Open AccessPolar‐cap Airglow and the Terrestrial Ambium
Author(s) -
Gadsden M.,
Sida D. W.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1963.tb02901.x
Subject(s) - airglow , earth's magnetic field , polar , geophysics , polar cap , physics , ionosphere , atmospheric sciences , electron , interplanetary spaceflight , electron precipitation , atmosphere (unit) , polar wander , geology , computational physics , environmental science , meteorology , magnetic field , astronomy , magnetosphere , solar wind , paleomagnetism , quantum mechanics
Summary Considering a steady‐state model of the interplanetary medium in the neighbourhood of the Earth (the terrestrial ambium), it is shown that this medium may make an appreciable contribution to the [ OI ] 6300Å emission from the night sky near the geomagnetic poles. Estimates of the magnitude of this contribution are derived, making allowance for spacecharge effects produced by electrons ducted into the Earth's atmosphere along tubes of magnetic force. It is therefore suggested that measurements of the enhanced emission in polar cap regions will provide useful data on the product of electron density and temperature in the ambium.