Cluster Ions as a Source of Layered Phenomena Near the Polar Summer Mesopause

Details Cluster Ions as a Source of Layered Phenomena Near the Polar Summer Mesopause Cluster Ions as a Source of Layered Phenomena Near the Polar Summer Mesopause

May 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusmsa21a..03g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #SA21A-03

Physics

0305 Aerosols And Particles (0345, 4801), 0340 Middle Atmosphere: Composition And Chemistry, 2419 Ion Chemistry And Composition (0335), 2427 Ionosphere/Atmosphere Interactions (0335), 2439 Ionospheric Irregularities

Scientific paper

In the polar summer mesopause region ice particles give rise to phenomena like noctilucent clouds (NLC) and polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE). Proton hydrate clusters have long been suggested as possible candidates for the nucleation of ice particles. However, available laboratory data suggest that ionic nucleation is feasible only under extreme conditions in terms of temperature (T < 130 K) and water abundance (several ppm). If these conditions are fulfilled, efficient nucleation of large numbers of ice particles becomes possible. The extreme temperature-dependence of the clustering can give rise to transient effects featuring fast generation of particle layers in wave-induced temperature minima. Such layering processes can be enhanced further by positive feedback of ice particles on the cluster growth. Possible feedback mechanisms include capture of electrons, thus reducing cluster loss due to recombination, and capture of atomic oxygen, thus reducing cluster loss due to chemical break-up. This paper describes clustering and feedbacks processes and discusses possible consequences for layered phenomena like PMSE and electric fields.

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