HR: 0830h
AN: SA41B-0446    [PDF]
TI: Remote Sensing of Thermospheric Atomic Oxygen or Temperature Using NO Radiances from TIMED/SABER and SNOE
AU: Morgan, M F
EM: frank.morgan@jhuapl.edu
AF: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 United States
AU: * Yee, J
EM: sam.yee@jhuapl.edu
AF: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 United States
AU: Talaat, E R
EM: elsayed.talaat@jhuapl.edu
AF: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 United States
AU: Bailey, S
EM: scott.bailey@gi.alaska.edu
AF: University of Alaska/Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, 903 Koyukuk Drive, Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Mlynczak, M G
EM: m.g.mlynczak@larc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Langley Research Ctr, 21 Langley Blvd Rm 164 MS 420, Hampton, VA 23681 United States
AU: Russell, J M
EM: james.russell@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton University Center Atmospheric Sciences, 23 Tyler St, Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AB: A major mechanism for vibrational excitation of NO in the thermosphere is collisional energy transfer from atomic oxygen, NO(v=0) + O $\rightarrow$ NO(v=1) + O. Emission from NO(v=1) produces the bright 5.3 micron band. At altitudes where this process dominates vibrational excitation during daylight or aurora, a relationship exists between atomic oxygen and ground state NO densities and temperature (due to the strong temperature dependence of the rate coefficient for vibrational excitation). Simultaneous measurements of ground state NO density, NO 5.3 micron volume emission rate, and either temperature or atomic oxygen density, would enable determination of the remaining quantity. This could provide a powerful remote sensing technique for temperature or atomic oxygen for altitudes where their determination is presently difficult. We present retrievals using combined SABER 5.3 micron radiation and SNOE fluorescent scattering measurements, and examine the effect of various NO + O reaction rates.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0350 Pressure, density, and temperature
DE: 0355 Thermosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting