X-ray spectrophotometric remote sensing of diffuse auroral ionization. Technical report

Technical Report · Mon Mar 20 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5922273

Vondrak, R R; Robinson, R M; Mizera, P F; Gorney, D J

Auroral electron precipitation produces both E-region ionization and bremsstrahlung x rays. In a set of coordinated observations these atmospheric effects of electron precipitation were measured simultaneously by the x-ray sensor on the DMSP/F2 spacecraft and by the incoherent-scatter radar at Chatanika, Alaska. In all data sets there was good agreement between the locations of the x-ray source regions and the regions of enhanced E-region ionization. Detailed comparisons were made between the measured and derived altitude profiles of ionization for two auroral conditions, a pre-midnight auroral band and a sunlit diffuse aurora. These comparisons validate the ability to derive auroral ionization from satellite-based x-ray measurements.

• Research Organization: Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA (USA). Space Sciences Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5922273
• Report Number(s): AD-A-206227/1/XAB; TR-0088(3940-06)-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALTITUDE
AURORAE
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
DIFFUSION
DOCUMENT TYPES
E REGION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INCOHERENT SCATTERING
IONIZATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IONOSPHERE
LEPTONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIATIONS
REMOTE SENSING
SATELLITES
SCATTERING
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
X RADIATION