Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsa34a..05s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SA34A-05
Physics
[0340] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Middle Atmosphere: Composition And Chemistry, [0355] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Thermosphere: Composition And Chemistry, [0358] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Thermosphere: Energy Deposition
Scientific paper
Although the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) was primarily designed as an ozone experiment, up to 2-3 orbits per day were devoted to measuring thermospheric nitric oxide (NO). The technique was to observe the solar resonance fluorescence in the (1,0) gamma band at 215 nm. About 5 years of data were obtained, from 1982 through 1986. A striking feature of this data was the pronounced solar modulation. This was manifested as an overall decrease in density throughout the 5 year decline of Solar Cycle 21. In addition, a pronounced 27 day variability was observed during periods of active sunspots. Initially the photochemical model failed to reproduce such variability. However, the inclusion of solar soft X rays (< 10 nm wavelength) was found to rectify this deficiency. Soft X rays deposit their energy below 110 km, near the peak of the nitric oxide layer. They produce energetic photoelectrons which ionize and dissociate molecular nitrogen ultimately leading to nitric production. A key aspect of this theory was that the solar soft X ray flux varied by an amount greater than the longer EUV wavelengths. This suggestion spawned much research and instrumental development over the last 25 years designed to measure the solar soft X ray flux. This paper reviews the initial analysis of SME data, the development of the photochemical theory and the status of the subsequent research in solar irradiance.
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