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Density response of the mesospheric sodium layer to gravity wave perturbations
Author(s) -
Shelton J. D.,
Gardner C. S.,
Sechrist C. F.
Publication year - 1980
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/gl007i012p01069
Subject(s) - gravity wave , layer (electronics) , lidar , gravitational wave , sodium , mesosphere , geophysics , physics , mechanics , computational physics , geology , atmospheric sciences , optics , materials science , astrophysics , nanotechnology , stratosphere , metallurgy
Lidar observations of the mesospheric sodium layer often reveal wavelike features moving through the layer. It is often assumed that these features are a layer density response to gravity waves. Chiu and Ching [1978] described the approximate form of the linear response of atmospheric layers to gravity waves. In this paper, their results are used to predict the response of the sodium layer to gravity waves. These simulations are compared with experimental observations and a good correlation is found between the two. Because of the thickness of the sodium layer and the density gradients found in it, a linear model of the layer response is not always adequate to describe gravity wave ‐ sodium layer interactions. Inclusion of nonlinearities in the layer response is briefly discussed. Experimental data is seen to contain features consistent with the predicted nonlinearities.