HR: 0830h
AN: SA41B-0441    [PDF]
TI: Local Time Dependence of CO$_{2}$ LWIR Emission in the Lower Thermosphere from SABER: Implications for Atmospheric Cooling
AU: * Wintersteiner, P P
EM: winters@arcon.com
AF: Arcon Corp., 260 Bear Hill Rd., Waltham, MA 02451
AU: Winick, J R
AF: AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate, 29 Randolph Rd., Hanscom AFB, Bedford, MA 01731
AU: Picard, R H
AF: AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate, 29 Randolph Rd., Hanscom AFB, Bedford, MA 01731
AU: Mlynczak, M G
AF: NASA/LARC, MS-401B, Hampton, VA 23681
AU: Mertens, C J
AF: NASA/LARC, MS-401B, Hampton, VA 23681
AU: Russell, J M
AF: Hampton Univ., Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Hampton, VA 23681
AU: Gordley, L L
AF: GATS, 11684 Canon Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606
AB: Emissions in the 15 $\mu$m bands of CO$_{2}$ are extremely important for the energy balance in the lower thermosphere, but uncertainty remains concerning the rate at which the principal excitation process, collision with atomic oxygen, proceeds. The SABER data set confirms that there is great variability in limb radiance profiles in this region, seen most prominently as local maxima ("knees") that appear frequently but unpredictably near 100-110 km. We examine these data in search of explanatory patterns, such as correlation of radiance levels with latitude, local time, and season. We combine this with a modeling effort to see how successfully the currently accepted modeling parameters can reproduce profiles found in the data, and discuss the implications of these patterns for atmospheric cooling rates.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 3359 Radiative processes
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting