Open AccessHot oxygen profiles for incoherent scatter radar analysis of ion energy balance
Author(s) -
Schoendorf J.,
Young L. A.,
Oliver W. L.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/1999ja000369
Subject(s) - energy balance , ionosphere , ion , physics , incoherent scatter , balance equation , radar , heat equation , source function , computational physics , atomic physics , atmospheric sciences , thermodynamics , geophysics , astrophysics , telecommunications , markov model , quantum mechanics , machine learning , markov chain , computer science
Thermospheric density and temperature are often derived from ionospheric observables measured by incoherent scatter radar (ISR) via solutions of the F region ion energy balance equation. However, this equation, consisting of an electron heat source balancing a neutral heat sink, can break down near the exobase, where the electron heat source can be too small by as much as 40%. An additional heat source is required, and theoretical and experimental studies point to a hot neutral oxygen (hot O) geocorona near the Earth's exobase to supply it. Hot O must therefore be included in the ion energy balance equation; however, its profile shape and concentration are unknown. We develop a simple method for including hot O profiles in the ion temperature fitting equation by calculating hot O concentration as a function of altitude and including the hot O heat source in the ion energy equation. The technique is tested as a function of solar cycle for March equinox conditions, and a χ 2 analysis indicates that the hot O is more likely to form a layer than a concentration profile which decreases as a function of altitude.