Open AccessResearch Spotlight: Why is the density of the thermosphere abnormally low?
Author(s) -
Ofori Leslie,
Tretkoff Ernie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/eo091i030p00268-03
Subject(s) - thermosphere , altitude (triangle) , atmospheric sciences , solar minimum , ionosphere , environmental science , physics , astronomy , solar cycle , mathematics , solar wind , plasma , geometry , nuclear physics
The total mass density of the upper thermosphere (∼200–600 kilometers in altitude) was lower during the 2008 solar minimum than at any other time during the space age. Using historical records of thermospheric density, Emmert et al. compared the behavior of the thermosphere during the recent solar minimum with its