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Rees, M. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Rees, M. H..

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

The spatial-temporal ambiguity in auroral modeling

The paper examines the time-dependent models of the aurora which show that various ionospheric parameters respond to the onset of auroral ionization with different time histories. A pass of the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite over Poker Flat, Alaska, and ground based photometric and photographic observations have been used to resolve the time-space ambiguity of a specific auroral event. The density of the O(+), NO(+), O2(+), and N2(+) ions, the electron density, and the electron temperature observed at 280 km altitude in a 50 km wide segment of an auroral arc are predicted by the model if particle precipitation into the region commenced about 11 min prior to the overpass.

Rees, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Coordinated rocket and satellite measurements of an auroral event. II - The rocket observations and analysis

A rocket-borne payload launched into an aurora and a simultaneous overpass of the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite yielded measurements of auroral optical emission rates, thermal ion and electron densities, and low-energy electron fluxes. Model calculations of the thermospheric manifestation of the aurora were performed through use of rocket-determined auroral ionization rates and satellite-determined neutral gas densities. Measured oxygen densities provided a means of assessing the quenching rate of an excited state of N2. Energy transfer from this excited state appears to be the major source of 5577-A emission. Optical emission at 6300 A cannot be explained either by electron impact on atomic oxygen or by dissociative recombination of O2(+).

Sharp, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Coordinated rocket and satellite measurements of an auroral event. I - Satellite observations and analysis

Results of a coordinated auroral experiment involving the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite and a sounding rocket are reported. Auroral primary electron fluxes and neutral gas densities measured by instruments on the satellite are used in a model calculation of the thermospheric manifestation of the aurora. There is encouraging agreement between the calculated and measured electron density, electron temperature, secondary electron flux, and O I emissions at 5577 and 6300 A. A discrepancy between the calculated and the rocket-measured 3914-A emission profile is discussed in terms of experiment geometry and auroral physics. The coordinated measurements are used to infer vertical fluxes of ionization and of electron thermal energy at high altitudes

Rees, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Studies of molecular nitrogen bands from airborne auroral spectroscopy

Absolute auroral emission rates of several bands of the 1 PG (first positive), 2 PG, and Vegard-Kaplan systems of N2 and of the 1 NG (first negative) system of N2(+) were obtained from simultaneous spectral scans of two Ebert spectrophotometers mounted on board the NASA CV 990 aircraft. Analysis of these bands emitted during a 2-min auroral event leads to some conclusions regarding the excitation mechanisms of the C(3)Pi, B(3)Pi, and A(3)Sigma levels: the v' = 0 to v' = 3 levels of the C(3)Pi electronic state are populated by electron impact; the cross sections predict absolute emission rates that are in good agreement with the observations. Cross sections for excitation of the v' = 4 to v' = 8 levels, derived from laboratory measurement of the optical excitation functions, predict well the 1 PG bands observed in the auroral event.

Rees, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The O I 1304 and 1356 emissions in aurorae

An altitude profile of the 3914 emission of N2+ measured in an aurora by two rocket-borne spectrometers has been used to compute height-intensity profiles of the O I radiations at 1304 and 1356. Comparison of predictions with observations shows that the shape of the altitude profiles can better be reproduced by assuming a Doppler frequency profile rather than a Voigt profile in the radiative transfer computations. There are serious discrepancies between the observed and predicted intensity maxima for both oxygen features that could be due to the particular value for the cross sections we have adopted for excitation of oxygen by electron impact.

Strickland, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Auroral electron spectra

Discussion of the suitability of available differential electron flux data for auroral analyses. The differential energy spectra of auroral electrons at several altitudes computed by Berger et al. (1973) and Rees and Jones (1973) for initial electron energies of 10, 5, and 2 keV are reviewed, and it is concluded that they are suitable for auroral analyses.

Rees, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Auroral heating and the composition of the neutral atmosphere.

Heating of the neutral atmosphere by auroral particle fluxes and by orthogonal electric fields is responsible for large changes in the thermospheric composition that have been observed by satellite mass spectrometers. Vertical winds of a few meters per second are produced in the region subject to auroral heating; this vertical upwelling drives circulation cells that extend the effects of heating in the auroral region on a global scale. Our analysis focuses on the initial phase of a magnetic storm within the auroral region.

Hays, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Dayside auroral-oval plasma density and conductivity enhancements due to magnetosheath electron precipitation.

Demonstration that magnetosheath electrons precipitating into the dayside auroral oval are a significant source of ionization and consequently will lead to electrical conductivity enhancements within the oval. By assuming that the electrons are maintained isotropic by strong pitch-angle diffusion as they precipitate into the ionosphere, the precipitation heat flux can be simply related to solar-wind energy density and consequently to the level of magnetic activity. For quiet solar-wind conditions, the heat fluxes of 1 to 10 ergs/sq cm/sec expected and observed lead to height-integrated Pedersen conductivity enhancements of 4 to 15 mhos. During magnetic storms the conductivity enhancements could increase by a factor of 3 to 5. Since the precipitating electrons are soft, the Hall conductivity enhancements are smaller than the Pedersen conductivity enhancements. For typical electric fields the computed conductivity enhancements lead to field-aligned currents bounding the enhancements in order-of-magnitude agreement with observation. The topside ionosphere should also have a density enhancement over the auroral oval on the dayside.

Kennel, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Auroral spectrum between 1200 and 4000 angstroms.

Results of spectroscopic observations of an auroral event made simultaneously by airborne and satellite-borne scanning spectrometers in the wavelength region between 1200 and 4000 A. Photon emission rates of several vibrational bands of the N2, 2nd positive, Vegard-Kaplan, and Lyman-Birge-Hopfield systems, the N I lines at 1200 and 3466 A, and O I lines at 1304, 1356, and 2972 A were recorded. Model calculations of the emission rates of the observed features are found to be in reasonable agreement with the measurements. Electron impact excites the nitrogen band systems, as well as the O I 1356-A line. A spectral feature at 2150 A is tentatively identified as the (1, 0) gamma band of N O.

Sharp, W. E.↗