Solar EUV induced variations in the thermosphere

Abstract

The effects of solar activity on the thermosphere are reviewed. The neutral total density, temperature, and electron density increase with solar activity, and their variations are fairly well correlated with variations in solar 10.7-cm flux. The electron temperature, by contrast, has a complex behavior with solar activity, depending on altitude and season, as increased heat input is balanced by increased cooling provided by the enhanced electron density. Also, individual neutral species do not all increase in step but are influenced by dissociation and dynamical processes. The increased ion drag at higher solar activities inhibits the neutral wind from increasing in the same proportion as the neutral temperatures and densities.