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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Data Analysis and Theoretical Studies of the Upper Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere. Final report, April 1993-April 1996

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:402050
Three separate tasks were proposed under this award. The first involved extending the continuing study of electrodynamical feedback between the thermosphere/ionosphere and the magnetosphere. The second was a model-experiment comparison study of global dynamics and the third was a `spectral energetics` analysis of tidal dissipation and energy exchange mechanisms. The Earth`s mesosphere and lower-thermosphere/ionosphere (MLTI), between approximately 60 and 180 km altitude, is the most poorly understood region of the Earth`s atmosphere, primarily because of its relative inaccessibility. This lack of knowledge has been widely recognized and has provided important scientific rationale for the upcoming NASA TIMED mission. While the data gathered during the TIMED era will revolutionize the understanding of the MLTI region, much work can be done prior to the mission, both to develop data-analysis and modeling techniques and to study the more limited relevant experimental data from previous missions. The grant reported on here continues and extends an existing successful program of scientific research into the energetics, dynamics and electrodynamics of the MLTI, using available theoretical and data analysis tools.
Research Organization:
Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
OSTI ID:
402050
Report Number(s):
N--96-27657; NASA-CR--200571; NAS--1.26:200571; NIPS--96-34415; CNN: NAGW-3457
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English