HR: 0800h
AN: SA31A-1126    [Abstracts]
TI: Potential distribution around sounding rockets in mesospheric layers with charged aerosol particles
AU: * Sternovsky, Z
EM: Zoltan.Sternovsky@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Physics Department 2000 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO 80309-0390 United States
AU: Holzworth, R H
EM: bobholz@washington.edu
AF: University of Washington, Earth and Space Sciences BOX 351310, Seattle, WA 98195-1650 United States
AU: Horanyi, M
EM: horanyi@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, CO 80309-0392 United States
AU: Robertson, S
EM: Scott.Robertson@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Physics Department 2000 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO 80309-0390 United States
AB: It is shown that large potential variations can exist inside the wake of sounding rockets moving with supersonic velocity through the summertime mesopause region. The potential distribution is driven by charge separation induced by the shock wave of the rocket. The low conductivity conditions due to the attachment of free electrons to aerosol particles allow large electric fields, of the order of V/m, to be maintained. The numerical results from a simple model are consistent with recent electric field measurements carried out by the DROPPS-1 sounding rocket.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere--composition and chemistry
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting