HR: 1330h
AN: SH42A-0494    [PDF]
TI: STARSHINE Studies of Thermospheric Response to Solar Forcing
AU: * Picone, J M
EM: picone@nrl.navy.mil
AF: E. O. Hulburt Center for Space Research, Code 7643 Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5320 United States
AU: Lean, J L
EM: jlean@ssd5.nrl.navy.mil
AF: E. O. Hulburt Center for Space Research, Code 7643 Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5320 United States
AU: Emmert, J T
EM: emmert@uap2.nrl.navy.mil
AF: E. O. Hulburt Center for Space Research, Code 7643 Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5320 United States
AB: A new, fast, accurate methodology is now available for extracting the thermospheric total mass density from NORAD two-line element sets (TLEs) with quality comparable to state-of-the-art, precision orbit determination calculations for routine objects. This result is both unprecedented and unforeseen. Using the new technique, we have derived time series of thermospheric density for the Starshine 1, 2, and 3 spacecraft, which flew at altitudes between 200 and 470 km during 1999-2003, covering a significant portion of the solar cycle 23 maximum. The Starshine spacecraft are especially suitable for measuring thermospheric density, since they are approximately spherical, so that their ballistic coefficients are essentially independent of spacecraft attitude. Analysis of these data using the NRLMSISE-00 empirical atmospheric model and realistic measures of the solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) flux have quantified the thermospheric response to solar forcing on a range of time scales. Spectral analysis of the solar and thermospheric time series suggest shortcomings in the F10.7 solar radio flux as an index for the solar EUV flux. Based on these findings we outline new physics-based approaches to develop improved atmospheric models for daily nowcasting and prediction of the thermospheric state.
DE: 0350 Pressure, density, and temperature
DE: 0355 Thermosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 1650 Solar variability
SC: SPA - Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting