Solar cycle variations of thermospheric nitric oxide at solstice

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA08p12235· OSTI ID:6095533

Gerard, J C ^[1]; Fesen, C G; Rusch, D W ^[2]

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1. Universite de Liege, Liege-Ougree (Belgium)
2. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (USA)

A coupled two-dimensional chemical-diffusive model of the thermosphere is used to system the role of solar activity in the global distribution of nitric oxide. The model calculates self-consistently the zonally averaged temperature, circulation, and composition for solstice under solar maximum (F10.7 = 200) and solar minimum (F10.7 = 80) conditions. A decrease of the NO density by a factor of 3 to 4 in the E region is predicted from solar maximum to solar minimum. These results are compared with the global NO distribution observed with the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) satellite in 1982 and 1985. It is found that the main features of the overall morphology and the changes induced by the solar cycle are well reproduced in the model, although some details are not satisfactorily predicted. The observed increase of the E region concentration with solar activity by a factor of 2.5 is slightly overpredicted by the model, but the SME data show a smaller solar cycle variation above 120 km than does the model. The sensitivity of the NO distribution to eddy transport and to the quenching of metastable N({sup 2}D) atoms by atomic oxygen is also described.

• OSTI ID: 6095533
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA) Vol. 95:A8; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISTRIBUTION
E REGION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
IONOSPHERE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
QUANTITY RATIO
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
THERMOSPHERE
VARIATIONS