Observations of the neutral atmosphere between 100 and 200 km using ARIA rocket-borne and ground-based instruments

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/95JA00229· OSTI ID:175842

Hecht, J H; Christensen, A B; Gutierrez, D J ^[1]

---

1. Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (United States); and others

The atmospheric response in the aurora (ARIA) rocket was launched at 1406 UT on March 3, 1992, from Poker Flat, Alaska, into a pulsating diffuse aurora; rocket-borne instruments included an eight-channel photometer, a far ultraviolet spectrometer, a 130.4-nm atomic oxygen resonance lamp, and two particle spectrometers covering the energy range of 1-400 eV and 10 eV to 20 keV. The photometer channels were isolated using narrow-band interference filters and included measurements of the strong permitted auroral emissions N{sub 2} (337.1 nm), N{sub 2}{sup +} (391.4 nm), and O I (844.6 nm). A ground-based photometer measured the premitted N{sub 2}{sup +} (427.8 nm), the forbidden O I (630.0 nm), and the premitted O I (844.6 nm) emissions. The ground-based instrument was pointed in the magnetic zenith. Also, the rocket payload was pointed in the magnetic zenith from 100 to 200 km on the upleg. The data were analyzed using the Strickland electron transport code, and the rocket and ground-based results were found to be in good agreement regarding the inferred characteristic energy of the precipitating auroral flux and the composition of the neutral atmosphere during the rocket flight. In particular, it was found that the O/N{sub 2} density ratio in the neutral atmosphere diminished during the auroral substorm, which started about 2 hours before the ARIA rocket flight. The data showed that there was about a 10-min delay between the onset of the substorm and the decrease of the O/N{sub 2} density ratio. At the time of the ARIA flight this ratio had nearly returned to its presubstorm value. However, the data also showed that the O/N{sub 2} density ratio did not recover to its presubstorm value until nearly 30 min after the particle and joule heating had subsided. Both the photometer and oxygen densities in the region above 130 km. The observed auroral brightness ratio B{sub 337.1}/B{sub 391.4} equaled 0.29 and was in agreement with other recent measurements.

• OSTI ID: 175842
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: A9 Vol. 100; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
AURORAE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
NITROGEN IONS
OXYGEN
PHOTOMETERS
ROCKETS
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETERS