HR: 1340h
AN: SA33A-1066    [Abstracts]
TI: Thermospheric Temperature Variability from Incoherent Scatter Radar Long-duration Experiments at Millstone Hill
AU: * Zhang, S
EM: shunrong@haystack.mit.edu
AF: MIT Haystack Observatory, Off Route 40, Westford, MA 01886, United States
AU: Holt, J M
EM: jmh@haystack.mit.edu
AF: MIT Haystack Observatory, Off Route 40, Westford, MA 01886, United States
AB: Incoherent scatter radar experiments at Millstone Hill conducted for 30 consecutive days have been conducted in October 2002, September 2005 and March 2006, enabling this study of the day-to-day thermospheric variability. Based on the radar's plasma temperature and electron density observations, daytime thermospheric parameters, in particular, exospheric and thermobase temperatures, are derived using an established technique. Solar and magnetic influences on the thermospheric variability are investigated. Our results indicate, even for very weak magnetic activity, a very clear correlation between the upper atmospheric temperaure and Dst index. There is also a very clear correlation between the temperature and solar 10.7 cm flux. It is shown that the major part of the day-to-day varibaility in thermospheric temperature at Millstone Hill is due to solar flux variability with additional contribution due to magnetic activity. We also discuss quantively effects of these major sources of variability.
DE: 0328 Exosphere
DE: 2443 Midlatitude ionosphere
DE: 6929 Ionospheric physics (1240, 2400)
DE: 7900 SPACE WEATHER
DE: 7974 Solar effects
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting