Accuracy of Mars-GRAM Sensitivity Studies at Large Optical Depths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, Hilary L.; Justus, Carl G.; Badger, Andrew M.

2009-01-01

The Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) is an engineering-level atmospheric model widely used for diverse mission applications. Mars-GRAM s perturbation modeling capability is commonly used, in a Monte-Carlo mode, to perform high fidelity engineering end-to-end simulations for entry, descent, and landing (EDL). It has been discovered during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) site selection process that Mars-GRAM when used for sensitivity studies for MapYear=0 and large optical depth values such as tau=3 is less than realistic. A comparison study between Mars atmospheric density estimates from Mars- GRAM and measurements by Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) has been undertaken for locations of varying latitudes, Ls, and LTST on Mars. The preliminary results from this study have validated the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) limb data. From the surface to 80 km altitude, Mars- GRAM is based on the NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM). MGCM results that were used for Mars-GRAM with MapYear=0 were from a MGCM run with a fixed value of tau=3 for the entire year at all locations. Unrealistic energy absorption by uniform atmospheric dust leads to an unrealistic thermal energy balance on the polar caps. The outcome is an inaccurate cycle of condensation/sublimation of the polar caps and, as a consequence, an inaccurate cycle of total atmospheric mass and global-average surface pressure. Under an assumption of unchanged temperature profile and hydrostatic equilibrium, a given percentage change in surface pressure would produce a corresponding percentage change in density at all altitudes. Consequently, the final result of a change in surface pressure is an imprecise atmospheric density at all altitudes. To solve this pressure-density problem, a density factor value was determined for tau=.3, 1 and 3 that will adjust the input values of MGCM MapYear 0 pressure and density to achieve a better match of Mars-GRAM MapYear=0 with MapYears 1 and 2 MGCM output at comparable dust loading. Currently, these density factors are fixed values for all latitudes and Ls. Results will be presented of the work underway to derive better multipliers by including possible variation with latitude and/or Ls. This is achieved by comparison of Mars-GRAM MapYear=0 output with TES limb data. The addition of these density factors to Mars-GRAM will improve the results of the sensitivity studies done for large optical depths. Answers may also be provided to the issues raised in a recent study by Desai(2008). Desai has shown that the actual landing sites of Mars Pathfinder, the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Phoenix Mars Lander have been further downrange than predicted by models prior to landing. Desai s reconstruction of their entries into the Martian atmosphere showed that the models consistently predicted higher densities than those found upon EDL. The solution of this problem would be important to the Mars Program since future exploration of Mars by landers and rovers will require more accurate landing capabilities, especially for the proposed Mars Sample Return mission.

Project ABLE: (Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, O.; Aurilio, G.; Bucknam, R. D.; Hurd, A. G.; Sheehan, W. H.

1985-03-01

Project ABLE (Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment) is part of the A.F. Geophysics Laboratory's continuing interest in developing techniques for making remote measurements of atmospheric quantities such as density, pressure, temperatures, and wind motions. The system consists of a balloonborne lidar payload designed to measure neutral molecular density as a function of altitude from ground level to 70 km. The lidar provides backscatter data at the doubled and tripled frequencies of a Nd:YAG laser, which will assist in the separation of the molecular and aerosol contributions and subsequent determination of molecular and aerosol contributions and subsequent determination of molecular density vs altitude. The object of this contract was to fabricate and operate in a field test a balloonborne lidar experiment capable of performing nighttime atmospheric density measurements up to 70 km altitude with a resolution of 150 meters. The payload included a frequency-doubled and -tripled Nd:YAG laser with outputs at 355 and 532 nm; a telescoped receiver with PMT detectors; a command-controlled optical pointing system; and support system, including thermal control, telmetry, command, and power. Successful backscatter measurements were made during field operations which included a balloon launch from Roswell, NM and a flight over the White Sands Missile Range.

Extreme Pregnancy: Maternal Physical Activity at Everest Base Camp.

PubMed

Davenport, Margie H; Steinback, Craig D; Borle, Kennedy J; Matenchuk, Brittany A; Vanden Berg, Emily R; de Freitas, Emily M; Linares, Andrea M; O'Halloran, Ken D; Sherpa, Mingma T; Day, Trevor A

2018-05-10

High altitude natives employ numerous physiological strategies to survive and reproduce. However, the concomitant influence of altitude and physical activity during pregnancy has not been studied above 3,700m. We report a case of physical activity, sleep behavior and physiological measurements on a 28-year-old third-trimester pregnant native highlander (Sherpa) during ascent from 3440m to Everest base camp (~5,300m) over eight days in the Nepal Himalaya, and again ~10-months postpartum during a similar ascent profile. The participant engaged in 250-300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day during ascent to altitude while pregnant, with similar volumes of MVPA while postpartum. There were no apparent maternal, fetal or neonatal complications related to the superimposition of the large volumes of physical activity at altitude. This report demonstrates a rare description of physical activity and ascent to high altitude during pregnancy and points to novel questions regarding the superimposition of pregnancy, altitude and physical activity in high altitude natives.

In-situ measurements of nitric oxide in the high latitude upper stratosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horvath, J. J.; Frederick, J. E.

1985-01-01

The vertical profiles of nitric acid were measured over Poker Flat, Alaska, in August 1984 and January and February 1985 using a rocket-launched parachute-deployed chemiluminescence sensor. Results for the altitude range 35-45 km indicate a large seasonal variation, with wintertime mixing ratios being a factor of two above summer values. The winter profiles contain sharp positive vertical gradients persisting through the highest altitudes observed. Above the stratopause, the mixing ratio observed in February increases rapidly and between 52 and 53 km reaches 148.9 ppbv, an order of magnitude greater than typical mid-latitude values measured with this instrument. Such behavior is consistent with the idea that nitric oxide produced at greater altitudes reaches the high-latitude upper stratosphere or lower mesosphere in winter. The results support the existence of a vertical coupling between diverse regions of the atmosphere in the high-latitude winter.

Atmospheric temperature changes over the 20th century at very high elevations in the European Alps from englacial temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, A.; Vincent, C.

2013-05-01

the paucity of observations, a great deal of uncertainty remains concerning temperature changes at very high altitudes over the last century. Englacial temperature measurements performed in boreholes provide a very good indicator of atmospheric temperatures for very high elevations although they are not directly related to air temperatures. Temperature profiles from seven deep boreholes drilled at three different sites between 4240 and 4300 m above sea level in the Mont Blanc area (French Alps) have been analyzed using a heat flow model and a Bayesian inverse modeling approach. Atmospheric temperature changes over the last century were estimated by simultaneous inversion of these temperature profiles. A mean warming rate of 0.14°C/decade between 1900 and 2004 was found. This is similar to the observed regional low altitude trend in the northwestern Alps, suggesting that air temperature trends are not altitude dependent.

An overview af SAGE I and II ozone measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccormick, M. P.; Zawodny, J. M.; Veiga, R. E.; Larsen, J. C.; Wang, P. H.

1989-01-01

The stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiments (SAGE) I and II measure Mie, Rayleigh, and gaseous extinction profiles using the solar occultation technique. These global measurements yield ozone profiles with a vertical resolution of 1 km which have been routinely obtained for the periods from February 1979 to November 1981 (SAGE I) and October 1984 to the present (SAGE II). The long-term periodic behavior of the measured ozone is presented as well as case studies of the observed short-term spatial and temporal variability. A linear regression shows annual, semiannual, and quasi-biennial oscillation features at various altitudes and latitudes which, in general, agree with past work. Also, ozone, aerosol, and water vapor data are described for the Antarctic springtime, showing large variation relative to the vortex. Cross-sections in latitude and altitude and polar plots at various altitudes clearly delineate the ozone hole vertically and areally.

New Stratospheric Dust Belt Due to the Chelyabinsk Bolide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorkavyi, Nick; Rault, D. F.; Newman, P. A.; da Silva, A. M.; Dudorov, A. E.

2013-01-01

The Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler (LP) on the recently launched NASA/NOAA NPP/ Suomi satellite detected aerosol excess in the midstratosphere (25-45 km altitude) between 50degN and 70degN latitudes. OMPS/LP observations trace this aerosol plume to the meteor that struck near Chelyabinsk, Russia on 15 February 2013. This new dust layer, located above the Junge aerosol layer, has persisted over at least a 3 month period. Material collected on the ground following the bolide explosion showed that the meteor was mostly composed of olivine and pyroxenes. Simulations using Lagrangian and Eulerian atmospheric models trace the plume back to Chelyabinsk and confirm that the plume altitude was at altitudes between 25 and 45 km. The models also confirm the plume circumpolar longitudinal spreading observed by OMPS/LP, with propagation speeds up to 85 m/s.

Low-latitude Temperatures, Pressures, and Winds on Saturn from Cassini Radio Occultations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flasar, F. M.; Schinder, P. J.; Kliore, A. J.; French, R. G.; Marouf, E. A.; Nagy, A.; Rappaport, N. J.; Anabtawi, A.; Asmar, S.; Barbinis, E.; Fleischman, D. U.; Goltz, G. L.; Johnston, D. V.; Rochblatt, D.; McGhee, C. A.

2005-12-01

We present results from 12 ingress and egress soundings done within 10 degrees of Saturn's equator. Above the 100-mbar level, near the tropopause, the vertical profiles of temperature are marked by undulatory structure that may be associated with vertically propagating waves. Below the 200-mbar level, in the upper troposphere, the vertical profiles are smoother, and the overall trend of temperatures is to increase away from the equator. This implies a decay of the zonal winds with altitude. The zonal winds can actually be inferred directly from the meridional gradient in pressure, without the need of a boundary condition on the winds. We summarize results of these calculations. This is of interest because recent cloud tracking studies have indicated lower equatorial winds than found earlier, but whether this indicates a real change in the winds at a given altitude or a change in the altitudes of the features tracked is controversial.

Simulation study of geometric shape factor approach to estimating earth emitted flux densities from wide field-of-view radiation measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, W. L.; Green, R. N.

1980-01-01

A study was performed on the use of geometric shape factors to estimate earth-emitted flux densities from radiation measurements with wide field-of-view flat-plate radiometers on satellites. Sets of simulated irradiance measurements were computed for unrestricted and restricted field-of-view detectors. In these simulations, the earth radiation field was modeled using data from Nimbus 2 and 3. Geometric shape factors were derived and applied to these data to estimate flux densities on global and zonal scales. For measurements at a satellite altitude of 600 km, estimates of zonal flux density were in error 1.0 to 1.2%, and global flux density errors were less than 0.2%. Estimates with unrestricted field-of-view detectors were about the same for Lambertian and non-Lambertian radiation models, but were affected by satellite altitude. The opposite was found for the restricted field-of-view detectors.

Lidar method of measurement of atmospheric extinction and ozone profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooney, J. A.

1986-01-01

A description of a method of measurement of atmospheric extinction and of ozone profiles by use of the backscatter signal from a monostatic lidar is given. The central feature of the procedure involves a measurement of the ratio of the Raman backscatter returns of both the oxygen and nitrogen atmospheric content. Because the ratio of the number density of both species is known to high accuracy, the measurement itself becomes a measure of the ratio of two transmissions to altitude along with a ratio of the two system constants. The calibration measurement for determining the value of the ratio of the two system constants or electro-optical conversion constants is accomplished by a lidar measurement of identical atmospheric targets while at the same time interchanging the two optical filters in the two optical channels of the receiver. More details of the procedure are discussed. Factoring this calibrated value into the measured O2/N2 profile ratio provides a measured value of the ratio of the two transmissions. Or equivalently, it provides a measurement of the difference of the two extinction coefficients at the O2 and N2 Raman wavelengths as a function of the height.

Microphysical modeling of Titan's detached haze layer in a 3D GCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Erik J. L.; Toon, Owen B.; West, Robert A.; Friedson, A. James

2015-07-01

We use a 3D GCM with coupled aerosol microphysics to investigate the formation and seasonal cycle of the detached haze layer in Titan's upper atmosphere. The base of the detached haze layer is defined by a local minimum in the vertical extinction profile. The detached haze is seen at all latitudes including the south pole as seen in Cassini images from 2005-2012. The layer merges into the winter polar haze at high latitudes where the Hadley circulation carries the particles downward. The hemisphere in which the haze merges with the polar haze varies with season. We find that the base of the detached haze layer occurs where there is a near balance between vertical winds and particle fall velocities. Generally the vertical variation of particle concentration in the detached haze region is simply controlled by sedimentation, so the concentration and the extinction vary roughly in proportion to air density. This variation explains why the upper part of the main haze layer, and the bulk of the detached haze layer follow exponential profiles. However, the shape of the profile is modified in regions where the vertical wind velocity is comparable to the particle fall velocity. Our simulations closely match the period when the base of the detached layer in the tropics is observed to begin its seasonal drop in altitude, and the total range of the altitude drop. However, the simulations have the base of the detached layer about 100 km lower than observed, and the time for the base to descend is slower in the simulations than observed. These differences may point to the model having somewhat lower vertical winds than occur on Titan, or somewhat too large of particle sizes, or some combination of both. Our model is consistent with a dynamical origin for the detached haze rather than a chemical or microphysical one. This balance between the vertical wind and particle fall velocities occurs throughout the summer hemisphere and tropics. The particle concentration gradients that are established in the summer hemisphere are transported to the winter hemisphere by meridional winds from the overturning Hadley cell. Our model is consistent with the disappearance of the detached haze layer in early 2014. Our simulations predict the detached haze and gap will reemerge at its original high altitude between mid 2014 and early 2015.

Stratospheric NO2 vertical profile retrieved from ground-based Zenith-Sky DOAS observations at Kiruna, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Myojeong; Enell, Carl-Fredrik; Hendrick, François; Pukite, Janis; Van Roozendael, Michel; Platt, Ulrich; Raffalski, Uwe; Wagner, Thomas

2014-05-01

Stratospheric NO2 destroys ozone and acts as a buffer against halogen-catalyzed ozone loss through the formation of reservoir species (ClONO2, BrONO2). Since the importance of both mechanisms depends on the altitude, the investigation of stratospheric NO2 vertical distribution can provide more insight into the role of nitrogen compounds in the destruction of ozone. Here we present stratospheric NO2 vertical profiles retrieved from twilight ground-based zenith-sky DOAS observations at Kiruna, Sweden (68.84°N, 20.41°E) covering 1997 - 2013 periods. This instrument observes zenith scattered sunlight. The sensitivity for stratospheric trace gases is highest during twilight due to the maximum altitude of the scattering profile and the light path through the stratosphere, which vary with the solar zenith angle. The profiling algorithm, based on the Optimal Estimation Method, has been developed by IASB-BIRA and successfully applied at other stations (Hendrick et al., 2004). The basic principle behind this profiling approach is that during twilight, the mean Rayleigh scattering altitude scans the stratosphere rapidly, providing height-resolved information on the absorption by stratospheric NO2. In this study, the long-term evolution of the stratospheric NO2 profile at polar latitude will be investigated. Hendrick, F., B. Barret, M. Van Roozendael, H. Boesch, A. Butz, M. De Mazière, F. Goutail, C. Hermans, J.-C. Lambert, K. Pfeilsticker, and J.-P. Pommereau, Retrieval of nitrogen dioxide stratospheric profiles from ground-based zenith-sky UV-visible observations: Validation of the technique through correlative comparisons, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 4, 2091-2106, 2004

The Profile Envision and Splice Tool (PRESTO): Developing an Atmospheric Wind Analysis Tool for Space Launch Vehicles Using Python

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orcutt, John M.; Barbre, Robert E., Jr.; Brenton, James C.; Decker, Ryan K.

2017-01-01

Tropospheric winds are an important driver of the design and operation of space launch vehicles. Multiple types of weather balloons and Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) systems exist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), co-located on the United States Air Force's (USAF) Eastern Range (ER) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), that are capable of measuring atmospheric winds. Meteorological data gathered by these instruments are being used in the design of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and other space launch vehicles, and will be used during the day-of-launch (DOL) of SLS to aid in loads and trajectory analyses. For the purpose of SLS day-of-launch needs, the balloons have the altitude coverage needed, but take over an hour to reach the maximum altitude and can drift far from the vehicle's path. The DRWPs have the spatial and temporal resolutions needed, but do not provide complete altitude coverage. Therefore, the Natural Environments Branch (EV44) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed the Profile Envision and Splice Tool (PRESTO) to combine balloon profiles and profiles from multiple DRWPs, filter the spliced profile to a common wavelength, and allow the operator to generate output files as well as to visualize the inputs and the spliced profile for SLS DOL operations. PRESTO was developed in Python taking advantage of NumPy and SciPy for the splicing procedure, matplotlib for the visualization, and Tkinter for the execution of the graphical user interface (GUI). This paper describes in detail the Python coding implementation for the splicing, filtering, and visualization methodology used in PRESTO.

Recent Elevation Changes on Bagley Ice Valley, Guyot and Yahtse Glaciers, Alaska, from ICESat Altimetry, Star-3i Airborne, and SRTM Spaceborne DEMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muskett, R. R.; Sauber, J. M.; Lingle, C. S.; Rabus, B. T.; Tangborn, W. V.; Echelmeyer, K. A.

2005-12-01

Three- to 5-year surface elevation changes on Bagley Ice Valley, Guyot and Yahtse Glaciers, in the eastern Chugach and St. Elias Mtns of south-central Alaska, are estimated using ICESat-derived data and digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data. The surface elevations of these glaciers are influenced by climatic warming superimposed on surge dynamics (in the case of Bagley Ice Valley) and tidewater glacier dynamics (in the cases of Guyot and Yahtse Glaciers) in this coastal high-precipitation regime. Bagley Ice Valley / Bering Glacier last surged in 1993-95. Guyot and Yahtse Glaciers, as well as the nearby Tyndell Glacier, have experienced massive tidewater retreat during the past century, as well as during recent decades. The ICESat-derived elevation data we employ were acquired in early autumn in both 2003 and 2004. The NASA/NIMA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM that we employ was derived from X-band InSAR data acquired during this 11-22 Feb. 2000 mission and processed by the German Aerospace Center. This DEM was corrected for estimated systematic error, and a mass balance model was employed to account for seasonal snow accumulation. The Star-3i airborne, X-band, InSAR-derived DEM that we employ was acquired 4-13 Sept. 2000 by Intermap Technologies, Inc., and was also processed by them. The ICESat-derived profiles crossing Bagley Ice Valley, differenced with Star-3i DEM elevations, indicate preliminary mean along-profile elevation increases of 5.6 ± 3.4 m at 1315 m altitude, 7.4 ± 2.7 m at 1448 m altitude, 4.7 ± 1.9 m at 1557 m altitude, 1.3 ± 1.4 m at 1774 m altitude, and 2.5 ± 1.5 m at 1781 m altitude. This is qualitatively consistent with the rising surface on Bagley Ice Valley observed by Muskett et al. [2003]. The ICESat-derived profiles crossing Yahtse Glacier, differenced with the SRTM DEM elevations, indicate preliminary mean elevation changes (negative implies decrease) of -0.9 ± 3.5 m at 1562 m altitude, -2.6 ± 2.8 m at 1378 m altitude, 6.1 ± 3.5 m at 1142 m altitude, 1.4 ± 12.1 m at 1232 m altitude, -4.0 ± 4.2 m at 250 m to 1217 m altitude, -1.8 ± 3.3 m at 1200 m altitude, and 8.0 ± 6.4 m at 940 m altitude. One ICESat-derived track-to-DEM comparison on Guyot Glacier indicates a preliminary mean elevation change in the 478 m to 1150 m altitude range of -2.8 ± 14.1 m. Results, including additional comparisons to small-aircraft laser altimeter data, with more fully-corrected for estimated snow and ice accumulation / ablation between acquisitions times, will be presented. [Muskett, R.R., C.S. Lingle, W.V. Tangborn, and B.T. Rabus, Multi-decadal elevation changes on Bagley Ice Valley and Malaspina Glacier, Alaska, GRL, 30 (16), 1857, doi:10.1029/2003GL017707, 2003.

Study on Oxygen Supply Standard for Physical Health of Construction Personnel of High-Altitude Tunnels.

PubMed

Guo, Chun; Xu, Jianfeng; Wang, Mingnian; Yan, Tao; Yang, Lu; Sun, Zhitao

2015-12-22

The low atmospheric pressure and low oxygen content in high-altitude environment have great impacts on the functions of human body. Especially for the personnel engaged in complicated physical labor such as tunnel construction, high altitude can cause a series of adverse physiological reactions, which may result in multiple high-altitude diseases and even death in severe cases. Artificial oxygen supply is required to ensure health and safety of construction personnel in hypoxic environments. However, there are no provisions for oxygen supply standard for tunnel construction personnel in high-altitude areas in current tunnel construction specifications. As a result, this paper has theoretically studied the impacts of high-altitude environment on human bodies, analyzed the relationship between labor intensity and oxygen consumption in high-altitude areas and determined the critical oxygen-supply altitude values for tunnel construction based on two different standard evaluation systems, i.e., variation of air density and equivalent PIO₂. In addition, it has finally determined the oxygen supply standard for construction personnel in high-altitude areas based on the relationship between construction labor intensity and oxygen consumption.

Comparison of midlatitude ionospheric F region peak parameters and topside Ne profiles from IRI2012 model prediction with ground-based ionosonde and Alouette II observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordiyenko, G. I.; Yakovets, A. F.

2017-07-01

The ionospheric F2 peak parameters recorded by a ground-based ionosonde at the midlatitude station Alma-Ata [43.25N, 76.92E] were compared with those obtained using the latest version of the IRI model (http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/vitmo/iri2012_vitmo.html). It was found that for the Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) location, the IRI2012 model describes well the morphology of seasonal and diurnal variations of the ionospheric critical frequency (foF2) and peak density height (hmF2) monthly medians. The model errors in the median foF2 prediction (percentage deviations between the median foF2 values and their model predictions) were found to vary approximately in the range from about -20% to 34% and showed a stable overestimation in the median foF2 values for daytime in January and July and underestimation for day- and nighttime hours in the equinoctial months. The comparison between the ionosonde hmF2 and IRI results clearly showed that the IRI overestimates the nighttime hmF2 values for March and September months, and the difference is up to 30 km. The daytime Alma-Ata hmF2 data were found to be close to the IRI predictions (deviations are approximately ±10-15 km) in winter and equinoctial months, except in July when the observed hmF2 values were much more (from approximately 50-200 km). The comparison between the Alouette foF2 data and IRI predictions showed mixed results. In particular, the Alouette foF2 data showed a tendency to be overestimated for daytime in winter months similar to the ionosonde data; however, the overestimated foF2 values for nighttime in the autumn equinox were in disagreement with the ionosonde observations. There were large deviations between the observed hmF2 values and their model predictions. The largest deviations were found during winter and summer (up to -90 km). The comparison of the Alouette II electron density profiles with those predicted by the adapted IRI2012 model in the altitude range hmF2 of the satellite position showed a great difference in the shape of the Alouette-, NeQuick-, IRI02-coorr, and IRI2001-derived Ne profiles, with overestimated Ne values at some altitudes and underestimated Ne values at others. The results obtained in the study showed that the observation-model differences were significant especially for the real observed (not median) data. For practical application, it is clearly important for the IRI2012 model to be adapted to the observed F2-layer peak parameters. However, the model does not offer a simple solution to predict the shape of the vertical electron density profile in the topside ionosphere, because of the problem with the topside shape parameters.

Spectroscopic Detection of COClF in the Tropical and Mid-Latitude Lower Stratosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinsland, Curtis P.; Nassar, Ray; Boone, Chris D.; Bernath, Peter; Chiou, Linda; Weisenstein, Debra K.; Mahieu, Emmanuel; Zander, Rodolphe

2007-01-01

We report retrievals of COClF (carbonyl chlorofluoride) based on atmospheric chemistry experiment (ACE) solar occultation spectra recorded at tropical and mid-latitudes during 2004-2005. The COClF molecule is a temporary reservoir of both chlorine and fluorine and has not been measured previously by remote sensing. A maximum COClF mixing ratio of 99.7+/-48.0 pptv (10(exp -12) per unit volume, 1 sigma) is measured at 28km for tropical and subtropical occultations (latitudes below 20deg in both hemispheres) with lower mixing ratios at both higher and lower altitudes. Northern hemisphere mid-latitude mixing ratios (30-50degN) resulted in an average profile with a peak mixing ratio of 51.7+/-32.1 pptv, 1 sigma, at 27 km, also decreasing above and below that altitude. We compare the measured average profiles with the one reported set of in situ lower stratospheric mid-latitude measurements from 1986 and 1987, a previous two-dimensional (2-D) model calculation for 1987 and 1993, and a 2-D-model prediction for 2004. The measured average tropical profile is in close agreement with the model prediction; the northern mid-latitude profile is also consistent, although the peak in the measured profile occurs at a higher altitude (2.5-4.5km offset) than in the model prediction. Seasonal average 2-D-model predictions of the COClF stratospheric distribution for 2004 are also reported.

Observations and Operational Products from the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandenault, Patrick; Nicholas, Andrew C.; Coker, Clayton; Budzien, Scott A.; Chua, Damien H.; Finne, Ted T.; Metzler, Christopher A.; Dymond, Kenneth F.

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed five ultraviolet remote sensing instru-ments for the Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). These instruments known as SSULI (Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager) are on the DMSP block of 5D3 satellites, which first launched in 2003. The DMSP satellites are launched in a near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 830 km. SSULI measures vertical profiles of the natural airglow radiation from atoms, molecules and ions in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere by viewing the earth's limb at a tangent altitude of approximately 50 km to 750 km. Limb observations are made from the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) to the far ultraviolet (FUV) over the wavelength range of 80 nm to 170 nm, with 1.8 nm resolution. An extensive operational data processing system, the SSULI Ground Data Analysis Software (GDAS), has been developed to generate environmental data products from SSULI spectral data in near-real time for use at the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA). The operational software uses advanced science algorithms developed at NRL and was designed to calibrate data from USAF Raw Sensor Data Records (RSDR) and generate Environmental Data Records (EDRs). Data products from SSULI observations include vertical profiles of electron (Ne) densities, N2, O2, O, O+, Temperature and also vertical Total Electron Content (TEC). On October 18, 2009, the third SSULI sensor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, aboard the DMSP F18 spacecraft. An overview of the SSULI operational program and the status of the F18 sensor will be discussed.

Thermal Structure and Energy Influx to the Day-and Nightside Venus Ionosphere.

PubMed

Knudsen, W C; Spenner, K; Whitten, R C; Spreiter, J R; Miller, K L; Novak, V

1979-07-06

Pioneer Venus in situ measurements made with the retarding potential analyzer reveal strong variations in the nightside ionospheric plasma density from location to location in some orbits and from orbit to orbit. The ionopause is evident at night as a relatively abrupt decrease in the thermal plasma concentration from a few hundred to ten or fewer ions per cubic centimeter. The nightside ion and electron temperatures above an altitude of 250 kilometers, within the ionosphere and away from the terminator, are comparable in magnitude and have a value at the ionopause of approximately 8000 K. The electron temperature increases from a few tens of thousands of degrees Kelvin just outside the ionopause to several hundreds of thoussands of degrees Kelvin further into the shocked solar wind. The coldest ion temperatures measured at an altitude of about 145 kilometers are 140 to 150 K and are still evidently above the neutral temperature. Preliminary day-and nightside model ion and electron temperature height profiles are compared with measured profiles. To raise the model ion temperature to the measured ion temperature on both day-and nightsides, it was necessary to include an ion energy source of the order of 4 x 10(-3) erg per square centimeter per second, presumably Joule heating. The heat flux through the electron gas from the solar wind into the neutral atmosphere averaged over day and night may be as large as 0.05 erg per square centimeter per second. Integrated over the planet surface, this heat flux represents one-tenth of the solar wind energy expended in drag on the sunward ionopause hemisphere.

HATS (High Altitude Thermal Sounder): a passive sensor solution to 3D high-resolution mapping of upper atmosphere dynamics (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordley, Larry; Marshall, Benjamin T.; Lachance, Richard L.

2016-10-01

This presentation introduces a High Altitude Thermal Sensor (HATS) that has the potential to resolve the thermal structure of the upper atmosphere (cloud top to 100km) with both horizontal and vertical resolution of 5-7 km or better. This would allow the complete characterization of the wave structures that carry weather signature from the underlying atmosphere. Using a novel gas correlation technique, an extremely high-resolution spectral scan is accomplished by measuring a Doppler modulated signal as the atmospheric thermal scene passes through the HATS 2D FOV. This high spectral resolution, difficult to impossible to achieve with any other passive technique, enables the separation of radiation emanating at high altitudes from that emanating at low altitudes. A principal component analysis of these modulation signals then exposes the complete thermal structure of the upper atmosphere. We show that nadir sounding from low earth orbit, using various branches of CO2 emission in the 17 to 15 micron region, with sufficient spectral resolution and spectral measurement range, can distinguish thermal energy that peaks at various altitudes. By observing the up-welling atmospheric emission through a low pressure (Doppler broadened) gas cell, as the scene passes through our FOV, a modulation signal is created as the atmospheric emission lines are shifted through the spectral position of the gas cell absorption lines. The modulation signal is shown to be highly correlated to the emission coming from the spectral location of the gas cell lines relative to the atmospheric emission lines. This effectively produces a scan of the atmospheric emission with a Doppler line resolution. Similar to thermal sounding of the troposphere, a principal component analysis of the modulation signal can be used to produce an altitude resolved profile, given a reasonable a priori temperature profile. It is then shown that with the addition of a limb observation with one CO2 broadband channel (similar to methods employed with sensors like LIMS on Nimbus 7, HIRDLS on Aura, and SABER on TIMED), a limb temperature profile can be retrieved and used as the a priori profile, nearly eliminating uncertainty due to a priori inaccuracy. Feasibility studies and proposed instrument designs are presented. A tutorial for a similar technique proposed for measuring winds and temperature with limb observations can be found at http://www.gats-inc.com/future_missions.html

Chronic Hypoxia Accentuates Dysanaptic Lung Growth.

PubMed

Llapur, Conrado J; Martínez, Myriam R; Grassino, Pedro T; Stok, Ana; Altieri, Héctor H; Bonilla, Federico; Caram, María M; Krowchuk, Natasha M; Kirby, Miranda; Coxson, Harvey O; Tepper, Robert S

2016-08-01

Adults born and raised at high altitudes have larger lung volumes and greater pulmonary diffusion capacity compared with adults at low altitude; however, it remains unclear whether the air and tissue volumes have comparable increases and whether there is a difference in airway size. To assess the effect of chronic hypoxia on lung growth using in vivo high-resolution computed tomography measurements. Healthy adults born and raised at moderate altitude (2,000 m above sea level; n = 19) and at low altitude (400 m above sea level; n = 23) underwent high-resolution computed tomography. Differences in total lung, air, and tissue volume, mean lung density, as well as airway lumen and wall areas in anatomically matched airways were compared between groups. No significant differences for age, sex, weight, or height were found between the two groups (P > 0.05). In a multivariate regression model, altitude was a significant contributor for total lung volume (P = 0.02), air volume (P = 0.03), and tissue volume (P = 0.03), whereby the volumes were greater for the moderate- versus the low-altitude group. However, altitude was not a significant contributor for mean lung density (P = 0.35) or lumen and wall areas in anatomically matched segmental, subsegmental, and subsubsegmental airways. Our findings suggest that the adult lung did not increase lung volume later in life by expansion of an existing number of alveoli, but rather from increased alveolarization early in life. In addition, chronic hypoxia accentuates dysanaptic lung growth by increasing the lung parenchyma but not the airways.

A measurement of perpendicular current density in an aurora

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bering, E. A.; Mozer, F. S.

1975-01-01

A Nike Tomahawk sounding rocket was launched into a 400-gamma auroral substorm from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden. The rocket instrumentation included a split Langmuir-probe plasma-velocity detector and a double-probe electric-field detector. Above 140-km altitude, the electric field deduced from the ion-flow velocity measurement and the electric field measured by the double probe agree to an accuracy within the uncertainties of the two measurements. The difference between the two measurements at altitudes below 140 km provides an in situ measurement of current density and conductivity. Alternatively, if values for the conductivity are assumed, the neutral-wind velocity can be deduced. The height-integrated current was 0.11 A/m flowing at an azimuth angle of 276 deg. The neutral winds were strong, exhibited substantial altitude variation in the east-west component, and were predominantly southward.

Aerosol Correction for Improving OMPS/LP Ozone Retrieval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Zhong; Bhartia, Pawan K.; Loughman, Robert

2015-01-01

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP) on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite was launched on Oct. 28, 2011. Limb profilers measures the radiance scattered from the Earth's atmospheric in limb viewing mode from 290 to 1000 nm and infer ozone profiles from tropopause to 60 km. The recently released OMPS-LP Version 2 data product contains the first publicly released ozone profiles retrievals, and these are now available for the entire OMPS mission, which extends from April, 2012. The Version 2 data product retrievals incorporate several important improvements to the algorithm. One of the primary changes is to turn off the aerosol retrieval module. The aerosol profiles retrieved inside the ozone code was not helping the ozone retrieval and was adding noise and other artifacts. Aerosols including polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) and polar mesospheric clouds (PMC) have a detectable effect on OMPS-LP data. Our results show that ignoring the aerosol contribution would produce an ozone density bias of up to 10 percent in the region of maximum aerosol extinction. Therefore, aerosol correction is needed to improve the quality of the retrieved ozone concentration profile. We provide Aerosol Scattering Index (ASI) for detecting aerosols-PMC-PSC, defined as ln(Im-Ic) normalized at 45km, where Im is the measured radiance and Ic is the calculated radiance assuming no aerosols. Since ASI varies with wavelengths, latitude and altitude, we can start by assuming no aerosol profiles in calculating the ASIs and then use the aerosol profile to see if it significantly reduces the residuals. We also discuss the effect of aerosol size distribution on the ozone profile retrieval process. Finally, we present an aerosol-PMC-PSC correction scheme.

Reducing Surface Clutter in Cloud Profiling Radar Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanelli, Simone; Pak, Kyung; Durden, Stephen; Im, Eastwood

2008-01-01

An algorithm has been devised to reduce ground clutter in the data products of the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR), which is a nadir-looking radar instrument, in orbit around the Earth, that measures power backscattered by clouds as a function of distance from the instrument. Ground clutter contaminates the CPR data in the lowest 1 km of the atmospheric profile, heretofore making it impossible to use CPR data to satisfy the scientific interest in studying clouds and light rainfall at low altitude. The algorithm is based partly on the fact that the CloudSat orbit is such that the geodetic altitude of the CPR varies continuously over a range of approximately 25 km. As the geodetic altitude changes, the radar timing parameters are changed at intervals defined by flight software in order to keep the troposphere inside a data-collection time window. However, within each interval, the surface of the Earth continuously "scans through" (that is, it moves across) a few range bins of the data time window. For each radar profile, only few samples [one for every range-bin increment ((Delta)r = 240 m)] of the surface-clutter signature are available around the range bin in which the peak of surface return is observed, but samples in consecutive radar profiles are offset slightly (by amounts much less than (Delta)r) with respect to each other according to the relative change in geodetic altitude. As a consequence, in a case in which the surface area under examination is homogenous (e.g., an ocean surface), a sequence of consecutive radar profiles of the surface in that area contains samples of the surface response with range resolution (Delta)p much finer than the range-bin increment ((Delta)p << r). Once the high-resolution surface response has thus become available, the profile of surface clutter can be accurately estimated by use of a conventional maximum-correlation scheme: A translated and scaled version of the high-resolution surface response is fitted to the observed low-resolution profile. The translation and scaling factors that optimize the fit in a maximum-correlation sense represent (1) the true position of the surface relative to the sampled surface peak and (2) the magnitude of the surface backscatter. The performance of this algorithm has been tested on CloudSat data acquired over an ocean surface. A preliminary analysis of the test data showed a surface-clutter-rejection ratio over flat surfaces of >10 dB and a reduction of the contaminated altitude over ocean from about 1 km to about 0.5 km (over the ocean). The algorithm has been embedded in CloudSat L1B processing as of Release 04 (July 2007), and the estimated flat surface clutter is removed in L2B-GEOPROF product from the observed profile of reflectivity (see CloudSat product documentation for details and performance at http://www.cloudsat.cira.colostate.edu/ dataSpecs.php?prodid=1).

DE-1 observations of polar O(+) stream bulk parameters and comparison with a model of the centrifugally-accelerated polar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, C. Wing; Horwitz, J. L.

1995-01-01

A survey of bulk parameters of analyzable O(+) outward streams in the mid-altitude (3-4.7 R(sub E) geocentric distance) polar cap magnetosphere is obtained from measurements by the Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer (RIMS) aboard the Dynamics Explorer-1 (DE-1) spacecraft. There is wide scatter in the obtained densities, but they do display discernible trends: the average O(+) density in these streams decreases from about 60 ions/cc at 3.5 R(sub E) to about 1 ion/cc at 4.6 R(sub E). The streaming velocities are somewhat more defined, and their average increases from about 8 km/s at 3.5 R(sub E) to about 12 km/s at 4.6 R(sub E). The densities and bulk velocities are inversely correlated. We have further compared these observational trends with model profiles for the centrifugally-accelerated polar wind as recently described by Horwitz et al. (1994). The large outflow velocities observed can be understood in part as centrifugally-driven by convection with ionospheric electric field magnitudes of the order 50-70 mV/m, perhaps including plasma expansion effects.

Altitude Differentiated Aerosol Extinction Over Tenerife (North Atlantic Coast) During ACE-2 by Means of Ground and Airborne Photometry and Lidar Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Formenti, P.; Elias, T.; Welton, J.; Diaz, J. P.; Exposito, F.; Schmid, B.; Powell, D.; Holben, B. N.; Smirnov, A.; Andreae, M. O.;

Simultaneous Observations of TADs in GOCE, CHAMP and GRACE Density Data Compared with CTIPe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruinsma, S. L.; Fedrizzi, M.

2012-12-01

The accelerometers on the CHAMP and GRACE satellites have made it possible to accumulate near-continuous records of thermosphere density between about 300 and 490 km since May 2001, and July 2002, respectively. Since November 2009, a third gravity field satellite mission, ESA's GOCE, is in a very low and near heliosynchronous dawn-dusk orbit at about 270 km. The spacecraft is actively maintained at that constant altitude using an ion propulsion engine that compensates the aerodynamic drag in the flight direction. The thrust level, combined with accelerometer and satellite attitude data, is used to compute atmospheric densities and cross-track winds. The response of the thermosphere to geomagnetic disturbances, i.e., space weather, has been extensively studied using the exceptional datasets of CHAMP and GRACE. Thanks to GOCE we now have a third excellent data set for these studies. In this presentation we will show the observed density and its variability for the geomagnetic storm of 5 April 2010, and compare it with predictions along the orbits obtained from a self-consistent physics-based coupled model of the thermosphere, ionosphere, plasmasphere and electrodynamics (CTIPe). For this storm, the CHAMP and GOCE orbit planes were perpendicular (12/24 Local Solar Time, and 6/18 LST, respectively) and the altitude difference was only approximately 30 km. The GRACE densities are at a much higher altitude of about 475 km. Wave-like features are revealed or enhanced after filtering of the densities and calculation of relative density variations. Traveling Atmospheric Disturbances are observed in the data, and the model's fidelity in reproducing the waves is evaluated.

Heater-induced altitude descent of the EISCAT UHF ion line enhancements: Observations and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashrafi, M.; Kosch, M. J.; Honary, F.

2006-01-01

On 12 November 2001, artificial optical annuli were produced using the EISCAT high-frequency (HF) ionospheric heating facility. This unusual phenomenon was induced using O-mode transmissions at 5.423 MHz with 550 MW effective isotropic radiated power and the pump beam dipped 9° south of the zenith. The pump frequency corresponds to the fourth electron gyroharmonic frequency at 215 km altitude. The EISCAT UHF radar observed a persistent pump-induced enhancement in the ion line backscatter power near the HF reflection altitude. The optical and radar signatures of HF pumping started at ˜230 km and descended to ˜220 km within ˜60 s. This effect has been modelled using the solution to differential equations describing pump-induced electron temperature and density perturbations. The decrease in altitude of the ion line by ˜10 km and changes in electron density have been modelled. The results show that a maximum electron temperature enhancement of up to ˜5700 K can be achieved on average, which is not sufficient to explain the observed optical emissions.

Altitudinal distribution of Aedes indices during dry season in the dengue endemic area of Central Java, Indonesia

PubMed

Sayono, Sayono; Nurullita, Ulfa; Sumanto, Didik; Handoyo, Wahyu

Aedes mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, are the primary and secondary vectors of dengue viruses in Indonesia, with transmission occurring by sucking blood. The density of the vectors is influenced by season and rainfall, but limited by altitude. The aim of the study is to describe the density and distribution of dengue vectors during the dry season based on the altitudes of recent dengue cases in five regencies of Central Java Province, Indonesia. Mosquito larvae and pupae were collected from the indoor and outdoor water containers from 253 houses within 50 m of houses occupied by a dengue patient. A considerable dengue vector population was found in all localities and altitudes based on the Aedes indices: an HI of 41.7% (15.0–70.6), CI of 33.6% (8.1–69.6) and BI of 57.1 (15.0–94.1). The highest indices were found in the highest altitude settlement; as the most common larval habitat in this village was a large-sized cement tank, larvivorous fish can act as effective predators in this case. This finding indicates an expansion of the dengue problem from low to high altitudes, causing a high potential for dengue transmission in all of the localities.

Variation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities along an altitudinal gradient in rupestrian grasslands in Brazil.

PubMed

Coutinho, Etiene Silva; Fernandes, G Wilson; Berbara, Ricardo Luís Louro; Valério, Henrique Maia; Goto, Bruno Tomio

2015-11-01

Variation in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities is described for the first time in rupestrian grasslands in Brazil along an altitudinal gradient of 700 m (800 to 1400 m a.s.l.). Hypotheses tested were that soil properties influence the variation in AMF communities and that the frequency of the most common species of AMF is inversely influenced by the richness of other AMF. Field and laboratory data were collected on AMF community composition, richness, density, and frequency in the altitudinal gradient, and the relationships with several physical-chemical soil properties and altitude were evaluated. Fifty-one species of AMF were recorded, with 14 species being reported as possibly new to science and nine species representing new records for Brazil. This single elevation gradient alone contains 22% of the known world diversity of AMF. Soil properties and AMF community density and richness varied significantly along the elevation (p < 0.05). AMF density and richness were higher at the intermediate altitude, while AMF species composition differed statistically among the altitudes.

1.6μm DIAL System for Measurements of CO2 Concentration Profiles in the Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagasawa, C.; Abo, M.; Shibata, Y.

2013-12-01

We have developed a direct detection 1.6 μm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique to perform range-resolved measurements of vertical CO2 concentration profiles in the atmosphere. Our 1.6 μm DIAL system has a 60 cm telescope for vertical measurement and a 25 cm scanning telescope for horizontal measurement. This 1.6 μm DIAL system is also available to measure CO2 concentration profiles for daytime by using narrow-band interference filters. The 1.6 μm DIAL measurement was achieved successfully the vertical CO2 profile up to 7 km altitude with an error less than 1.0 % by integration time of 30 minutes and vertical resolution of 300 - 600 m. The CO2 DIAL was also operated with the range-height indicator (RHI) mode, and the 2-D measurement provided inhomogeneity in the boundary layer. The vertical distribution of CO2 concentration from 2 km to 7 km altitude has been observed using two telescopes with different apertures. We hope to get the data of the CO2 concentration from lower altitude to 7 km at the same time. Since the change of signal intensity is larger near the ground, it is also important to the install the photon counter with the faster count rate to expand the dynamic range. The high speed counter and the telescope system make the dynamic range expand more than 10 times and the vertical distribution observation of CO2 concentration from 0.5 km to 7 km altitude is performed. This work was financially supported by the System Development Program for Advanced Measurement and Analysis of the Japan Science and Technology Agency. References Sakaizawa, D., C. Nagasawa, T. Nagai, M. Abo, Y. Shibata, H. Nagai, M. Nakazato, and T. Sakai, Development of a 1.6μm differential absorption lidar with a quasi-phase-matching optical parametric oscillator and photon-counting detector for the vertical CO2 profile, Applied Optics, Vol.48, No.4, pp. 748-757, 2009. Stephens, B. B. et al., Weak Northern and Strong Tropical Land Carbon Uptake from Vertical Profiles of Atmospheric CO2, Science 316, pp. 1732-1735, 2007.

Dayside ionosphere of Titan: Impact on calculated plasma densities due to variations in the model parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukundan, Vrinda; Bhardwaj, Anil

2018-01-01

A one dimensional photochemical model for the dayside ionosphere of Titan has been developed for calculating the density profiles of ions and electrons under steady state photochemical equilibrium condition. We concentrated on the T40 flyby of Cassini orbiter and used the in-situ measurements from instruments onboard Cassini as input to the model. An energy deposition model is employed for calculating the attenuated photon flux and photoelectron flux at different altitudes in Titan's ionosphere. We used the Analytical Yield Spectrum approach for calculating the photoelectron fluxes. Volume production rates of major primary ions, like, N2+, N+ , CH4+, CH3+, etc due to photon and photoelectron impact are calculated and used as input to the model. The modeled profiles are compared with the Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) and Langmuir Probe (LP) measurements. The calculated electron density is higher than the observation by a factor of 2 to 3 around the peak. We studied the impact of different model parameters, viz. photoelectron flux, ion production rates, electron temperature, dissociative recombination rate coefficients, neutral densities of minor species, and solar flux on the calculated electron density to understand the possible reasons for this discrepancy. Recent studies have shown that there is an overestimation in the modeled photoelectron flux and N2+ ion production rates which may contribute towards this disagreement. But decreasing the photoelectron flux (by a factor of 3) and N2+ ion production rate (by a factor of 2) decreases the electron density only by 10 to 20%. Reduction in the measured electron temperature by a factor of 5 provides a good agreement between the modeled and observed electron density. The change in HCN and NH3 densities affects the calculated densities of the major ions (HCNH+ , C2H5+, and CH5+); however the overall impact on electron density is not appreciable ( < 20%). Even though increasing the dissociative recombination rate coefficients of the ions C2H5+ and CH5+ by a factor of 10 reduces the difference between modeled and observed densities of the major ions, the modeled electron density is still higher than the observation by ∼ 60% at the peak. We suggest that there might be some unidentified chemical reactions that may account for the additional loss of plasma in Titan's ionosphere.

Simulation of Wind Profile Perturbations for Launch Vehicle Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelfang, S. I.

2004-01-01

Ideally, a statistically representative sample of measured high-resolution wind profiles with wavelengths as small as tens of meters is required in design studies to establish aerodynamic load indicator dispersions and vehicle control system capability. At most potential launch sites, high- resolution wind profiles may not exist. Representative samples of Rawinsonde wind profiles to altitudes of 30 km are more likely to be available from the extensive network of measurement sites established for routine sampling in support of weather observing and forecasting activity. Such a sample, large enough to be statistically representative of relatively large wavelength perturbations, would be inadequate for launch vehicle design assessments because the Rawinsonde system accurately measures wind perturbations with wavelengths no smaller than 2000 m (1000 m altitude increment). The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Jimsphere wind profiles (150/month and seasonal 2 and 3.5-hr pairs) are the only adequate samples of high resolution profiles approx. 150 to 300 m effective resolution, but over-sampled at 25 m intervals) that have been used extensively for launch vehicle design assessments. Therefore, a simulation process has been developed for enhancement of measured low-resolution Rawinsonde profiles that would be applicable in preliminary launch vehicle design studies at launch sites other than KSC.

Features of tropospheric and stratospheric dust.

PubMed

Elterman, L; Wexler, R; Chang, D T

1969-05-01

A series of 119 profiles obtained over New Mexico comprise aerosol attenuation coefficients vs altitude to about 35 km. These profiles show the existence of several features. A surface convective dust layer extending up to about 5 km is seasonally dependent. Also, a turbidity maximum exists below the tropopause. The altitude of an aerosol maximum in the lower stratosphere is located just below that of the minimum temperature. The colder the minimum temperature, the greater is the aerosol content of the layer. This relationship suggests that the 20-km dust layer is due to convection in tropical air and advection to higher latitudes. Computed averages of optical thickness show that abatement of stratospheric dust from the Mt. Agung eruption became evident in April 1964. Results based on seventy-nine profiles characterizing volcanic dust abatement indicate that above 26 km, the aerosol scale height averages 3.75 km. Extrapolating with this scale height, tabulations are developed for uv, visible, and ir attenuation to 50 km. Optical mixing ratios are used to examine the aerosol concentrations at various altitudes, including a layer at 26 km having an optical thickness 10(-3) for 0.55-micro wavelength.

Arctic Strato-Mesospheric Temperature and Wind Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidlin, F. J.; Goldberg, R. A.

2004-01-01

Upper stratosphere and mesosphere rocket measurements are actively used to investigate interaction between the neutral, electrical, and chemical atmospheres and between lower and upper layers of these regions. Satellite temperature measurements from HALOE and from inflatable falling spheres complement each other and allow illustrations of the annual cycle to 85 km altitude. Falling sphere wind and temperature measurements reveal variability that differs as a function of altitude, location, and time. We discuss the state of the Arctic atmosphere during the summer 2002 (Andoya, Norway) and winter 2003 (ESRANGE, Sweden) campaigns of MaCWAVE. Balloon-borne profiles to 30 km altitude and sphere profiles between 50 and 90 km show unique small-scale structure. Nonetheless, there are practical implications that additional measurements are very much needed to complete the full vertical profile picture. Our discussion concentrates on the distribution of temperature and wind and their variability. However, reliable measurements from other high latitude NASA programs over a number of years are available to help properly calculate mean values and the distribution of the individual measurements. Since the available rocket data in the Arctic's upper atmosphere are sparse the results we present are basically a snapshot of atmospheric structure.

Key issues of ultraviolet radiation of OH at high altitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuhuai; Wan, Tian; Jiang, Jianzheng; Fan, Jing

2014-12-01

Ultraviolet (UV) emissions radiated by hydroxyl (OH) is one of the fundamental elements in the prediction of radiation signature of high-altitude and high-speed vehicle. In this work, the OH A2Σ+→ X2Π ultraviolet emission band behind the bow shock is computed under the experimental condition of the second bow-shock ultraviolet flight (BSUV-2). Four related key issues are discussed, namely, the source of hydrogen element in the high-altitude atmosphere, the formation mechanism of OH species, efficient computational algorithm of trace species in rarefied flows, and accurate calculation of OH emission spectra. Firstly, by analyzing the typical atmospheric model, the vertical distributions of the number densities of different species containing hydrogen element are given. According to the different dominating species containing hydrogen element, the atmosphere is divided into three zones, and the formation mechanism of OH species is analyzed in the different zones. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method and the Navier-Stokes equations are employed to compute the number densities of the different OH electronically and vibrationally excited states. Different to the previous work, the trace species separation (TSS) algorithm is applied twice in order to accurately calculate the densities of OH species and its excited states. Using a non-equilibrium radiation model, the OH ultraviolet emission spectra and intensity at different altitudes are computed, and good agreement is obtained with the flight measured data.

The NASA/MSFC global reference atmospheric model: MOD 3 (with spherical harmonic wind model)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Fletcher, G. R.; Gramling, F. E.; Pace, W. B.

1980-01-01

Improvements to the global reference atmospheric model are described. The basic model includes monthly mean values of pressure, density, temperature, and geostrophic winds, as well as quasi-biennial and small and large scale random perturbations. A spherical harmonic wind model for the 25 to 90 km height range is included. Below 25 km and above 90 km, the GRAM program uses the geostrophic wind equations and pressure data to compute the mean wind. In the altitudes where the geostrophic wind relations are used, an interpolation scheme is employed for estimating winds at low latitudes where the geostrophic wind relations being to mesh down. Several sample wind profiles are given, as computed by the spherical harmonic model. User and programmer manuals are presented.

Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Fulco CS, Trad LA, Forte VA, Cymerman A. Altitude acclimatization attenuates plasma ammonia accumulation during submaximal exercise. J Appl Physiol...107 and decreased ammonia accumulation66 and dependence on muscle glyco- gen.109 These hypoxia-produced changes in oxygen delivery and metabolic profile...Young PM, Rock PB, Fulco CS, Trad LA, Forte VA Jr, Cymerman A. Altitude acclimatization attenuates plasma ammonia accumulation during submaximal

An intercomparison of stratospheric gravity wave potential energy densities from METOP GPS radio occultation measurements and ECMWF model data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapp, Markus; Dörnbrack, Andreas; Kaifler, Bernd

2018-02-01

Temperature profiles based on radio occultation (RO) measurements with the operational European METOP satellites are used to derive monthly mean global distributions of stratospheric (20-40 km) gravity wave (GW) potential energy densities (EP) for the period July 2014-December 2016. In order to test whether the sampling and data quality of this data set is sufficient for scientific analysis, we investigate to what degree the METOP observations agree quantitatively with ECMWF operational analysis (IFS data) and reanalysis (ERA-Interim) data. A systematic comparison between corresponding monthly mean temperature fields determined for a latitude-longitude-altitude grid of 5° by 10° by 1 km is carried out. This yields very low systematic differences between RO and model data below 30 km (i.e., median temperature differences is between -0.2 and +0.3 K), which increases with height to yield median differences of +1.0 K at 34 km and +2.2 K at 40 km. Comparing EP values for three selected locations at which also ground-based lidar measurements are available yields excellent agreement between RO and IFS data below 35 km. ERA-Interim underestimates EP under conditions of strong local mountain wave forcing over northern Scandinavia which is apparently not resolved by the model. Above 35 km, RO values are consistently much larger than model values, which is likely caused by the model sponge layer, which damps small-scale fluctuations above ˜ 32 km altitude. Another reason is the well-known significant increase of noise in RO measurements above 35 km. The comparison between RO and lidar data reveals very good qualitative agreement in terms of the seasonal variation of EP, but RO values are consistently smaller than lidar values by about a factor of 2. This discrepancy is likely caused by the very different sampling characteristics of RO and lidar observations. Direct comparison of the global data set of RO and model EP fields shows large correlation coefficients (0.4-1.0) with a general degradation with increasing altitude. Concerning absolute differences between observed and modeled EP values, the median difference is relatively small at all altitudes (but increasing with altitude) with an exception between 20 and 25 km, where the median difference between RO and model data is increased and the corresponding variability is also found to be very large. The reason for this is identified as an artifact of the EP algorithm: this erroneously interprets the pronounced climatological feature of the tropical tropopause inversion layer (TTIL) as GW activity, hence yielding very large EP values in this area and also large differences between model and observations. This is because the RO data show a more pronounced TTIL than IFS and ERA-Interim. We suggest a correction for this effect based on an estimate of this artificial EP using monthly mean zonal mean temperature profiles. This correction may be recommended for application to data sets that can only be analyzed using a vertical background determination method such as the METOP data with relatively scarce sampling statistics. However, if the sampling statistics allows, our analysis also shows that in general a horizontal background determination is advantageous in that it better avoids contributions to EP that are not caused by gravity waves.

Seasonal temperature variation around the mesopause inferred from a VHF meteor radar at King Sejong Station (62S, 59W), Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yongha; Kim, Jeong-Han; Lee, Changsup; Jee, Gun-Hwa

A VHF meteor radar, installed at King Sejong Station in March, 2007, has been detecting echoes from more than 20,000 meteors per day. Meteor echoes are decayed typically within seconds as meteors spread away by atmospheric diffusion. The diffusion coefficients can thus be obtained from decay times of meteor echo signals, providing with information on the atmospheric temperatures and pressures at meteor altitudes from 70 to 100 km. In this study, we present altitude profiles of 15-min averaged diffusion coefficients in each month, which clearly show a minimum at 80 - 85 km. The minimum appears at higher altitude during austral summer than winter, and seems to be near the lower level of two temperature minimum structure around the mesopause seen by TIMED/SABER data at high latitudes. The higher mesopause level (95-100 km) of the SABER data does not appear in our diffusion profiles probably because it is too close the limit of meaningful diffusion coefficients that can be derived from meteor decay detection. In order to understand temperature variation around the mesopause more directly, we will discuss various methods to extract temperature profiles from the diffusion profiles. We will also present monthly averaged OH and O2 airglow temperatures observed at the same site, and compare them with those derived from the meteor radar observation.

The production and escape of nitrogen atoms on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, J. L.

1992-01-01

The lack of agreement between our previously computed values and those measured by Viking of the N-15:N-14 isotope enhancement ratio has led us to reevaluate our model of the Martian ionosphere. In previous models, we were unable to reproduce the ion profiles measured by the RPA on Viking using electron temperatures that were higher that the ion temperatures. When we increased the electron temperatures to 2500-3000 K and with a zero flux upper boundary condition, the ion densities at high altitudes exceeded the measured values by a large factor. We found that we can better fit the observed profiles if we impose a loss process at the upper boundary of our model. If the horizontal fluxes of ions do not constitute a net loss of ions, then the escape of N due to dissociative recombination is also inhibited and better agreement with the measured isotope ratio is found. The production of escaping nitrogen atoms is closely related to the production of thermospheric odd nitrogen; therefore, the densities of NO measured by Viking provide a convenient check on our nitrogen escape model. Our standard model NO densities are less that the measured values by a factor of 2-3, as are those of previous models. We find that reasonable agreement can be obtained by assuming that the rate coefficient for loss of odd nitrogen in the reaction of N with NO is smaller at temperatures that prevail in the lower Martian thermosphere than the standard value, which applies to temperatures of 200-400 K. Other aspects of this investigation are presented.

Application of IRI-Plas in Ionospheric Tomography and HF Communication Studies with Assimilation of GPS-TEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arikan, Feza; Gulyaeva, Tamara; Sezen, Umut; Arikan, Orhan; Toker, Cenk; Hakan Tuna, MR.; Erdem, Esra

2016-07-01

International Reference Ionosphere is the most acknowledged climatic model of ionosphere that provides electron density profile and hourly, monthly median values of critical layer parameters of the ionosphere for a desired location, date and time between 60 to 2,000 km altitude. IRI is also accepted as the International Standard Ionosphere model. Recently, the IRI model is extended to the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite orbital range of 20,000 km. The new version is called IRI-Plas and it can be obtained from http://ftp.izmiran.ru/pub/izmiran /SPIM/. A user-friendly online version is also provided at www.ionolab.org as a space weather service. Total Electron Content (TEC), which is defined as the line integral of electron density on a given ray path, is an observable parameter that can be estimated from earth based GPS receivers in a cost-effective manner as GPS-TEC. One of the most important advantages of IRI-Plas is the possible input of GPS-TEC to update the background deterministic ionospheric model to the current ionospheric state. This option is highly useful in regional and global tomography studies and HF link assessments. IONOLAB group currently implements IRI-Plas as a background model and updates the ionospheric state using GPS-TEC in IONOLAB-CIT and IONOLAB-RAY algorithms. The improved state of ionosphere allows the most reliable 4-D imaging of electron density profiles and HF and satellite communication link simulations.This study is supported by TUBITAK 115E915 and joint TUBITAK 114E092 and AS CR 14/001.

Mid-Latitude Ionospheric Disturbances Due to Geomagnetic Storms at ISS Altitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Willis, Emily M.; Parker, Linda Neergaard

2014-01-01

Spacecraft charging of the International Space Station (ISS) is dominated by the interaction of the high voltage US solar arrays with the F2-region ionospheric plasma environment. We are working to fully understand the charging behavior of the ISS solar arrays and determine how well future charging behavior can be predicted from in-situ measurements of plasma density and temperature. One aspect of this work is a need to characterize the magnitude of electron density and temperature variations that may be encountered at ISS orbital altitudes (approximately 400 km), the latitudes over which they occur, and the time periods for which the disturbances persist. We will present preliminary results from a study of ionospheric disturbances in the "mid-latitude" region defined as the approximately 30 - 60 degree extra-equatorial magnetic latitudes sampled by ISS. The study is focused on geomagnetic storm periods because they are well known drivers for disturbances in the high-latitude and mid-latitude ionospheric plasma. Changes in the F2 peak electron density obtained from ground based ionosonde records are compared to in-situ electron density and temperature measurements from the CHAMP and ISS spacecraft at altitudes near, or above, the F2 peak. Results from a number of geomagnetic storms will be presented and their potential impact on ISS charging will be discussed.

Gravity wave momentum flux estimation from CRISTA satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ern, M.; Preusse, P.; Alexander, M. J.; Offermann, D.

2003-04-01

Temperature altitude profiles measured by the CRISTA satellite were analyzed for gravity waves (GWs). Amplitudes, vertical and horizontal wavelengths of GWs are retrieved by applying a combination of maximum entropy method (MEM) and harmonic analysis (HA) to the temperature height profiles and subsequently comparing the so retrieved GW phases of adjacent altitude profiles. From these results global maps of the absolute value of the vertical flux of horizontal momentum have been estimated. Significant differences between distributions of the temperature variance and distributions of the momentum flux exist. For example, global maps of the momentum flux show a pronounced northward shift of the equatorial maximum whereas temperature variance maps of the tropics/subtropics are nearly symmetric with respect to the equator. This indicates the importance of the influence of horizontal and vertical wavelength distribution on global structures of the momentum flux.

DIAL Measurements of Free-Tropospheric Ozone Profiles in Huntsville, AL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuang, Shi; Burris, John; Newchurch, Michael J.; Johnson, Steve

2007-01-01

A tropospheric ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system, developed jointly by NASA and the University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH), measures free-tropospheric ozone profiles between 4-10 km. Located at 192 meters altitude in the Regional Atmospheric Profiling Laboratory for Discovery (RAPCD) on the UAH campus in Huntsville, AL, USA, this tropospheric ozone lidar operates under both daytime and nighttime conditions. Frequent coincident ozonesonde flights and theoretical calculations provide evidence to indicate the retrieval accuracy ranges from better than 8% at 4km to 40%-60% at 10 kin with 750-m vertical resolution and 30-minute integration. With anticipated improvements to allow retrievals at both higher and lower altitudes, this ozone lidar, along with co-located aerosol and Doppler Wind Lidars, will provide a unique 18 dataset for investigations of PBL and free-tropospheric chemical and dynamic processes.

Atmospheric density (surface). [distribution with altitude at launching bases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, G. E.; Brown, S. C.

1973-01-01

The variation of the density of the atmosphere at the surface from the average for any one station, and between the areas of interest, is small and should have no important effect on preflight spacecraft operations. The median density at the surface for five test ranges is given.

Retrospective analysis of Bluetongue farm risk profile definition, based on biology, farm management practices and climatic data.

PubMed

Cappai, Stefano; Loi, Federica; Coccollone, Annamaria; Contu, Marino; Capece, Paolo; Fiori, Michele; Canu, Simona; Foxi, Cipriano; Rolesu, Sandro

2018-07-01

Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by species of Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Many studies have contributed to clarifying various aspects of its aetiology, epidemiology and vector dynamic; however, BT remains a disease of epidemiological and economic importance that affects ruminants worldwide. Since 2000, the Sardinia region has been the most affected area of the Mediterranean basin. The region is characterised by wide pastoral areas for sheep and represents the most likely candidate region for the study of Bluetongue virus (BTV) distribution and prevalence in Italy. Furthermore, specific information on the farm level and epidemiological studies needs to be provided to increase the knowledge on the disease's spread and to provide valid mitigation strategies in Sardinia. This study conducted a punctual investigation into the spatial patterns of BTV transmission to define a risk profile for all Sardinian farmsby using a logistic multilevel mixed model that take into account agro-meteorological aspects, as well as farm characteristics and management. Data about animal density (i.e. sheep, goats and cattle), vaccination, previous outbreaks, altitude, land use, rainfall, evapotranspiration, water surface, and farm management practices (i.e. use of repellents, treatment against insect vectors, storage of animals in shelter overnight, cleaning, presence of mud and manure) were collected for 12,277 farms for the years 2011-2015. The logistic multilevel mixed model showed the fundamental role of climatic factors in disease development and the protective role of good management, vaccination, outbreak in the previous year and altitude. Regional BTV risk maps were developed, based on the predictor values of logistic model results, and updated every 10 days. These maps were used to identify, 20 days in advance, the areas at highest risk. The risk farm profile, as defined by the model, would provide specific information about the role of each factor for all Sardinian institutions involved in devising BT prevention and control strategies. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous Measurements of CO2 Concentration and Temperature profiles using 1.6 μm DIAL in the Lower-Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.; Abo, M.

2016-12-01

High-accurate vertical carbon dioxide (CO2) profiles are highly desirable in the inverse method to improve quantification and understanding of the global sink and source of CO2, and also global climate change. We have developed a ground based 1.6μm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) to achieve measurements of vertical CO2 profiles in the atmosphere. As the spectra of absorption lines of any molecules are influenced basically by the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere, it is important to measure them simultaneously so that the better accuracy of the DIAL measurement is realized. The barometric formula can derive atmospheric pressure of each altitude using atmospheric pressure of ground level at the lidar site. Comparison of atmospheric pressure prlofiles calculated from this equation and those obtained from radiosonde observations at Tateno, Japan are consisted within 0.2 % below 3 km altitude. So, we have developed a 1.6 μm CO2 DIAL system for simultaneous measurements of the CO2 concentration and temperature profiles in the lower-atmosphere. Laser beams of three wavelengths around a CO2 absorption spectrum is transmitted alternately to the atmosphere. Moreover, the value of the retrieved CO2 concentration will be improved remarkably by processing the iteration assignment of CO2 concentration and temperature, which measured by these DIAL techniques. We have acheived vertical CO2 concentration and temperature profile from 0.5 to 2.0 km altitude by this DIAL system. In the next step, we will use this high accuracy CO2 concentration profile and back-trajectory analysis for the behavior analysis of the CO2 mass. This work was financially supported by the System Development Program for Advanced Measurement and Analysis of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

Lunar dust simulant charging and transport under UV irradiation in vacuum: Experiments and numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champlain, A.; Matéo-Vélez, J.-C.; Roussel, J.-F.; Hess, S.; Sarrailh, P.; Murat, G.; Chardon, J.-P.; Gajan, A.

2016-01-01

Recent high-altitude observations, made by the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) experiment on board LADEE orbiting the Moon, indicate that high-altitude (>10 km) dust particle densities are well correlated with interplanetary dust impacts. They show no evidence of high dust density suggested by Apollo 15 and 17 observations and possibly explained by electrostatic forces imposed by the plasma environment and photon irradiation. This paper deals with near-surface conditions below the domain of observation of LDEX where electrostatic forces could clearly be at play. The upper and lower limits of the cohesive force between dusts are obtained by comparing experiments and numerical simulations of dust charging under ultraviolet irradiation in the presence of an electric field and mechanical vibrations. It is suggested that dust ejection by electrostatic forces is made possible by microscopic-scale amplifications due to soil irregularities. At low altitude, this process may be complementary to interplanetary dust impacts.

Altitude Performance of Annular Combustor Type Turbojet Engine with JFC-2 Fuel /james W. Useller, James L. Harp, Jr. and Zelmar Barson

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Useller, James W; Harp, James L JR; Barson, Zelmar

1952-01-01

An investigation was made comparing the performance of JFC-2 fuel and unleaded, clear gasoline in a 3000-pound-thrust turbojet engine. The JFC-2 fuel was a blend of percent diesel fuel and 25 percent aviation gasoline. Engine combustion efficiency was equal to that obtained with gasoline at rated engine speed and altitudes up to 35,000 feet, but at lower engine speeds or at higher altitudes the JFC-2 fuel gave lower combustion efficiency. No discernible difference was obtained in starting or low-speed combustiion blow-out characteristics of the two fuels. Turbine-discharge radial temperature profiles were nearly the same at altitudes up to 35,000 feet.

The influence of the atmospheric boundary layer on nocturnal layers of noctuids and other moths migrating over southern Britain.

PubMed

Wood, Curtis R; Chapman, Jason W; Reynolds, Donald R; Barlow, Janet F; Smith, Alan D; Woiwod, Ian P

2006-03-01

Insects migrating at high altitude over southern Britain have been continuously monitored by automatically operating, vertical-looking radars over a period of several years. During some occasions in the summer months, the migrants were observed to form well-defined layer concentrations, typically at heights of 200-400 m, in the stable night-time atmosphere. Under these conditions, insects are likely to have control over their vertical movements and are selecting flight heights that are favourable for long-range migration. We therefore investigated the factors influencing the formation of these insect layers by comparing radar measurements of the vertical distribution of insect density with meteorological profiles generated by the UK Meteorological Office's (UKMO) Unified Model (UM). Radar-derived measurements of mass and displacement speed, along with data from Rothamsted Insect Survey light traps, provided information on the identity of the migrants. We present here three case studies where noctuid and pyralid moths contributed substantially to the observed layers. The major meteorological factors influencing the layer concentrations appeared to be: (a) the altitude of the warmest air, (b) heights corresponding to temperature preferences or thresholds for sustained migration and (c) on nights when air temperatures are relatively high, wind-speed maxima associated with the nocturnal jet. Back-trajectories indicated that layer duration may have been determined by the distance to the coast. Overall, the unique combination of meteorological data from the UM and insect data from entomological radar described here show considerable promise for systematic studies of high-altitude insect layering.

Pluto's Extended Atmosphere: New Horizons Alice Lyman-α Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retherford, Kurt D.; Gladstone, G. Randall; Stern, S. Alan; Weaver, Harold A.; Young, Leslie A.; Ennico, Kimberly A.; Olkin, Cathy B.; Cheng, Andy F.; Greathouse, Thomas K.; Hinson, David P.; Kammer, Joshua A.; Linscott, Ivan R.; Parker, Alex H.; Parker, Joel Wm.; Pryor, Wayne R.; Schindhelm, Eric; Singer, Kelsi N.; Steffl, Andrew J.; Strobel, Darrell F.; Summers, Michael E.; Tsang, Constantine C. C.; Tyler, G. Len; Versteeg, Maarten H.; Woods, William W.; Cunningham, Nathaniel J.; Curdt, Werner

2015-11-01

Pluto's upper atmosphere is expected to extend several planetary radii, proportionally more so than for any planet in our solar system. Atomic hydrogen is readily produced at lower altitudes due to photolysis of methane and transported upward to become an important constituent. The Interplanetary Medium (IPM) provides a natural light source with which to study Pluto's atomic hydrogen atmosphere. While direct solar Lyman-α emissions dominate the signal at 121.6 nm at classical solar system distances, the contribution of diffuse illumination by IPM Lyman-α sky-glow is roughly on par at Pluto (Gladstone et al., Icarus, 2015). Hydrogen atoms in Pluto's upper atmosphere scatter these bright Lyα emission lines, and detailed simulations of the radiative transfer for these photons indicate that Pluto would appear dark against the IPM Lyα background. The Pluto-Alice UV imaging spectrograph on New Horizons conducted several observations of Pluto during the encounter to search for airglow emissions, characterize its UV reflectance spectra, and to measure the radial distribution of IPM Lyα near the disk. Our early results suggest that these model predictions for the darkening of IPM Lyα with decreasing altitude being measureable by Pluto-Alice were correct. We'll report our progress toward extracting H and CH4 density profiles in Pluto's upper atmosphere through comparisons of these data with detailed radiative transfer modeling. These New Horizons findings will have important implications for determining the extent of Pluto's atmosphere and related constraints to high-altitude vertical temperature structure and atmospheric escape.This work was supported by NASA's New Horizons project.

Transcriptomic analysis provides insight into high-altitude acclimation in domestic goats.

PubMed

Tang, Qianzi; Huang, Wenyao; Guan, Jiuqiang; Jin, Long; Che, Tiandong; Fu, Yuhua; Hu, Yaodong; Tian, Shilin; Wang, Dawei; Jiang, Zhi; Li, Xuewei; Li, Mingzhou

2015-08-10

Domestic goats are distributed in a wide range of habitats and have acclimated to their local environmental conditions. To investigate the gene expression changes of goats that are induced by high altitude stress, we performed RNA-seq on 27 samples from the three hypoxia-sensitive tissues (heart, lung, and skeletal muscle) in three indigenous populations from distinct altitudes (600 m, 2000 m, and 3000 m). We generated 129Gb of high-quality sequencing data (~4Gb per sample) and catalogued the expression profiles of 12,421 annotated hircine genes in each sample. The analysis showed global similarities and differences of high-altitude transcriptomes among populations and tissues as well as revealed that the heart underwent the most high-altitude induced expression changes. We identified numerous differentially expressed genes that exhibited distinct expression patterns, and nonsynonymous single nucleotide variant-containing genes that were highly differentiated between the high- and low-altitude populations. These genes have known or potential roles in hypoxia response and were enriched in functional gene categories potentially responsible for high-altitude stress. Therefore, they are appealing candidates for further investigation of the gene expression and associated regulatory mechanisms related to high-altitude acclimation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geocoronal Balmer α line profile observations and forward-model analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mierkiewicz, E. J.; Bishop, J.; Roesler, F. L.; Nossal, S. M.

2006-05-01

High spectral resolution geocoronal Balmer α line profile observations from Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO) are presented in the context of forward-model analysis. Because Balmer series column emissions depend significantly on multiple scattering, retrieval of hydrogen parameters of general aeronomic interest from these observations (e.g., the hydrogen column abundance) currently requires a forward modeling approach. This capability is provided by the resonance radiative transfer code LYAO_RT. We have recently developed a parametric data-model comparison search procedure employing an extensive grid of radiative transport model input parameters (defining a 6-dimensional parameter space) to map-out bounds for feasible forward model retrieved atomic hydrogen density distributions. We applied this technique to same-night (March, 2000) ground-based Balmer α data from PBO and geocoronal Lyman β measurements from the Espectrógrafo Ultravioleta extremo para la Radiación Difusa (EURD) instrument on the Spanish satellite MINISAT-1 (provided by J.F. Gómez and C. Morales of the Laboratorio de Astrofisica Espacial y Física Fundamental, INTA, Madrid, Spain) in order to investigate the modeling constraints imposed by two sets of independent geocoronal intensity measurements, both of which rely on astronomical calibration methods. In this poster we explore extending this analysis to the line profile information also contained in the March 2000 PBO Balmer α data set. In general, a decrease in the Doppler width of the Balmer α emission with shadow altitude is a persistent feature in every night of PBO observations in which a wide range of shadow altitudes are observed. Preliminary applications of the LYAO_RT code, which includes the ability to output Doppler line profiles for both the singly and multiply scattered contributions to the Balmer α emission line, displays good qualitative agreement with regard to geocoronal Doppler width trends observed from PBO. Model-data Balmer α Doppler width comparisons, using the best-fit model parameters obtained during the March 2000 PBO/EURD forward-model study, will be presented and discussed, including the feasibility of using Balmer α observed Doppler widths as an additional model constraint in our forward-model search procedure.

Ionization Processes in the Atmosphere of Titan (Research Note). III. Ionization by High-Z Nuclei Cosmic Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gronoff, G.; Mertens, C.; Lilensten, J.; Desorgher, L.; Fluckiger, E.; Velinov, P.

2011-01-01

Context. The Cassini-Huygens mission has revealed the importance of particle precipitation in the atmosphere of Titan thanks to in-situ measurements. These ionizing particles (electrons, protons, and cosmic rays) have a strong impact on the chemistry, hence must be modeled. Aims. We revisit our computation of ionization in the atmosphere of Titan by cosmic rays. The high-energy high-mass ions are taken into account to improve the precision of the calculation of the ion production profile. Methods. The Badhwahr and O Neill model for cosmic ray spectrum was adapted for the Titan model. We used the TransTitan model coupled with the Planetocosmics model to compute the ion production by cosmic rays. We compared the results with the NAIRAS/HZETRN ionization model used for the first time for a body that differs from the Earth. Results. The cosmic ray ionization is computed for five groups of cosmic rays, depending on their charge and mass: protons, alpha, Z = 8 (oxygen), Z = 14 (silicon), and Z = 26 (iron) nucleus. Protons and alpha particles ionize mainly at 65 km altitude, while the higher mass nucleons ionize at higher altitudes. Nevertheless, the ionization at higher altitude is insufficient to obscure the impact of Saturn s magnetosphere protons at a 500 km altitude. The ionization rate at the peak (altitude: 65 km, for all the different conditions) lies between 30 and 40/cu cm/s. Conclusions. These new computations show for the first time the importance of high Z cosmic rays on the ionization of the Titan atmosphere. The updated full ionization profile shape does not differ significantly from that found in our previous calculations (Paper I: Gronoff et al. 2009, 506, 955) but undergoes a strong increase in intensity below an altitude of 400 km, especially between 200 and 400 km altitude where alpha and heavier particles (in the cosmic ray spectrum) are responsible for 40% of the ionization. The comparison of several models of ionization and cosmic ray spectra (in intensity and composition) reassures us about the stability of the altitude of the ionization peak (65 km altitude) with respect to the solar activity.

Empirical models of the electron temperature and density in the nightside venus ionosphere.

PubMed

Brace, L H; Theis, R F; Niemann, H B; Mayr, H G; Hoegy, W R; Nagy, A F

1979-07-06

Empirical models of the electron temperature and electron density of the late afternoon and nightside Venus ionosphere have been derived from Pioneer Venus measurements acquired between 10 December 1978 and 23 March 1979. The models describe the average ionosphere conditions near 18 degrees N latitude between 150 and 700 kilometers altitude for solar zenith angles of 80 degrees to 180 degrees . The average index of solar flux was 200. A major feature of the density model is the factor of 10 decrease beyond 90 degrees followed by a very gradual decrease between 120 degrees and 180 degrees . The density at 150 degrees is about five times greater than observed by Venera 9 and 10 at solar minimum (solar flux approximately 80), a difference that is probably related to the effects of increased solar activity on the processes that maintain the nightside ionosphere. The nightside electron density profile from the model (above 150 kilometers) can be reproduced theoretically either by transport of 0(+) ions from the dayside or by precipitation of low-energy electrons. The ion transport process would require a horizontal flow velocity of about 300 meters per second, a value that is consistent with other Pioneer Venus observations. Although currently available energetic electron data do not yet permit the role of precipitation to be evaluated quantitatively, this process is clearly involved to some extent in the formation of the nightside ionosphere. Perhaps the most surprising feature of the temperature model is that the electron temperature remains high throughout the nightside ionosphere. These high nocturnal temperatures and the existence of a well-defined nightside ionopause suggest that energetic processes occur across the top of the entire nightside ionosphere, maintaining elevated temperatures. A heat flux of 2 x 10(10) electron volts per square centimeter per second, introduced at the ionopause, is consistent with the average electron temperature profile on the nightside at a solar zenith angle of 140 degrees .

Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) and Database for Mission Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Duvall, Aleta; Johnson, D. L.

2003-01-01

Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2001) is an engineering-level Mars atmosphere model widely used for many Mars mission applications. From 0-80 km, it is based on NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model, while above 80 km it is based on Mars Thermospheric General Circulation Model. Mars-GRAM 2001 and MGCM use surface topography from Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter. Validation studies are described comparing Mars-GRAM with Mars Global Surveyor Radio Science and Thermal Emission Spectrometer data. RS data from 2480 profiles were used, covering latitudes 75 deg S to 72 deg N, surface to approximately 40 km, for seasons ranging from areocentric longitude of Sun (Ls) = 70-160 deg and 265-310 deg. RS data spanned a range of local times, mostly 0-9 hours and 18-24 hours. For interests in aerocapture and precision landing, comparisons concentrated on atmospheric density. At a fixed height of 20 km, RS density varied by about a factor of 2.5 over ranges of latitudes and Ls values observed. Evaluated at matching positions and times, these figures show average RSMars-GRAM density ratios were generally 1+/-)0.05, except at heights above approximately 25 km and latitudes above approximately 50 deg N. Average standard deviation of RSMars-GRAM density ratio was 6%. TES data were used covering surface to approximately 40 km, over more than a full Mars year (February, 1999 - June, 2001, just before start of a Mars global dust storm). Depending on season, TES data covered latitudes 85 deg S to 85 deg N. Most TES data were concentrated near local times 2 hours and 14 hours. Observed average TES/Mars-GRAM density ratios were generally 1+/-0.05, except at high altitudes (15-30 km, depending on season) and high latitudes (greater than 45 deg N), or at most altitudes in the southern hemisphere at Ls approximately 90 and 180 deg. Compared to TES averages for a given latitude and season, TES data had average density standard deviation about the mean of approximately 2.5% for all data, or approximately 1-4%, depending on time of day and dust optical depth. Average standard deviation of TES/Mars-GRAM density ratio was 8.9% for local time 2 hours and 7.1% for local time 14 hours. Thus standard deviation of observed TES/Mars-GRAM density ratio, evaluated at matching positions and times, is about three times the standard deviation of TES data about the TES mean value at a given position and season.

Spatial Correlation and Coherence of Boundary Layer Winds Near Cape Canaveral Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merceret, Francis J.

2007-01-01

The spatial correlation and coherence of winds over separation distances from 8.5 to 31 km based on central Florida data from November 1999 through August 2001 are presented. The winds at altitudes from 500 to 3000 m were measured using a network of five radar wind profilers. The goal was to determine the extent to which the profilers may be considered independent data sources. Quality controlled profiles were produced every 15 minutes for up to sixty gates, each representing 101 m in altitude over the range from 130 m to 6089 m. Five levels, each containing three consecutive gates, were selected for analysis. These levels covered the range from 433 to 3059 m. The results show that the profilers are independent for features having time scales of less than one hour in the winter or two hours in the summer. This does not depend significantly on height. Because the size of the network coincides with the "spectral gap" in the boundary layer, the result also does not depend on the spacing of the profilers within the network.

Remote sensing of cloud radiation and microphysical parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, M.-L. C.; Curran, R. J.

1983-01-01

Multispectral cloud radiometer (MCR) data, retrieved from a radiometer installed in a nadir viewing position on a high-altitude aircraft flying at 200 m/s and at an altitude of 60,000 ft above the mean sea level, are analyzed. The data discussed were obtained in the 0.754, 0.7609, 0.7634, 1.626, 2.125, and 11.38-micron channels, and are compared to lidar-derived profiles. Among the cloud parameters under consideration are the cloud scaled optical thickness, cloudtop altitude, scaled volume scattering coefficient, particle thermodynamic phase, mean particle size, and cloudtop temperature.

Remote measurement of ClO in the stratosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzies, R. T.

1979-01-01

ClO has been detected in the stratosphere from observations of the solar spectrum in the infrared, in a small spectral interval near 12 micrometers. The observations were made with a balloon-borne laser heterodyne radiometer, launched from Palestine, Texas on September 20. By comparing high sun spectra with a number of sequential spectra taken during sunset, an altitude profile has been calculated in the 29-38 km altitude range. The results show a peak mixing ratio in excess of one ppb above 34 km, and a rapid decrease in mixing ratio with decreasing altitude below 34 km.

Transportable Rayleigh/Raman lidar for aerosol and water vapor profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Congeduti, Fernando; D'Aulerio, P.; Casadio, S.; Baldetti, P.; Belardinelli, F.

2001-01-01

A nighttime operating Raman/Rayleigh/Mie lidar system for the measurement of profiles of the water vapor mixing ratio and the aerosol backscatter ratio is described. The transmitter utilizes two laser beam at 532 nm and 355 nm from a Nd:YAG pulsed laser and the receiver consists of three Newtonian telescopes. Optical fibers carry the signal to the detectors. The system, which is installed in two containers, is transportable. Data are recorded with resolutions of 75-m in altitude and 1-min in time. Water vapor profiles from 200 m above the lidar altitude up to the upper troposphere and aerosol profiles form 500 m up to the lower stratosphere were obtained also at the lowest resolution. The lidar was deployed and used in the 'Target Area of the Lago Maggiore' during the MAP-SOP international campaign. Measurements taken during that campaign are reported to show the lidar performance. Improvements of the system by employing an array of nine 50-cm diameter telescopes are planned. These should effectively enhance the lidar performance.

The power of vertical geolocation of atmospheric profiles from GNSS radio occultation.

PubMed

Scherllin-Pirscher, Barbara; Steiner, Andrea K; Kirchengast, Gottfried; Schwärz, Marc; Leroy, Stephen S

2017-02-16

High-resolution measurements from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) provide atmospheric profiles with independent information on altitude and pressure. This unique property is of crucial advantage when analyzing atmospheric characteristics that require joint knowledge of altitude and pressure or other thermodynamic atmospheric variables. Here we introduce and demonstrate the utility of this independent information from RO and discuss the computation, uncertainty, and use of RO atmospheric profiles on isohypsic coordinates-mean sea level altitude and geopotential height-as well as on thermodynamic coordinates (pressure and potential temperature). Using geopotential height as vertical grid, we give information on errors of RO-derived temperature, pressure, and potential temperature profiles and provide an empirical error model which accounts for seasonal and latitudinal variations. The observational uncertainty of individual temperature/pressure/potential temperature profiles is about 0.7 K/0.15%/1.4 K in the tropopause region. It gradually increases into the stratosphere and decreases toward the lower troposphere. This decrease is due to the increasing influence of background information. The total climatological error of mean atmospheric fields is, in general, dominated by the systematic error component. We use sampling error-corrected climatological fields to demonstrate the power of having different and accurate vertical coordinates available. As examples we analyze characteristics of the location of the tropopause for geopotential height, pressure, and potential temperature coordinates as well as seasonal variations of the midlatitude jet stream core. This highlights the broad applicability of RO and the utility of its versatile vertical geolocation for investigating the vertical structure of the troposphere and stratosphere.

Take-off and Landing

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-01

Studies Program. The results of AGARD work are reported to the member nations and the NATO Authorities through the AGARD series of publications of...calculated based on a low altitude mission profile. 2. GROUND RULES AND BASIC ASSUMPTIONS Base Design All aircraft synthesized for this study are...In this study manoeuverability is defined in terms of specific excess power (as shown in Fig. 5) at specified Mach number, altitude,and load

D-region Ionospheric Imaging Using VLF/LF Broadband Sferics, Forward Modeling, and Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCormick, J.; Cohen, M.

2017-12-01

The D-region of the ionosphere (60-90 km altitude) is highly variable on timescales from fractions of a second to many hours, and on spatial scales from 10 km to many hundreds of km. VLF and LF (3-30kHz, 30-300kHz) radio waves are guided to global distances by reflecting off of the ground and the D-region, making the Earth-ionosphere waveguide (EIWG). Therefore, information about the current state of the ionosphere is encoded in received VLF/LF radio waves since they act like probes of the D-region. The return stroke of lightning is an impulsive event that radiates powerful broadband radio emissions in VLF/LF bands known as `radio atmospherics' or `sferics'. Lightning flashes occur about 40-50 times per second throughout the Earth. An average of 2000 lightning storms occur each day with a mean duration of 30 minutes creating a broad spatial and temporal distribution of lightning VLF/LF sources. With careful processing, we can recover high fidelity measurements of amplitude and phase of both the radial and azimuthal magnetic field sferic components. By comparison to a theoretical EIWG propagation model such as the Long Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) developed by the US Navy, with a standard forward modeling approach, we can infer information about the current state of the D-region. Typically, the ionosphere is parametrized to reduce the dimensionality of the problem which usually results in an electron density vs altitude profile. For large distances (Greater than 1000 km), these results can be interpreted as path-averaged information. In contrast to studies using navy transmitters to study the D-region, the full spectral information allows for more complete information and less ambiguous inferred ionospheric parameters. With the spatial breadth of lightning sources taken together with a broadly distributed VLF/LF receiver network, a dense set of measurements are acquired in a tomographic sense. Using the wealth of linear algebra and imaging techniques it is possible to produce a 2D image of the D-region electron density profile.

Tailoring Meridional and Seasonal Radiative Forcing by Sulfate Aerosol Solar Geoengineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Z.; Weisenstein, D. K.; Keith, D. W.

2018-01-01

We study the possibility of designing solar radiation management schemes to achieve a desired meridional radiative forcing (RF) profile using a two-dimensional chemistry-transport-aerosol model. Varying SO2 or H2SO4 injection latitude, altitude, and season, we compute RF response functions for a broad range of possible injection schemes, finding that linear combinations of these injection cases can roughly achieve RF profiles that have been proposed to accomplish various climate objectives. Globally averaged RF normalized by the sulfur injection rate (the radiative efficacy) is largest for injections at high altitudes, near the equator, and using emission of H2SO4 vapor into an aircraft wake to produce accumulation-mode particles. There is a trade-off between radiative efficacy and control as temporal and spatial control is best achieved with injections at lower altitudes and higher latitudes. These results may inform studies using more realistic models that couple aerosol microphysics, chemistry, and stratospheric dynamics.

Evaluation of the Space Shuttle Transatlantic Abort Landing Atmospheric Sounding System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leahy, Frank B.

2004-01-01

This paper describes a study that was conducted to determine the quality of thermodynamic and wind data measured by the Space Shuttle Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) Atmospheric Sounding System (TASS). The system has Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking capability and provides profiles of atmospheric parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, and wind in support of potential emergency Space Shuttle landings at TAL sites. Ten comparison flights between the Low-Resolution Flight Element (LRFE) of the Automated Meteorological Profiling System (AMPS) and TASS were conducted at the Eastern Test Range (ETR) in early 2002. Initial results indicated that wind, temperature, and relative humidity compared well. However, incorrect GPS settings in the TASS software were resulting in altitude differences of about 60 to 70 m (approximately 200 to 230 ft) and air pressure differences of approximately 4 hectoPascals (hPa). TASS software updates to correct altitude data were completed in early 2003. Subsequent testing showed that altitude and air pressure differences were generally less than 5 m and 1 hPa, respectively.

On the Methods of Determining the Radio Emission Geometry in Pulsar Magnetospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyks, J.; Rudak, B.; Harding, Alice K.

2004-01-01

We present a modification of the relativistic phase shift method of determining the radio emission geometry from pulsar magnetospheres proposed by Gangadhara & Gupta (2001). Our modification provides a method of determining radio emission altitudes which does not depend on the viewing geometry and does not require polarization measurements. We suggest application of the method to the outer edges of averaged radio pulse profiles to identify magnetic field lines associated with'the edges of the pulse and, thereby, to test the geometric method based on the measurement of the pulse width at the lowest intensity level. We show that another relativistic method proposed by Blaskiewicz et al. (1991) provides upper limits for emission altitudes associated with the outer edges of pulse profiles. A comparison of these limits with the altitudes determined with the geometric method may be used to probe the importance of rotational distortions of magnetic field and refraction effects in the pulsar magnetosphere. We provide a comprehensive discussion of the assumptions used in the relativistic methods.

Upper D region chemical kinetic modeling of LORE relaxation times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordillo-Vázquez, F. J.; Luque, A.; Haldoupis, C.

2016-04-01

The recovery times of upper D region electron density elevations, caused by lightning-induced electromagnetic pulses (EMP), are modeled. The work was motivated from the need to understand a recently identified narrowband VLF perturbation named LOREs, an acronym for LOng Recovery Early VLF events. LOREs associate with long-living electron density perturbations in the upper D region ionosphere; they are generated by strong EMP radiated from large peak current intensities of ±CG (cloud to ground) lightning discharges, known also to be capable of producing elves. Relaxation model scenarios are considered first for a weak enhancement in electron density and then for a much stronger one caused by an intense lightning EMP acting as an impulsive ionization source. The full nonequilibrium kinetic modeling of the perturbed mesosphere in the 76 to 92 km range during LORE-occurring conditions predicts that the electron density relaxation time is controlled by electron attachment at lower altitudes, whereas above 79 km attachment is balanced totally by associative electron detachment so that electron loss at these higher altitudes is controlled mainly by electron recombination with hydrated positive clusters H+(H2O)n and secondarily by dissociative recombination with NO+ ions, a process which gradually dominates at altitudes >88 km. The calculated recovery times agree fairly well with LORE observations. In addition, a simplified (quasi-analytic) model build for the key charged species and chemical reactions is applied, which arrives at similar results with those of the full kinetic model. Finally, the modeled recovery estimates for lower altitudes, that is <79 km, are in good agreement with the observed short recovery times of typical early VLF events, which are known to be associated with sprites.

Drift-corrected Odin-OSIRIS ozone product: algorithm and updated stratospheric ozone trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourassa, Adam E.; Roth, Chris Z.; Zawada, Daniel J.; Rieger, Landon A.; McLinden, Chris A.; Degenstein, Douglas A.

2018-01-01

A small long-term drift in the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System (OSIRIS) stratospheric ozone product, manifested mostly since 2012, is quantified and attributed to a changing bias in the limb pointing knowledge of the instrument. A correction to this pointing drift using a predictable shape in the measured limb radiance profile is implemented and applied within the OSIRIS retrieval algorithm. This new data product, version 5.10, displays substantially better both long- and short-term agreement with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) ozone throughout the stratosphere due to the pointing correction. Previously reported stratospheric ozone trends over the time period 1984-2013, which were derived by merging the altitude-number density ozone profile measurements from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II satellite instrument (1984-2005) and from OSIRIS (2002-2013), are recalculated using the new OSIRIS version 5.10 product and extended to 2017. These results still show statistically significant positive trends throughout the upper stratosphere since 1997, but at weaker levels that are more closely in line with estimates from other data records.

Effective negative ion profile of low-latitude D-region during solar flares evaluated from VLF signal analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basak, Tamal; Chakrabarti, Sandip Kumar

Our objective is to study the effects of solar energetic phenomena on the lower ionosphere using subionospherically propagating Very Low Frequency signals. In this work, we dealt with the negative ion contents of the lower D-region during flares. We did a generalized study of the variation of the lambda-parameter both with height and time. In this purpose, we numerically solved the D-region electron continuity equation, where, we supplied the N_e-profile calculated from LWPC results. The results generally agree with those present in the literature, namely, the effect on the negative ion density during flares due to photo-electron detachment and photo-dissociation processes. However, for our VLF propagation path of interest, we found that the negative ions exist till somewhat higher altitudes (˜ 73-74 km) than the high-latitude D-region heights. Other workers did model study on Cl(-) ions and its complex compounds at nighttime in high latitude ionosphere. They reported that, though negative ions are less abundant in daytime, in lower latitudes its availability increases, which supports our results.

Version 8 SBUV Ozone Profile Trends Compared with Trends from a Zonally Averaged Chemical Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenfield, Joan E.; Frith, Stacey; Stolarski, Richard

2004-01-01

Linear regression trends for the years 1979-2003 were computed using the new Version 8 merged Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) data set of ozone profiles. These trends were compared to trends computed using ozone profiles from the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) zonally averaged coupled model. Observed and modeled annual trends between 50 N and 50 S were a maximum in the higher latitudes of the upper stratosphere, with southern hemisphere (SH) trends greater than northern hemisphere (NH) trends. The observed upper stratospheric maximum annual trend is -5.5 +/- 0.9 % per decade (1 sigma) at 47.5 S and -3.8 +/- 0.5 % per decade at 47.5 N, to be compared with the modeled trends of -4.5 +/- 0.3 % per decade in the SH and -4.0 +/- 0.2% per decade in the NH. Both observed and modeled trends are most negative in winter and least negative in summer, although the modeled seasonal difference is less than observed. Model trends are shown to be greatest in winter due to a repartitioning of chlorine species and the increasing abundance of chlorine with time. The model results show that trend differences can occur depending on whether ozone profiles are in mixing ratio or number density coordinates, and on whether they are recorded on pressure or altitude levels.

High-Altitude Flight Cooling Investigation of a Radial Air-Cooled Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manganiello, Eugene J; Valerino, Michael F; Bell, E Barton

1947-01-01

An investigation of the cooling of an 18-cylinder, twin-row, radial, air-cooled engine in a high-performance pursuit airplane has been conducted for variable engine and flight conditions at altitudes ranging from 5000 to 35,000 feet in order to provide a basis for predicting high-altitude cooling performance from sea-level or low altitude experimental results. The engine cooling data obtained were analyzed by the usual NACA cooling-correlation method wherein cylinder-head and cylinder-barrel temperatures are related to the pertinent engine and cooling-air variables. A theoretical analysis was made of the effect on engine cooling of the change of density of the cooling air across the engine (the compressibility effect), which becomes of increasing importance as altitude is increased. Good agreement was obtained between the results of the theoretical analysis and the experimental data.

Cassini Radio Occultation by Enceladus Plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kliore, A.; Armstrong, J.; Flasar, F.; French, R.; Marouf, E.; Nagy, A.; Rappaport, N.; McGhee, C.; Schinder, P.; Anabtawi, A.; Asmar, S.; Barbinis, E.; Fleischman, D.; Goltz, G.; Aguilar, R.; Rochblatt, D.

2006-12-01

A fortuitous Cassini radio occultation by Enceladus plume occurs on September 15, 2006. The occultation track (the spacecraft trajectory in the plane of the sky as viewed from the Earth) has been designed to pass behind the plume (to pass above the south polar region of Enceladus) in a roughly symmetrical geometry centered on a minimum altitude above the surface of about 20 km. The minimum altitude was selected primarily to ensure probing much of the plume with good confidence given the uncertainty in the spacecraft trajectory. Three nearly-pure sinusoidal signals of 0.94, 3.6, and 13 cm-wavelength (Ka-, X-, and S-band, respectively) are simultaneously transmitted from Cassini and are monitored at two 34-m Earth receiving stations of the Deep Space Network (DSN) in Madrid, Spain (DSS-55 and DSS-65). The occultation of the visible plume is extremely fast, lasting less than about two minutes. The actual observation time extends over a much longer time interval, however, to provide a good reference baseline for potential detection of signal perturbations introduced by the tenuous neutral and ionized plume environment. Given the likely very small fraction of optical depth due to neutral particles of sizes larger than about 1 mm, detectable changes in signal intensity is perhaps unlikely. Detection of plume plasma along the radio path as perturbations in the signals frequency/phase is more likely and the magnitude will depend on the electron columnar density probed. The occultation time occurs not far from solar conjunction time (Sun-Earth-probe angle of about 33 degrees), causing phase scintillations due to the solar wind to be the primary limiting noise source. We estimate a delectability limit of about 1 to 3E16 electrons per square meter columnar density assuming about 100 seconds integration time. Potential measurement of the profile of electron columnar density along the occultation track is an exciting prospect at this time.

Balloon-based interferometric techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rees, David

1985-01-01

A balloon-borne triple-etalon Fabry-Perot Interferometer, observing the Doppler shifts of absorption lines caused by molecular oxygen and water vapor in the far red/near infrared spectrum of backscattered sunlight, has been used to evaluate a passive spaceborne remote sensing technique for measuring winds in the troposphere and stratosphere. There have been two successful high altitude balloon flights of the prototype UCL instrument from the National Scientific Balloon Facility at Palestine, TE (May 80, Oct. 83). The results from these flights have demonstrated that an interferometer with adequate resolution, stability and sensitivity can be built. The wind data are of comparable quality to those obtained from operational techniques (balloon and rocket sonde, cloud-top drift analysis, and from the gradient wind analysis of satellite radiance measurements). However, the interferometric data can provide a regular global grid, over a height range from 5 to 50 km in regions of clear air. Between the middle troposphere (5 km) and the upper stratosphere (40 to 50 km), an optimized instrument can make wind measurements over the daylit hemisphere with an accuracy of about 3 to 5 m/sec (2 sigma). It is possible to obtain full height profiles between altitudes of 5 and 50 km, with 4 km height resolution, and a spatial resolution of about 200 km, along the orbit track. Below an altitude of about 10 km, Fraunhofer lines of solar origin are possible targets of the Doppler wind analysis. Above an altitude of 50 km, the weakness of the backscattered solar spectrum (decreasing air density) is coupled with the low absorption crosssection of all atmospheric species in the spectral region up to 800 nm (where imaging photon detectors can be used), causing the along-the-track resolution (or error) to increase beyond values useful for operational purposes. Within the region of optimum performance (5 to 50 km), however, the technique is a valuable potential complement to existing wind measuring systems and can provide a low cost addition to powerful active (LIDAR) wind measuring systems now under development.

Local ionospheric electron density reconstruction from simultaneous ground-based GNSS and ionosonde measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stankov, S. M.; Warnant, R.; Stegen, K.

2009-04-01

The purpose of the LIEDR (Local Ionospheric Electron Density Reconstruction) system is to acquire and process data from simultaneous ground-based GNSS TEC and digital ionosonde measurements, and subsequently to deduce the vertical electron density distribution in the local ionosphere. LIEDR is primarily designed to operate in real time for service applications, and, if sufficient data from solar and geomagnetic observations are available, to provide short-term forecast as well. For research applications and further development of the system, a post-processing mode of operation is also envisaged. In essence, the reconstruction procedure consists in the following. The high-precision ionosonde measurements are used for directly obtaining the bottom part of the electron density profile. The ionospheric profiler for the lower side (i.e. below the density peak height, hmF2) is based on the Epstein layer functions using the known values of the critical frequencies, foF2 and foE, and the propagation factor, M3000F2. The corresponding bottom-side part of the total electron content is calculated from this profile and is then subtracted from the GPS TEC value in order to obtain the unknown portion of the TEC in the upper side (i.e. above the hmF2). Ionosonde data, together with the simultaneously-measured TEC and empirically obtained O+/H+ ion transition level values, are all required for the determination of the topside electron density scale height. The topside electron density is considered as a sum of the constituent oxygen and hydrogen ion densities with unknown vertical scale heights. The latter are calculated by solving a system of transcendental equations that arise from the incorporation of a suitable ionospheric profiler (Chapman, Epstein, or Exponential) into formulae describing ionospheric conditions (plasma quasi-neutrality, ion transition level). Once the topside scale heights are determined, the construction of the vertical electron density distribution in the entire altitude range is a straightforward process. As a by-product of the described procedure, the value of the ionospheric slab thickness can be easily computed. To be able to provide forecast, additional information about the current solar and geomagnetic activity is needed. For the purpose, observations available in real time -- at the Royal Institute of Meteorology (RMI), the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB), and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -- are used. Recently, a new hybrid model for estimating and predicting the local magnetic index K has been developed. This hybrid model has the advantage of using both, ground-based (geomagnetic field components) and space-based (solar wind parameters) measurements, which results in more reliable estimates of the level of geomagnetic activity - current and future. The described reconstruction procedure has been tested on actual measurements at the RMI Dourbes Geophysics Centre (coordinates: 50.1N, 4.6E) where a GPS receiver is collocated with a digital ionosonde (code: DB049, type: Lowell DGS 256). Currently, the nominal time resolution between two consecutive reconstructions is set to 15 minutes with a forecast horizon for each reconstruction of up to 60 minutes. Several applications are envisaged. For example, the ionospheric propagation delays can be estimated and corrected much easier if the electron density profile is available at a nearby location on a real-time basis. Also, both the input data and the reconstruction results can be used for validation purposes in ionospheric models, maps, and services. Recent studies suggest that such ionospheric monitoring systems can help research/services related to aircraft navigation, e.g. for development of the ‘ionospheric threat' methodology.

Lidar measurements of boundary layers, aerosol scattering and clouds during project FIFE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eloranta, Edwin W. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

A detailed account of progress achieved under this grant funding is contained in five journal papers. The titles of these papers are: The calculation of area-averaged vertical profiles of the horizontal wind velocity using volume imaging lidar data; Volume imaging lidar observation of the convective structure surrounding the flight path of an instrumented aircraft; Convective boundary layer mean depths, cloud base altitudes, cloud top altitudes, cloud coverages, and cloud shadows obtained from Volume Imaging Lidar data; An accuracy analysis of the wind profiles calculated from Volume Imaging Lidar data; and Calculation of divergence and vertical motion from volume-imaging lidar data. Copies of these papers form the body of this report.

Mars Dayside Thermospheric Composition and Temperatures from the NGIMS MAVEN Instrument: Implications for Thermal Balances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bougher, Stephen W.; Sharrar, Ryan; Bell, Jared M.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Benna, Mehdi; Elrod, Meredith K.; Evans, J. Scott

2017-10-01

The Mars upper atmosphere, encompassing the thermosphere, ionosphere, and the lower exosphere (~100 to 500 km), constitutes the reservoir that regulates present day and historical escape processes from the planet. The characterization of this reservoir is therefore one of the major science objectives of the MAVEN mission. Current dayside thermospheric composition and temperatures are the focus of this study. The primary MAVEN instrument for in situ sampling of neutral thermospheric structure is the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS, Mahaffy et al. 2015) instrument. It measures the neutral composition of at least 11 key gas species and their major isotopes, with a vertical resolution of ~5 km for targeted species. Thermospheric temperatures are derived from neutral density vertical structure (Bougher et al., 2017). Four NGIMS dayside sampling periods are chosen, spanning mid-April 2015 to late-November 2016, for which the solar zenith angle is less than 60°. The Martian season advances from Ls ~ 335 to 256, while solar EUV fluxes are declining from solar moderate to minimum conditions. Each sampling period is composed of ~150 to 200 orbits (NGIMS Level 2 V07_R02 files). We focus our study on 5 dayside species: CO2, O, N2, CO, and He. Inbound density profiles (and derived temperatures) are extracted and averaged over various orbital intervals, in order to compute longitude averaged profiles, and to minimize the impact of small scale wave structure. Corresponding Mars Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (M-GITM, Bougher et al., 2015) predictions for the same seasonal/solar cycle conditions are compared to NGIMS density measurements along the inbound orbit tracks below ~225 km. This M-GITM model is primarily driven by solar EUV-UV forcing at these altitudes; its simulations are used to provide a first comparison with the climatic trends (and variability) gleaned from these NGIMS datasets. M-GITM underlying dayside thermal balances required to reproduce these measured density and temperature profiles are also presented, with the goal of constraining dayside CO2 cooling rates.

Investigating the Role of Gravity Wave on Equatorial Ionospheric Irregularities using SABER and C/NOFS Satellites Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nigussie, M.; Damtie, B.; Moldwin, M.; Yizengaw, E.; Tesema, F.; Tebabal, A.

2017-12-01

Theoretical simulations have shown that gravity wave (GW) seeded perturbations amplified by Rayleigh-Taylor Instability (RTI) results in ESF (equatorial spread F); however, there have been limited observational studies using simultaneous observations of GW and ionospheric parameters. In this paper, for the fist time, simultaneous atmospheric temperature perturbation profiles that are due to GWs obtained from Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) on-board the TIMED satellite and equatorial in -situ ion density and vertical plasma drift velocity observations with and without ESF activity obtained from C/NOFS satellites are used to investigate the effect of GW on the generation of ESF. The horizontal and vertical wavelengths of ionospheric oscillations and GWs respectively have been estimated applying wavelet transforms. Cross wavelet analysis has also been applied between two closely observed profiles of temperature perturbations to estimate the horizontal wavelength of the GWs. Moreover, vertically propagating GWs that dissipate energy at the upper atmosphere have been investigated using spectral analysis compared with theoretical results. The analysis show that when the ion density shows strong post sunset irregularity between 20 and 24 LT, vertically upward drift velocities increase between 17 and 19 LT, but it becomes vertically downward when the ion density shows smooth variation. The horizontal wavelengths estimated from C/NOFS and SABER observations show excellent agreement when ion density observations show strong fluctuations; otherwise, they have poor agreement. It is also found that altitude profiles of potential energy of GW increases up to 90 km and then decreases significantly. It is found that the vertical wavelength of GW, corresponding to the dominant spectral power, ranges from about 7 km to 20 km regardless of the situation of the ionosphere; however, GWs with vertical wavelengths between 100 m to 1 km are found to be saturated between 90 and 110 km whether the ionosphere exhibits irregularity or not. The above results imply that ESF is due to the amplification of perturbations as a result of energy dissipation from GW with vertical wavelength 100 m to 1 km by the RTI that is mainly controlled by Pre-Reversal Enhancement of the zonal electric field.

NRLMSISE-00 Empirical Model of the Atmosphere: Statistical Comparisons and Scientific Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aikin, A. C.; Picone, J. M.; Hedin, A. E.; Drob, D. P.

2001-01-01

The new NRLMSISE-00 model and the associated NRLMSIS database now include the following data: (1) total mass density from satellite accelerometers and from orbit determination, including the Jacchia and Barlier data; (2) temperature from incoherent scatter radar, and; (3) molecular oxygen number density, [O2], from solar ultraviolet occultation aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). A new component, 'anomalous oxygen,' allows for appreciable O(+) and hot atomic oxygen contributions to the total mass density at high altitudes and applies primarily to drag estimation above 500 km. Extensive tables compare our entire database to the NRLMSISE-00, MSISE-90, and Jacchia-70 models for different altitude bands and levels of geomagnetic activity. We also investigate scientific issues related to the new data sets in the NRLMSIS database. Especially noteworthy is the solar activity dependence of the Jacchia data, with which we investigate a large O(+) contribution to the total mass density under the combination of summer, low solar activity, high latitudes, and high altitudes. Under these conditions, except at very low solar activity, the Jacchia data and the Jacchia-70 model indeed show a significantly higher total mass density than does MSISE-90. However, under the corresponding winter conditions, the MSIS-class models represent a noticeable improvement relative to Jacchia-70 over a wide range of F(sub 10.7). Considering the two regimes together, NRLMSISE-00 achieves an improvement over both MSISE-90 and Jacchia-70 by incorporating advantages of each.

Airborne lidar/radiometric measurements of cirrus cloud parameters and their application to LOWTRAN radiance evaluations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uthe, Edward E.

1990-01-01

SRI has assembled an airborne lidar/radiometric instrumentation suite for mapping cirrus cloud distribution and analyzing cirrus cloud optical properties. Operation of upward viewing infrared radiometers from an airborne platform provides the optimum method of measuring high altitude cold cloud radiative properties with minimum interference from the thermal emission by the earth's surface and lower atmospheric components. Airborne installed sensors can also operate over large regional areas including water, urban, and mountain surfaces and above lower atmospheric convective clouds and haze layers. Currently available sensors installed on the SRI Queen Air aircraft are illustrated. Lidar and radiometric data records are processed for real time viewing on a color video screen. A cirrus cloud data example is presented as a black and white reproduction of a color display of data at the aircraft altitude of 12,000 ft, the 8 to 14 micron atmospheric radiation background was equivalent to a blackbody temperature of about -60 C and, therefore, the radiometer did not respond strongly to low density cirrus cloud concentrations detected by the lidar. Cloud blackbody temperatures (observed by radiometer) are shown plotted against midcloud temperatures (derived from lidar observed cloud heights and supporting temperature profiles) for data collected on 30 June and 28 July.

Structure and seasonal variations of the nocturnal mesospheric K layer at Arecibo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Xianchang; Friedman, Jonathan S.; Wu, Xiongbin; Zhou, Qihou H.

2017-07-01

We present the seasonal variations of the nocturnal mesospheric potassium (K) layer at Arecibo, Puerto Rico (18.35°N, 66.75°W) from 160 nights of K Doppler lidar observations between December 2003 and January 2010, during which the solar activity is mostly low. The background temperature is also measured simultaneously by the lidar and shows a strong semiannual oscillation with maxima occurring during equinoxes at all altitudes. The annual mean K density profile is approximately Gaussian with a peak altitude of 91.7 km. The K column abundance and the centroid height have strong semiannual variations, with maxima at the solstices. Both parameters are negatively correlated to the mean background temperature with a correlation coefficient < -0.5. The root-mean-square (RMS) width has a distinct annual oscillation with the largest width occurring in May. The seasonal variation of the centroid height is similar to that of the Fe layer at the same site. The seasonal temperature variation indicates significant enhanced wave-induced downward transport for both species during spring and autumn. This explains the metal layer centroid height and column abundance variations at Arecibo and provides a general mechanism to account for the seasonal variations in the centroid height of all metal species measured at low-latitude and midlatitude sites.

The Yearly Variation in Fall-Winter Arctic Winter Vortex Descent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeberl, Mark R.; Newman, Paul A.

1999-01-01

Using the change in HALOE methane profiles from early September to late March, we have estimated the minimum amount of diabatic descent within the polar which takes place during Arctic winter. The year to year variations are a result in the year to year variations in stratospheric wave activity which (1) modify the temperature of the vortex and thus the cooling rate; (2) reduce the apparent descent by mixing high amounts of methane into the vortex. The peak descent amounts from HALOE methane vary from l0km -14km near the arrival altitude of 25 km. Using a diabatic trajectory calculation, we compare forward and backward trajectories over the course of the winter using UKMO assimilated stratospheric data. The forward calculation agrees fairly well with the observed descent. The backward calculation appears to be unable to produce the observed amount of descent, but this is only an apparent effect due to the density decrease in parcels with altitude. Finally we show the results for unmixed descent experiments - where the parcels are fixed in latitude and longitude and allowed to descend based on the local cooling rate. Unmixed descent is found to always exceed mixed descent, because when normal parcel motion is included, the path average cooling is always less than the cooling at a fixed polar point.

Balloon profiles of stratospheric NO[sub 2] and HNO[sub 3] for testing the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N[sub 2]O[sub 5] on sulfate aerosols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Webster, C.R.; May, R.D.; Allen, M.

1994-01-01

Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric NO[sub 2], HNO[sub 3], HCl, and CH[sub 4] from 34 to 24 km were made in August 1992 from Palestine, Texas, using the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS) tunable diode laser spectrometer. Although the measurements of NO[sub 2], HNO[sub 3], and NO[sub 2]/HNO[sub 3] agree well with gas-phase model calculations near 34 km where SAGE II data show little sulfate aerosol, this is not true at the lower altitudes where SAGE II shows high aerosol loadings. At 24 km the BLISS NO[sub 2] and HNO[sub 3] measurements are 70% lower, and 50% higher, respectively,more » than the gas phase model predictions, with a measured NO[sub 2]/HNO[sub 3] ratio 5 times smaller. When the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N[sub 2]O[sub 5] and ClONO[sub 2] on sulfate aerosol of surface area densities matching the SAGE II measurements is added to the model, good agreement with the BLISS measurements is found over the whole altitude range. 24 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

Sleep patterns at an altitude of 3500 metres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvamurthy, W.; Raju, V. R. K.; Ranganathan, S.; Hegde, K. S.; Ray, U. S.

1986-06-01

Alterations in sleep pattern during acclimatisation at an altitude of 3500 m were studied on 27 healthy men (20 30 years of age). Of these, 15 were sojourners (SJ), 6 were acclimatised lowlanders (AL) and 6 were high altitude natives (HAN). Baseline sleep profile of SJ was electrophysiologically monitored, initially at Delhi (260 m) and later at 3500 m altitude in Western Himalayas for 2 weeks. At high altitude (HA) the sleep patterns of AL and HAN were also monitored for comparison. There were 4 cases of acute mountain sickness (AMS) among SJ, whose sleep profiles were also recorded. The state of autonomic arousal was assessed by a battery of indices, while the psychological arousal was measured by the anxiety scales. On completion of studies at HA, the SJ were flown back to the plains and re-tested within one week of return. SJ showed curtailment of slow wave sleep (SWS) and frequent short episodes of arousal during sleep at HA. AL and HAN also had lesser amounts of SWS; however, the arousals and awakenings during sleep were less frequent. Subjects who experienced AMS had normal amounts of SWS at HA. There was sympathetic hyperactivity and slight increase in anxiety level in SJ, while HAN and AL had relatively reduced level of sympathetic activity. The curtailment of SWS and frequent arousals observed in SJ during the initial phase of acclimatisation at HA, appear to be adaptive features to prevent the accentuation of arterial hypoxemia due to sleep hypoventilation.

Key issues of ultraviolet radiation of OH at high altitudes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Yuhuai; Wan, Tian; Jiang, Jianzheng

2014-12-09

Ultraviolet (UV) emissions radiated by hydroxyl (OH) is one of the fundamental elements in the prediction of radiation signature of high-altitude and high-speed vehicle. In this work, the OH A{sup 2}Σ{sup +}→X{sup 2}Π ultraviolet emission band behind the bow shock is computed under the experimental condition of the second bow-shock ultraviolet flight (BSUV-2). Four related key issues are discussed, namely, the source of hydrogen element in the high-altitude atmosphere, the formation mechanism of OH species, efficient computational algorithm of trace species in rarefied flows, and accurate calculation of OH emission spectra. Firstly, by analyzing the typical atmospheric model, the verticalmore » distributions of the number densities of different species containing hydrogen element are given. According to the different dominating species containing hydrogen element, the atmosphere is divided into three zones, and the formation mechanism of OH species is analyzed in the different zones. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method and the Navier-Stokes equations are employed to compute the number densities of the different OH electronically and vibrationally excited states. Different to the previous work, the trace species separation (TSS) algorithm is applied twice in order to accurately calculate the densities of OH species and its excited states. Using a non-equilibrium radiation model, the OH ultraviolet emission spectra and intensity at different altitudes are computed, and good agreement is obtained with the flight measured data.« less

A methodology to generate high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) and surface water profile for a physical model using close range photogrammetric (CRP) technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mali, V. K.; Kuiry, S. N.

2015-12-01

Comprehensive understanding of the river flow dynamics with varying topography in a real field is very intricate and difficult. Conventional experimental methods based on manual data collection are time consuming and prone to many errors. Recently, remotely sensed satellite imageries are at the best to provide necessary information for large area provided the high resolution but which are very expensive and untimely, consequently, attaining accurate river bathymetry from relatively course resolution and untimely imageries are inaccurate and impractical. Despite of that, these data are often being used to calibrate the river flow models, though these models require highly accurate morpho-dynamic data in order to predict the flow field precisely. Under this circumstance, these data could be supplemented through experimental observations in a physical model with modern techniques. This paper proposes a methodology to generate highly accurate river bathymetry and water surface (WS) profile for a physical model of river network system using CRP technique. For the task accomplishment, a number of DSLR Nikon D5300 cameras (mounted at 3.5 m above the river bed) were used to capture the images of the physical model and the flooding scenarios during the experiments. During experiment, non-specular materials were introduced at the inlet and images were taken simultaneously from different orientations and altitudes with significant overlap of 80%. Ground control points were surveyed using two ultrasonic sensors with ±0.5 mm vertical accuracy. The captured images are, then processed in PhotoScan software to generate the DEM and WS profile. The generated data were then passed through statistical analysis to identify errors. Accuracy of WS profile was limited by extent and density of non-specular powder and stereo-matching discrepancies. Furthermore, several factors of camera including orientation, illumination and altitude of camera. The CRP technique for a large scale physical model can significantly reduce the time and manual labour and avoids human errors in taking data using point gauge. Obtained highly accurate DEM and WS profile can be used in mathematical models for accurate prediction of river dynamics. This study would be very helpful for sediment transport study and can also be extended for real case studies.

A methodology to generate high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) and surface water profile for a physical model using close range photogrammetric (CRP) technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez Incera, F. J.; Erikson, L. H.; Ruggiero, P.; Barnard, P.; Camus, P.; Rueda Zamora, A. C.

2014-12-01

Comprehensive understanding of the river flow dynamics with varying topography in a real field is very intricate and difficult. Conventional experimental methods based on manual data collection are time consuming and prone to many errors. Recently, remotely sensed satellite imageries are at the best to provide necessary information for large area provided the high resolution but which are very expensive and untimely, consequently, attaining accurate river bathymetry from relatively course resolution and untimely imageries are inaccurate and impractical. Despite of that, these data are often being used to calibrate the river flow models, though these models require highly accurate morpho-dynamic data in order to predict the flow field precisely. Under this circumstance, these data could be supplemented through experimental observations in a physical model with modern techniques. This paper proposes a methodology to generate highly accurate river bathymetry and water surface (WS) profile for a physical model of river network system using CRP technique. For the task accomplishment, a number of DSLR Nikon D5300 cameras (mounted at 3.5 m above the river bed) were used to capture the images of the physical model and the flooding scenarios during the experiments. During experiment, non-specular materials were introduced at the inlet and images were taken simultaneously from different orientations and altitudes with significant overlap of 80%. Ground control points were surveyed using two ultrasonic sensors with ±0.5 mm vertical accuracy. The captured images are, then processed in PhotoScan software to generate the DEM and WS profile. The generated data were then passed through statistical analysis to identify errors. Accuracy of WS profile was limited by extent and density of non-specular powder and stereo-matching discrepancies. Furthermore, several factors of camera including orientation, illumination and altitude of camera. The CRP technique for a large scale physical model can significantly reduce the time and manual labour and avoids human errors in taking data using point gauge. Obtained highly accurate DEM and WS profile can be used in mathematical models for accurate prediction of river dynamics. This study would be very helpful for sediment transport study and can also be extended for real case studies.

Quantifying stratospheric ozone trends: Complications due to stratospheric cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLinden, C. A.; Fioletov, V.

2011-02-01

Recent studies suggest that ozone turnaround (the second stage of ozone recovery) is near. Determining precisely when this occurs, however, will be complicated by greenhouse gas-induced stratospheric cooling as ozone trends derived from profile data in different units and/or vertical co-ordinates will not agree. Stratospheric cooling leads to simultaneous trends in air density and layer thicknesses, confounding the interpretation of ozone trends. A simple model suggests that instruments measuring ozone in different units may differ as to the onset of turnaround by a decade, with some indicting a continued decline while others an increase. This concept was illustrated by examining the long-term (1979-2005) ozone trends in the SAGE (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment) and SBUV (Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet) time series. Trends from SAGE, which measures number density as a function of altitude, and SBUV, which measures partial column as a function of pressure, are known to differ by 4-6%/decade in the upper stratosphere. It is shown that this long-standing difference can be reconciled to within 2%/decade when the trend in temperature is properly accounted for.

Short-term cyclic variations and diurnal variations of the Venus upper atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keating, G. M.; Taylor, F. W.; Nicholson, J. Y.; Hinson, E. W.

1979-01-01

The vertical structure of the nighttime thermosphere and exosphere of Venus was discussed. A comparison of the day and nighttime profiles indicates, contrary to the model of Dickinson and Riley (1977), that densities (principally atomic oxygen) dropped sharply from day to night. It was suggested either that the lower estimates were related to cooler exospheric temperatures at night or that the atomic bulge was flatter than expected at lower altitudes. Large periodic oscillations, in both density and inferred exospheric temperatures, were detected with periods of 5 to 6 days. The possibility that cyclic variations in the thermosphere and stratosphere were caused by planetary-scale waves, propagated upward from the lower atmosphere, was investigated using simultaneous temperature measurements obtained by the Venus radiometric temperature experiment (VORTEX). Inferred exospheric temperatures in the morning were found to be lower than in the evening as if the atmosphere rotated in the direction of the planet's rotation, similar to that of earth. Superrotation of the thermosphere and exosphere was discussed as a possible extension of the 4-day cyclic atmospheric rotation near the cloud tops.

Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM 2005) Applications for Mars Science Laboratory Mission Site Selection Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, H. L.; Justus, C. G.

2007-01-01

The new Mars-GRAM auxiliary profile capability, using data from TES observations, mesoscale model output, or other sources, allows a potentially higher fidelity representation of the atmosphere, and a more accurate way of estimating inherent uncertainty in atmospheric density and winds. Figure 3 indicates that, with nominal value rpscale=1, Mars-GRAM perturbations would tend to overestimate observed or mesoscale-modeled variability. To better represent TES and mesoscale model density perturbations, rpscale values as low as about 0.4 could be used. Some trajectory model implementations of Mars-GRAM allow the user to dynamically change rpscale and rwscale values with altitude. Figure 4 shows that an mscale value of about 1.2 would better replicate wind standard deviations from MRAMS or MMM5 simulations at the Gale, Terby, or Melas sites. By adjusting the rpscale and rwscale values in Mars-GRAM based on figures such as Figure 3 and 4, we can provide more accurate end-to-end simulations for EDL at the candidate MSL landing sites.

Seasonal variations of Mercury's magnesium dayside exosphere from MESSENGER observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkel, Aimee W.; Cassidy, Timothy A.; Vervack, Ronald J.; McClintock, William E.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.

2017-01-01

The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer channel of the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer instrument aboard the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft made near-daily observations of solar-scattered resonant emission from magnesium in Mercury's exosphere during the mission's orbital phase (March 2011-April 2015, ∼17 Mercury years). In this paper, a subset of these data (March 2013-April 2015) is described and analyzed to illustrate Mg's spatial and temporal variations. Dayside altitude profiles of emission are used to make estimates of the Mg density and temperature. The main characteristics of the Mg exosphere are (a) a predominant enhancement of emission in the morning (6 am-10 am) near perihelion, (b) a bulk temperature of ∼6000 K, consistent with impact vaporization as the predominant ejection process, (c) a near-surface density that varies from 5 cm-3 to 50 cm-3 and (d) a production rate that is strongest in the morning on the inbound leg of Mercury's orbit with rates ranging from 1 × 105 cm-2 s-1 to 8 × 105 cm-2 s-1.

Seasonal Variations of Mercury's Magnesium Dayside Exosphere from MESSENGER Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merkel, Aimee W.; Cassidy, Timothy A.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; McClintock, William E.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.

2017-01-01

The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer channel of the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer instrument aboard the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft made near-daily observations of solar-scattered resonant emission from magnesium in Mercury's exosphere during the mission's orbital phase (March 2011-April 2015, approx.17 Mercury years). In this paper, a subset of these data (March 2013-April 2015) is described and analyzed to illustrate Mg's spatial and temporal variations. Dayside altitude profiles of emission are used to make estimates of the Mg density and temperature. The main characteristics of the Mg exosphere are (a) a predominant enhancement of emission in the morning (6 am-10 am) near perihelion, (b) a bulk temperature of approx. 6000 K, consistent with impact vaporization as the predominant ejection process, (c) a near-surface density that varies from 5/cu cm to 50/cu cm and (d) a production rate that is strongest in the morning on the inbound leg of Mercury's orbit with rates ranging from 1×10(exp 5)/sq cm/s to 8×10(exp 5)/sq cm/s.

Energetic particles and ionization in the nighttime middle and low latitude ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voss, H. D.; Smith, L. G.

1977-01-01

Seven Nike Apache rockets, each equipped with an energetic particle spectrometer (12 E 80 keV) and electron-density experiments, were launched from Wallops Island, Virginia and Chilca, Peru, under varying geomagnetic conditions near midnight. At Wallops Island the energetic particle flux (E 40 keV) is found to be strongly dependent on Kp. The pitch-angle distribution is asymmetrical about a peak at 90 D signifying a predominately quasi-trapped flux and explaining the linear increase of count rate with altitute in the altitude region 120 to 200 km. The height-averaged ionization rates derived from the electron-density profiles are consistent with the rates calculated from the observed total particle flux for magnetic index Kp 3. In the region 90 to 110 km it is found that the nighttime ionization is primarily a result of Ly-beta radiation from the geocorona and interplanetary hydrogen for even very disturbed conditions. Below 90 km during rather disturbed conditions energetic electrons can be a significant ionization source. Two energetic particle precipitation zones have been identified at midlatitudes.

Onboard Atmospheric Modeling and Prediction for Autonomous Aerobraking Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tolson, Robert H.; Prince, Jill L. H.

2011-01-01

Aerobraking has proven to be an effective means of increasing the science payload for planetary orbiting missions and/or for enabling the use of less expensive launch vehicles. Though aerobraking has numerous benefits, large operations cost have been required to maintain the aerobraking time line without violating aerodynamic heating or other constraints. Two operations functions have been performed on an orbit by orbit basis to estimate atmospheric properties relevant to aerobraking. The Navigation team typically solves for an atmospheric density scale factor using DSN tracking data and the atmospheric modeling team uses telemetric accelerometer data to recover atmospheric density profiles. After some effort, decisions are made about the need for orbit trim maneuvers to adjust periapsis altitude to stay within the aerobraking corridor. Autonomous aerobraking would reduce the need for many ground based tasks. To be successful, atmospheric modeling must be performed on the vehicle in near real time. This paper discusses the issues associated with estimating the planetary atmosphere onboard and evaluates a number of the options for Mars, Venus and Titan aerobraking missions.

Increased endothelial microparticles and oxidative stress at extreme altitude.

PubMed

Pichler Hefti, Jacqueline; Leichtle, Alexander; Stutz, Monika; Hefti, Urs; Geiser, Thomas; Huber, Andreas R; Merz, Tobias M

2016-04-01

Hypoxia and oxidative stress affect endothelial function. Endothelial microparticles (MP) are established measures of endothelial dysfunction and influence vascular reactivity. To evaluate the effects of hypoxia and antioxidant supplementation on endothelial MP profiles, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, during a high altitude expedition was performed. 29 participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n = 14), receiving vitamin E, C, A, and N-acetylcysteine daily, and a control group (n = 15), receiving placebo. Blood samples were obtained at 490 m (baseline), 3530, 4590, and 6210 m. A sensitive tandem mass spectrometry method was used to measure 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α and hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids as markers of oxidative stress. Assessment of MP profiles including endothelial activation markers (CD62+MP and CD144+MP) and cell apoptosis markers (phosphatidylserine+MP and CD31+MP) was performed using a standardized flow cytometry-based protocol. 15 subjects reached all altitudes and were included in the final analysis. Oxidative stress increased significantly at altitude. No statistically significant changes were observed comparing baseline to altitude measurements of phosphatidylserine expressing MP (p = 0.1718) and CD31+MP (p = 0.1305). Compared to baseline measurements, a significant increase in CD62+MP (p = 0.0079) and of CD144+MP was detected (p = 0.0315) at high altitudes. No significant difference in any MP level or oxidative stress markers were found between the treatment and the control group. Hypobaric hypoxia is associated with increased oxidative stress and induces a significant increase in CD62+ and CD144+MP, whereas phosphatidylserine+MP and CD31+MP remain unchanged. This indicates that endothelial activation rather than an apoptosis is the primary factor of hypoxia induced endothelial dysfunction.