Bibliography

Sounding Rocket Observation of Nitric Oxide in the Polar Night

An altitude profile of Nitric Oxide (NO) in the 80–110 km altitude range was measured in the polar night from a sounding rocket on 27 January 2020. The observations were made using the technique of stellar occultation with a UV spectrograph observing the γ (1,0) band of NO near 215 nm. The tangent point for the altitude profile was at 74° latitude, a location that had been in darkness for 80 days. The retrieved slant column density profile is interpreted using an assumed four-parameter analytic profile shape. Retrievals of the fitting parameters yield a profile with a peak NO concentration of 2.2 ± 0.7 × 108 cm−3 at 93.5 ± 4.1 km. The observations were made during a time of minimum solar and geomagnetic activity. The NO maximum retrieved from the rocket profile is significantly larger in abundance and lower in altitude than other observations on the same day at nearby latitudes just outside the polar night. These rocket-borne results are consistent with NO that is created over the course over the polar winter and is confined to high latitudes in the polar night by the mesospheric polar vortex. During the course of that confinement the abundance increases due to the lack of photodissociation, allowing the NO to descend. We show that the observed descent can be explained by eddy diffusion-driven transport, though vertical advection cannot be ruled out.

Bailey, Scott; McClintock, William; Carstens, Justin; Thurairajah, Brentha; Das, Saswati; Randall, Cora; Harvey, Lynn; Siskind, David; Stevens, Michael; Venkataramani, Karthik;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on:

YEAR: 2022     DOI: 10.1029/2021JA030257

Lower thermosphere; mesosphere; nitric oxide; polar night; sounding rocket; stellar occultation

Hemispheric distributions and interannual variability of NO _y produced by energetic particle precipitation in 2002-2012

We investigate the interannual variability and hemispheric differences of reactive odd nitrogen produced by energetic particle precipitation (EPP-NO_y) and transported into the stratosphere and lower mesosphere during polar winters in 2002\textendash2012. For this purpose, EPP-NO_y amounts derived from observations of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding by means of a tracer correlation method have been used. Southern hemispheric (SH) seasonal maximum EPP-NO_y amounts transported below the 0.02 hPa level range from 0.5GM to 2.5GM in the 2009 and 2003 winters, respectively. Northern hemispheric (NH) amounts were typically 2\textendash5 times smaller, with the exception of the 2003/2004 winter. This interhemispheric asymmetry is primarily caused by a reduction of the mesospheric descent rates in NH midwinter, as opposed to the SH. Hemispherically integrated NO_y fluxes through given pressure levels reach up to 0.07GM/day at 0.1 hPa. A multilinear regression of the EPP-NO_y evolution to the A_p index of the preceding months indicates that a large fraction of the SH interannual variability of EPP-NO_y (excluding direct contributions by solar protons) can be linked to geomagnetic activity variations. This relationship holds throughout the winter and at all vertical levels where EPP-NO_y is present. In the NH, a similar correlation is found until midwinter, however, breaking down afterward above 2 hPa in years with elevated stratopause occurrence. As an exception, EPP-NO_y amounts in the Arctic winter 2004/2005 were much higher than in other NH winters with similar geomagnetic activity. We attribute this behavior to the unusually stable polar vortex in that winter, otherwise typical for the SH.

Funke, B.; opez-Puertas, M.; Holt, L.; Randall, C.; Stiller, G.; von Clarmann, T.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres      Published on: 11/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1002/2014JD022423

Space shuttle exhaust plumes in the lower thermosphere: Advective transport and diffusive spreading

The space shuttle main engine plume deposited between 100 and 115\ km altitude is a valuable tracer for global-scale dynamical processes. Several studies have shown that this plume can reach the Arctic or Antarctic to form bursts of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) within a few days. The rapid transport of the shuttle plume is currently not reproduced by general circulation models and is not well understood. To help delineate the issues, we present the complete satellite datasets of shuttle plume observations by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry instrument and the Sub-Millimeter Radiometer instrument. From 2002 to 2011 these two instruments observed 27 shuttle plumes in over 600 limb scans of water vapor emission, from which we derive both advective meridional transport and diffusive spreading. Each plume is deposited at virtually the same place off the United States east coast so our results are relevant to northern mid-latitudes. We find that the advective transport for the first 6\textendash18\ h following deposition depends on the local time (LT) of launch: shuttle plumes deposited later in the day (~13\textendash22 LT) typically move south whereas they otherwise typically move north. For these younger plumes rapid transport is most favorable for launches at 6 and 18 LT, when the displacement is 10\textdegree in latitude corresponding to an average wind speed of 30\ m/s. For plumes between 18 and 30\ h old some show average sustained meridional speeds of 30\ m/s. For plumes between 30 and 54\ h old the observations suggest a seasonal dependence to the meridional transport, peaking near the beginning of year at 24\ m/s. The diffusive spreading of the plume superimposed on the transport is on average 23\ m/s in 24\ h. The plume observations show large variations in both meridional transport and diffusive spreading so that accurate modeling requires knowledge of the winds specific to each case. The combination of transport and spreading from the STS-118 plume in August 2007 formed bright PMCs between 75 and 85\textdegreeN a day after launch. These are the highest latitude Arctic PMCs formed by shuttle exhaust reported to date.

Stevens, Michael; Lossow, Stefan; Siskind, David; Meier, R.R.; Randall, Cora; Russell, James; Urban, Jo; Murtagh, Donal;

Published by: Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics      Published on: 02/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2013.12.004

Atmospheric dynamics; Lower thermosphere; Polar mesospheric clouds; Space shuttle exhaust

Bright polar mesospheric clouds formed by main engine exhaust from the space shuttle's final launch

Stevens, Michael; Lossow, Stefan; Fiedler, Jens; Baumgarten, Gerd; übken, Franz-Josef; Hallgren, Kristofer; Hartogh, Paul; Randall, Cora; Lumpe, Jerry; Bailey, Scott; Niciejewski, R.; Meier, R.; Plane, John; Kochenash, Andrew; Murtagh, Donal; Englert, Christoph;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres      Published on: Apr-10-2013

YEAR: 2012     DOI: 10.1029/2012JD017638

Response of the Upper/Middle Atmosphere to Coronal Holes

RJ, Niciejewski; Palo\textordmasculine, SE; Paxton, LJ; Randall, CE; Rong\textordmasculine, PP;

Published by: Recurrent Magnetic Storms: Corotating Solar Wind Streams      Published on:

YEAR: 2006     DOI:

Geophysical Monograph SeriesRecurrent Magnetic Storms: Corotating Solar Wind StreamsResponse of the upper/middle atmosphere to coronal holes and powerful high-speed solar wind streams in 2003

Kozyra, J.; Crowley, G.; Emery, B.; Fang, X.; Maris, G.; Mlynczak, M.; Niciejewski, R.; Palo, S.; Paxton, L.; Randall, C.; Rong, P.-P.; Russell, J.; Skinner, W.; Solomon, S.; Talaat, E.; Wu, Q.; Yee, J.-H.;

Published by:       Published on:

YEAR: 2006     DOI: 10.1029/GM16710.1029/167GM24