E REGION; NITRIC OXIDE; SOLAR CYCLES; SOLSTICES; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; THERMOSPHERE; EDDY CURRENTS; OXYGEN ATOMS; SOLAR ACTIVITY; SOLAR MESOSPHERE EXPLORER; TRANSPORT PROPERTIES; TWO DIMENSIONAL MODELS
Abstract :
[en] A coupled, two-dimensional, chemical-diffusive model of the thermosphere is used to study the role of solar activity in the global distribution of nitric oxide. The model calculates self-consistently the zonally averaged temperature, circulation, and composition for solstice under solar maximum and solar minimum conditions. A decrease of the NO density by a factor of three to four in the E region is predicted from solar maximum to solar minimum. It is found that the main features of the overall morphology and the changes induced by the solar cycle are well reproduced in the model, although some details are not satisfactorily predicted. The sensitivity of the NO distribution to eddy transport and to the quenching of metastable N(2D) atoms by atomic oxygen is also described.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Gérard, Jean-Claude ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Labo de physique atmosphérique et planétaire (LPAP)
Fesen, C. G.; Colorado, University, Boulder
Rusch, D. W.; Colorado, University, Boulder
Language :
English
Title :
Solar cycle variation of thermospheric nitric oxide at solstice
Publication date :
01 August 1990
Journal title :
Journal of Geophysical Research
ISSN :
0148-0227
eISSN :
2156-2202
Publisher :
American Geophysical Union (AGU), Washington, United States - District of Columbia