PROTONS IN AURORAE. Scientific Report No. 2

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4841876

Omholt, A

Hydrogen lines H alpha ( lambda 6563) and H beta ( lambda 4860) were found in the auroral spectra and it was concluded that showers of H atoms or protons occasionally enter the atmosphere during an aurora. The protons entering the atmosphere, following the magnetic lines of force at very high energy, capture electrons from air molecules and atoms and emit spectral lines with a Doppler displacement. Present knowledge of this spectrum indicates that auroras are primarily caused by other types of fast particles which may be electrons. The evidence of x rays in the auroral zone, interpreted as bremsstrahlung from electrons, may favor the assumption that both electrons and protons enter the earth's atmosphere during auroras. The main dlfficulty for the theory of electric discharges as a source of auroras is the high conductivity in the ionosphere. The dispersion in the initial velocity of the protons and the latitude effects are other facts that have to be accounted for by a theory of the aurora. (B.O.G.)

• Research Organization: Oslo. Universitetet. Institutt for Teoretisk Astrofysikk
• NSA Number: NSA-15-029863
• OSTI ID: 4841876
• Report Number(s): AFCRC-TN-59-425; AD-232263
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ATMOSPHERE
ATOMS
AURORAE
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CAPTURE
COSMIC RADIATION
DOPPLER EFFECT
EARTH
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRONS
ENERGY RANGE
HYDROGEN
IONOSPHERE
LATITUDE EFFECT
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEASURED VALUES
MOLECULES
PHYSICS
PROTONS
SPECTRA
SPECTRAL SHIFT
SPECTROSCOPY
VELOCITY
X RADIATION
ZONES