HR: 1340h
AN: SA23A-0380    [Abstracts]
TI: An investigation of thermospheric neutral density vs.O/N$_{2}$ during the Oct-Nov 2003 magnetic storms
AU: * Immel, T J
EM: immel@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: University of California Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 United States
AU: Sutton, E K
EM: Eric.Sutton@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Boulder, CO 80309-0431 United States
AU: Nerem, R S
EM: steve.nerem@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Boulder, CO 80309-0431 United States
AU: Forbes, J M
EM: Forbes@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Boulder, CO 80309-0431 United States
AU: Mende, S B
EM: mende@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: University of California Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 United States
AU: Frey, H U
EM: hfrey@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: University of California Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 United States
AB: Solar flare and magnetic storm activity occurring in October and November of 2003 have been the subjects of intense scrutiny for their extreme effects on the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. During these events, complimentary measurements of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere were made using a broad variety of space-based assets. Important to this initial study of the thermospheric disturbance are in-situ measurements of the neutral density near 400 km from the CHAMP and GRACE satellites. These carry sensitive accelerometers which can detect the slight satellite drag force from which the neutral density is then determined. Global images from the Far-Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager onboard the NASA-IMAGE satellite provide a measure of the disturbance in thermospheric composition at lower altitudes (130-200 km). Observed from high altitudes, variations in atomic oxygen emissions at 135.6 nm closely follow the column integrated ratio of O/N$_{2}$. In this initial comparison of the two data sets, the correspondence of total density at high altitudes and O/N$_{2}$ throughout the atmospheric column is examined and compared to expected results from empirical atmospheric models (cf. NRL-MSIS 2000). Departures from hydrostatic equilibrium should certainly be observed during the intense magnetic storm. The origin of any observed effects will be studied in the context of drivers including dynamical redistribution or impulsive auroral heating of the high-latitude thermosphere.
DE: 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions (0335)
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0350 Pressure, density, and temperature
DE: 0355 Thermosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0358 Thermosphere--energy deposition
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting