HR: 08:20h
AN: SA41A-02 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Thermosphere Response to Solar Disturbances From CHAMP and GRACE Accelerometer Measurements
AU: * Forbes, J M
EM: forbes@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences UCB 429, Boulder, CO 80309-0429 United States
AU: Bruinsma, S
EM: sean.bruinsma@cnes.fr
AF: Department of Terrestrial and Planetary Geodesy, CNES, 18, avenue E. Belin, Toulouse, 31401 France
AU: Sutton, E K
EM: eric.sutton@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences UCB 429, Boulder, CO 80309-0429 United States
AU: Nerem, R S
EM: steve.nerem@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences UCB 429, Boulder, CO 80309-0429 United States
AU: Zhang, X
EM: xiaoli.zhang@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences UCB 429, Boulder, CO 80309-0429 United States
AB: Tri-axial accelerometers on the CHAMP and GRACE satellites offer a unique opportunity to observe the global-scale response of the thermosphere densities and winds to solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Since March, 2002, these instruments have provided contemporaneous measurements between about 400 and 550 km, nearly pole-to-pole, and at four different local times. Herein, the method of measurement and the sources and magnitudes of measurement uncertainties are first reviewed. We then provide a series of specific examples of solar-terrestrial coupling effects obtained from the accelerometer data: (1) the neutral thermosphere response to the solar EUV flare of October 28, 2003; (2) equatorial zonal wind response during the intense magnetic storms of October 30 <ETH> November 1, 2003; (3) global neutral density response during the isolated magnetic storm of November 21, 2003, with particular attention to connections with variations in IMF and solar wind dynamic pressure during the period; and (4) large-scale (>1000 km) and medium-scale (300-500 km) waves emanating from the polar/auroral regions during November 21, 2003.
DE: 0358 Thermosphere: energy deposition (3369)
DE: 3369 Thermospheric dynamics (0358)
DE: 7954 Magnetic storms (2788)
DE: 7969 Satellite drag (1241)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005