Premium
On the solar cycle dependence of the N + /O + content in the magnetosphere and its relation to atomic N and O in the Earth's exosphere
Author(s) -
Mall U.,
Christon S.,
Kirsch E.,
Gloeckler G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl013957
Subject(s) - physics , exosphere , magnetosphere , solar cycle , solar maximum , solar wind , thermosphere , atomic physics , ion , atmospheric sciences , plasma , astrophysics , ionosphere , geophysics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
We investigate a solar cycle dependence of singly charged Nitrogen and Oxygen over a five‐year period from 1995–2000 on the nightside of the Earth's magnetosphere using instrumentation on the WIND spacecraft. We show that N + , another heavy ion that is of terrestrial origin, is a large fraction of O + , and it contributes significantly to magnetospheric plasma. We find that the N + /O + ratio has a solar cycle relationship with a higher value of this ratio at solar minimum than at solar maximum. We examine the N + /O + ratio against thermospheric N/O MSIS 86 model calculations which exhibit no solar cycle variation.