HR: 1330h
AN: SA12B-1087    [PDF]
TI: Thermospheric Composition from Scale Height Analysis
AU: * Moe, O K
EM: kmmoe@att.net
AF: Science and Technology Corporation, 23 Purple Sage, Irvine, CA 92612 United States
AU: Moe, M M
EM: knmoe@att.net
AF: Science and Technology Corporation, 23 Purple Sage, Irvine, CA 92612 United States
AB: Efforts to validate spectroscopic methods of monitoring the thermosphere and ionosphere have led to renewed interest in thermospheric composition and models. In the past, different methods of measuring composition have produced conflicting results. In the present work, we use scale heights to constrain the composition measurements through the mean molecular mass and temperature. Scale height analysis has the advantage that it compresses the measurements, thus facilitating comparison and evaluation. To determine a physically reasonable composition profile, we start with a consideration of eddy diffusion near the intersection of the thermosphere with the mesosphere, and use scale height analysis at the higher altitudes. Neutral density measurements using improved drag coefficients constrain the sum of the constituents. The resulting composition at altitudes between 90 and 350 km at a time of average solar and geomagnetic activity will be compared with several data sets, and with some old and new thermospheric models.
DE: 7500 SOLAR PHYSICS, ASTROPHYSICS, AND ASTRONOMY
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting