Models of ionospheric release experiments. Part 1: SF[sub 6] releases; Part 2: CO[sub 2] releases. Scientific report No. 1

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:6848614

Eccles, J V; Armstrong, R A

High-altitude chemical releases are investigated with the use of several numerical models of chemistry, dynamics, and electrodynamics. The specific releases investigated were SF[sub 6] and CO[sub 2] in the F-region of the ionosphere. The chemistry for reproducing observations from the CRRES-at-Kwajalein SF[sub 6] release must include oxidation reactions of ions and neutrals. The dominant negative ion observed, F(-), was modeled well with SF(-)[sub 5] + O yields SOF[sub 4] + F(-) as the dominant production mechanism. SOF(-)[sub 3] is potentially an important negative ion resulting from electron attachment of SOF[sub 4]. The electrodynamic model of the SF[sub 6] release did not produce a plasma depletion plume as was hoped. The electrodynamic perturbation is small and short-lived. It will not produce large-scale plume structure associated with equatorial spread-F. The modeling of CO[sub 2] releases produced too much 6300A airglow when compared with REDAIR experimental results. The conflict between simulation and experiment requires reduction of CO[sub 2] + O(+) reaction rates or inclusion of a CO[sub 2] removal mechanism such as freezing. Modeling also shows that the two CO[sub 2] releases of the REDAIR experiment may have spatially mixed airglow signatures.

• Research Organization: Mission Research Corp., Nashua, NH (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6848614
• Report Number(s): AD-A-257764/1/XAB; CNN: F19628-90-C-0118
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
IONOSPHERE
RADIATION EFFECTS
AIRGLOW
CARBON DIOXIDE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELECTRON ATTACHMENT
ELECTRON DENSITY
F REGION
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
OXIDATION
PLASMA
PLUMES
SATELLITES
SIMULATION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
540110*