Premium The natural thermostat of nitric oxide emission at 5.3 μm in the thermosphere observed during the solar storms of April 2002Premium
Author(s)
Mlynczak Marty,
MartinTorres F. Javier,
Russell James,
Beaumont Ken,
Jacobson Steven,
Kozyra Janet,
LopezPuertas Manuel,
Funke Bernd,
Mertens Christopher,
Gordley Larry,
Picard Richard,
Winick Jeremy,
Wintersteiner Peter,
Paxton Larry
Publication year2003
Publication title
geophysical research letters
Resource typeJournals
PublisherAmerican Geophysical Union
The Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) experiment on the Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite observed the infrared radiative response of the thermosphere to the solar storm events of April 2002. Large radiance enhancements were observed at 5.3 μm, which are due to emission from the vibration‐rotation bands of nitric oxide (NO). The emission by NO is indicative of the conversion of solar energy to infrared radiation within the atmosphere and represents a “natural thermostat” by which heat and energy are efficiently lost from the thermosphere to space and to the lower atmosphere. We describe the SABER observations at 5.3 μm and their interpretation in terms of energy loss. The infrared enhancements remain only for a few days, indicating that such perturbations to the thermospheric state, while dramatic, are short‐lived.
Subject(s)astronomy , atmosphere (unit) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , geology , ionosphere , mesosphere , meteorology , physics , radiance , remote sensing , stratosphere , thermosphere
Language(s)English
SCImago Journal Rank2.007
H-Index273
eISSN1944-8007
pISSN0094-8276
DOI10.1029/2003gl017693
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