Ionospheric effects of rocket exhaust products: Skylab and HEAO-C
This paper is about ionospheric F-layer depletions produced by chemical reactions with exhaust gases from large rockets. It describes a 2-dimensional computer model of the ionosphere, and it compares model results with experimental data on the structure and variability of the natural ionosphere, as well as data on ionospheric holes produced by the launches of Skylab (May, 1973) and HEAO-C (September, 1979). It also describes measurements made in conjunction with the HEAO-C launch. The computer model includes an approximate representation of thermospheric tidal winds and E fields in addition to vertical motions associated with diurnal changes in temperature. The computed ionospheric structure is sensitive to all the above. For a small number of cases, results are compared of computations of the normal diurnal variations of ionospheric structure with incoherent scatter and total electron content data. Computations of ionospheric depletions from the Skylab and HEAO-C launches are in satisfactory agreement with the observations. The winds appear to be essential for interpretation of the Skylab results.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6635813
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-81-656; CONF-810421-1; TRN: 81-005078
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 44; Journal Issue: 12; Conference: Ionospheric effects symposium, Alexandria, VA, USA, 14 Apr 1981
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Computer model of chemistry and dynamics of the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
EXHAUST GASES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ROCKETS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
F REGION
IONOSPHERE
SPACE VEHICLES
THEORETICAL DATA
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
DATA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
SIMULATION
VEHICLES
WASTES
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena