Mg+ and other metallic emissions observed in the thermosphere

James A. Gardner; Rodney A. Viereck; Edmond Murad; Shu T. Lai; David J. Knecht; Charles P. Pike; A. Lyle Broadfoot; Emmet R. Anderson; William J. McNeil

doi:10.1117/12.187562

30 September 1994 Mg⁺ and other metallic emissions observed in the thermosphere

James A. Gardner, Rodney A. Viereck, Edmond Murad, Shu T. Lai, David J. Knecht, Charles P. Pike, A. Lyle Broadfoot, Emmet R. Anderson, William J. McNeil

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2266, Optical Spectroscopic Techniques and Instrumentation for Atmospheric and Space Research; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.187562
Event: SPIE's 1994 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1994, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Limb observations of UV dayglow emissions from 80 to 300 km tangent heights were made in December 1992 using the GLO instrument, which flew on STS-53 as a Hitchhiker-G experiment. STS-53 was at 330 km altitude and had an orbit inclination of 57 degree(s). The orbit placed the shuttle near the terminator for the entire mission, resulting in a unique set of observations. The GLO instrument consisted of 12 imagers and 9 spectrographs on an Az/El gimbal system. The data was obtained over 6 days of the mission. Emissions from Mg⁺ and Ca⁺ were observed, as were emissions from the neutral metallic species Mg and Na. The ultimate source of the metals is ablation of meteors; however, the spatial distribution of the emissions is controlled by upper mesospheric and thermospheric winds and, in the case of the ions, by the electromagnetic fields of the ionosphere. The observed Mg⁺ emission was the brightest of the metal emissions, and was observed near the poles and around the geomagnetic equator near sunset. The polar emissions were short-lived and intense, indicative of auroral activity. The equatorial emissions were more continuous, with several luminous patches propagating poleward over the period of several orbits. The instrumentation is described, as are spatial and temporal variations of the metal emissions with emphasis on the metal ions. These observations are compared to previous observations of thermospheric metallic species.

Citation Download Citation

James A. Gardner, Rodney A. Viereck, Edmond Murad, Shu T. Lai, David J. Knecht, Charles P. Pike, A. Lyle Broadfoot, Emmet R. Anderson, and William J. McNeil "Mg⁺ and other metallic emissions observed in the thermosphere", Proc. SPIE 2266, Optical Spectroscopic Techniques and Instrumentation for Atmospheric and Space Research, (30 September 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.187562

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available