Equatorial airglow depletions induced by thermospheric winds
Interferometric observations of the 630.0 nm nightglow brightness at the equatorial station of Arequipa. Peru (16.2/sup 0/S, 71.4/sup 0/W geographic, 3.2/sup 0/S dip latitude) have revealed widespread areas of airglow depletion, with reductions in intensity as large as factors of 3 or 4. These depletions correlated closely with large increases of the equatorward (northward) wind and the 630.0 nm kinetic temperature. On occasion, the usually small meridonal wind reached a velocity of 100 m/s near 22/sup h/ LT lasting for 1 or 2 hours. The temperature increases of 10 K or more existed only in the poleward (southward) direction. Comparisons with modeling calculations suggest that this effect results from an upward movement of the ionosphere along the inclined magnetic field lines, driven by the equatorward neutral wind. The airglow column integrated emission rate is consequently decreased by the slower rate of formation and subsequent dissociative recombination of molecular oxygen ions within the higher F-layer. We conclude that the transient period of equatorward wind is a result of the passage of the midnight pressure bulge.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
- OSTI ID:
- 5265334
- Journal Information:
- Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 12:8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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