Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufmsa13a0269d&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #SA13A-0269
Physics
2427 Ionosphere/Atmosphere Interactions (0335), 3367 Theoretical Modeling, 3369 Thermospheric Dynamics (0358)
Scientific paper
Data taken by the DE 2 Wind and Temperature Spectrometer (WATS) instrument indicate that supersonic flow can occur in the high-latitude thermosphere. Supersonic flow events are observed to occur most frequently in the dawn sector at high magnetic latitudes and in the altitude range from about 300-600 km. To gain theoretical insight into these supersonic flow events, we have used a high-resolution model of the global thermosphere to study the geophysical conditions that give rise to supersonic flow. In particular, we consider the dependence of the neutral wind on both geomagnetic and solar activity levels. We find that the predominant factor controlling thermospheric wind speed at high latitudes is the magnitude of the cross-polar- cap potential, indicating that interaction with the convecting ionosphere can drive the thermosphere to supersonic speeds. The region of supersonic flow predicted by the model corresponds closely to the region where supersonic flow events were most frequently observed in the WATS data.
Demars Howard G.
Schunk Robert W.
No associations
LandOfFree
Supersonic Flow in the High-Latitude Thermosphere does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Supersonic Flow in the High-Latitude Thermosphere, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Supersonic Flow in the High-Latitude Thermosphere will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-964448