Accession Number:

AD0780302

Title:

Effect of Energetic Atomic Oxygen and Nitrogen on Neutral Density Models.

Descriptive Note:

Scientific rept.,

Corporate Author:

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV UNIVERSITY PARK IONOSPHERE RESEARCH LAB

Personal Author(s):

• Rohrbaugh,Ronald P.

Report Date:

1974-04-02

Pagination or Media Count:

70.0

Abstract:

The dissociative recombination of O2, NO, and N2 in the F-region results in the production of atomic oxygen and nitrogen with substantially greater kinetic energy than the ambient atoms. A distribution technique is used to determine the amount of these energetic atoms that are capable of reaching exospheric altitudes from the collision-dominated region at which they are produced. The ballistic trajectories are then calculated in the spherical gravitational field of the earth to study their vertical and horizontal redistribution. In general, the high altitude densities are shown to be substantially greater than those predicted by diffusive equilibrium and a nighttime heating source results from the transport of the energetic atoms from the daytime to the nighttime hemisphere. However, this heating source is negligible in comparison to the major heating mechanisms of the nighttime regions. Author

Descriptors:

• *Oxygen
• *Nitrogen
• *Nitrogen oxides
• *Aeronomy
• *Ionosphere
• Transport properties
• Kinetic energy
• Density
• Atoms
• Ions
• Particle collisions
• Energy transfer
• Distribution
• Trajectories

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE