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At least 91 records · Page 5

Magnetosheath bursts of predominantly medium nuclei observed with Imp 8 on February 16, 1974

This paper presents observations made with detectors aboard Imp 8 of a unique series of charged particle bursts that occurred on February 16, 1974, while the spacecraft was traversing the dawn magnetosheath region. This event was unlike any other observation of Imp 7 and 8 in 5.5 years of operation in orbit. The measurements are most directly interpreted as an intense (6000/(sq cm s sr MeV/nucleon)), highly collimated beam flowing in the antisolar direction composed of medium (carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen) nuclei. Both the degree of collimation in arrival direction and the composition are unique to this event. The event is possibly an important signature of terrestrial O(+) ions escaping from the magnetosphere.

Armstrong, T. P.↗

Measurements of NO, O3, and temperature at 19.8 km during the total solar eclipse of 26 February 1979

Local measurements of stratospheric NO and O3 mixing ratios and air temperature were made during the total solar eclipse of 26 February 1979. The instrumentation was carried aboard a U-2 aircraft flown at an altitude of 19.8 km in the region near 47 deg N, 112 deg W. Eclipse maximum occurred approximately in the middle of the 2-3/4-hr measurement period. The NO mixing ratio was reduced at least a factor of 25 at the maximum of the eclipse. The decrease and recovery of NO during the passage of the Moon's shadow over the measurement region follows approximately the predictions of two independent models. No change was observed in either the O3 mixing ratio or the air temperature that could be attributed to the eclipse.

Starr, W. L.↗

The President's Day cyclone 17-19 February 1979: An analysis of jet streak interactions prior to cyclogenesis

The President's Day cyclone, produced record breaking snowfall along the East Coast of the United States in February 1979. Conventional radiosonde data, SMS GOES infrared imagery and LFM 2 model diagnostics were used to analyze the interaction of upper and lower tropospheric jet streaks prior to cyclogenesis. The analysis reveals that a series of complex scale interactive processes is responsible for the development of the intense cyclone. The evolution of the subsynoptic scale mass and momentum fields prior to and during the period of rapid development of the President's Day cyclone utilizing conventional data and SMS GOES imagery is documented. The interaction between upper and lower tropospheric jet streaks which occurred prior to the onset of cyclogenesis is discussed as well as the possible effects of terrain modified airflow within the precyclogenesis environment. Possible deficiencies in the LFM-2 initial wind fields that could have been responsible, in part, for the poor numerical forecast are examined.

Uccellini, L. W.↗

A very rapid turning of the plasma-tail axis of comet Bradfield 19791 on 1980 February 6

Schmidt camera photographs of comet Bradfield 19791 obtained at the Joint Observatory for Cometary Research (JOCR) indicate that a rapid change took place in the comet's plasma tail on 1980 February 6. On that date, a sequence of photographs spanning 27.5 minutes shows a 10 deg shift occurring in the plasma-tail axis between the first and last exposures. The speed of this tail-turning event greatly exceeds that of any other known event and even exceeds turning rates for individual tail streamers. An interpretation based on the windsock theory of plasma tails is that the comet entered a region of rapidly changing solar-wind flow direction. While the search for an associated solar-wind event from near-earth spacecraft observations is a future activity, the present analysis shows that a 50 km/s change in the polar component of the solar-wind velocity, from about 30 km/s northward to about 20 km/s southward, would have produced the 10 deg shift in the tail axis.

Brandt, J. C.↗

An analysis of the LFM-11 simulations of the Presidents' Day Cyclone, February 18-19, 1979

The performance of the LFM-11 model is considered for the Presidents' Day Cyclone of 1979, noting particularly the model's forecast of upper and lower level jets. Model data are presented for three periods prior to cyclogenesis: (1) 0000 GMT 18 Feb. 1979; (2) 1200 GMT 18 Feb. 1979; and (3) 0000 GMT 19 Feb. 1979. The results show tha the model did not accurately simulate an indirect circulation for the noticeably supergeostrophic STJ on 18 February in response to the confluent PFJ located in the northeast. Future work will examine to what extent the model's poor performance is a function of poor boundary layer representation or poor jet streak simulation with respect to the STJ and LLJ.

Uccellini, L. W.↗

Global-scale weekly and monthly energetics during January and February 1979

Time averages of the latitudinal distribution of kinetic energy and terms of the kinetic energy equation are presented as depicted by analyses of the First GARP Global Experiment during the First Special Observing Period. It is found that the monthly averages exhibit peaks in the stationary wave energy at 30 degrees N and in the tropics, while global decompositions of the streamfunction and velocity potential in spherical harmonics are truncated at the fourth degree. The kinetic energy distribution of the associated wind field displays peaks in the tropics and northern mid-latitudes in January, but only a tropical peak in February. These analyses support the Eliassen-Palm relationship for latitudinal momentum and geopotential wave transport, particularly in the mid-latitudes. However, in the deep tropics, latitudinal convergence of the fully resolved stationary wave momentum transport accompanies latitudinal convergence of stationary wave geopotential flux in westerly flow.

Paegle, J.↗

Interaction of the plasma tail of comet Bradfield 1979L on 1980 February 6 with a possibly flare-generated solar-wind disturbance

Solar wind plasma data from the ISEE-3 and Helios 2 spacecraft were examined to explain a uniquely rapid 10 deg turning of the plasma tail of comet Bradfield 1979L on 1980 February 6. It was suggested that the tail position angle change occurred in response to a solar wind velocity shear across which the polar component changed by approx. 50 km s-1. The present activity was caused by noncorotating, disturbed plasma flows probably associated with an Importance 1B solar flare.

Niedner, M. B., Jr.↗

Interaction of the plasma tail of comet Bradfield 1979L on 1980 February 6 with a possibly flare-generated solar-wind disturbance

Solar-wind plasma data from the ISEE-3 and Helios 2 spacecraft were examined in order to explain a uniquely rapid 10 deg turning of the plasma tail of comet Bradfield 1979l on 1980 February 6. An earlier study conducted before the availability of in situ solar-wind data (Brandt et al., 1980) suggested that the tail position angle change occurred in response to a solar-wind velocity shear across the polar component changed by approximately 50 km/s. The present contribution confirms this result and further suggests that the comet-tail activity was caused by non-corotating, disturbed plasma flows probably associated with an Importance 1B solar flare.

Niedner, M. B., Jr.↗

The Presidents' Day cyclone of 18-19 February 1979 - Synoptic overview and analysis of the subtropical jet streak influencing the pre-cyclogenetic period

A detailed examination is undertaken of the subtropical jet (STJ) streak revealed by an analysis of the Presidents' Day cyclone of February 18-19, 1979. During its 24 h period, the STJ's flow became increasingly supergeostrophic and apparently unbalanced, while ageostrophic wind speeds increased to more than 30 m/sec in association with a significant cross-contour component, directed toward lower values of the Montgomery streamfunction, as the flow along the STJ became more divergent with time. These phenomena are linked to the increasing confluence in the entrance region of the jet streak and the decreasing wavelength of the trough-ridge system in which the jet streak was embedded. The upper level divergence and upward vertical motion near the axis of the STJ are found to be important factors in the development of the cyclone's first area of heavy snow.

Uccellini, L. W.↗

Modification of the strato-mesospheric temperature and wind structure resulting from the 26 February 1979 solar eclipse

Temperature and wind behavior observed during the February 1979 solar eclipse shows significant change immediately following and up to one hour after totality. Stratospheric and mesospheric data obtained from Fort Churchill, Manitoba, indicate quite clearly a cooling trend between 50-60 kilometers with the maximum temperature decrease of approximately 10 C evident above 52 kilometers. This temperature perturbation was accompanied by an amplification of the meridional wind speed of 20-30 mps near 60 kilometers. These results are essentially in agreement with those obtained at Wallops Island during the March 1970 solar eclipse. Although the stratosphere was under the large-scale influence of a stratospheric warming, the short-term perturbations caused by radiative changes as a result of the solar eclipse did not appear to be masked.

Schmidlin, F. J.↗

The SCR flare of 16 February 1984 as recorded by the Sayan spectrograph

The Sayan cosmic ray (CR) spectrograph recorded an SCR flare that occurred on 16 February 1984. Data from both 1-hour and 110-minute duration measurements in 10 channels with different energy sensitivity (of neutron monitors HM-64 located at different depths in the atmosphere, and of a neutron, multiple neutron and rigid mumeson component lead-less detector) is presented. The parameters of the SCR variation spectrum are evaluated and it is shown that the recording of multiple neutrons at the same geographic point and at the same level in the atmosphere provides information similar to that from a spectrographic complex of instruments.

Koslov, S. A.↗

Some characteristics of the solar flare event of February 16, 1984

In the morning of February 16, 1984 a solar cosmic ray event (GLE) was recorded by the world wide network of neutron monitors (NM). The counting rate vs. time profile of the Goose Bay NM (geog. lat. = 53.3 deg. N, deog. long. = 299.6 deg E) where the increase is expressed as percent of the counting rate of an equatorial sea level NM is presented. The Goose Bay NM was observed to have the maximum response to the solar particles. Its counting rate vs. time profile exhibits a rapid increase to maximum, has a large amplitude (approx. 170%) and decays rapidly to background in approx. 90 min. In Fig. 1 we also show the counting rate vs. time profile for the Tixie Bay NM (71.6 deg, 128.9 deg) which recorded an increase of only a few percent. Since the NMs at Goose Bay and Tixie Bay have asymptotic viewing directions approx. 180 deg apart in longitude, the anisotropy of the solar particle flux at Earth from these stations.

Debrunner, H.↗

Energetic ion mass composition as observed at near-geosynchronous and low altitudes during the storm period of February 21 and 22, 1979

Mass composition data acquired during the storm period of February 21 and 22, 1979 are presented and analyzed. Near-geosynchronous data from the SCATHA spacecraft are described, giving the data in spectrogram format. Low-altitude data from the S3-3 spacecraft are presented, and it is shown that they raise questions concerning the evolution of the low-altitude, 0.5-16 keV/q plasma population after the main phase of magnetic storms. The importance of convection as an explanation of the signatures found in the low-altitude S3-3 data is considered. Some work concerning steady state convection models is summarized, pointing out those aspects of the theory relevant to the S3-3 data. Results from the theory are applied to those data, which are also displayed in spectrogram format. The results are discussed, using the geosynchronous composition data as a monitor of the source of the injected plasma.

Strangeway, R. J.↗

The Presidents' Day cyclone of 18-19 February 1979 - Influence of upstream trough amplification and associated tropopause folding on rapid cyclogenesis

The Presidents' Day cyclone of 18-19 February, 1979 is analyzed based on conventional radiosonde data, infrared and visible satellite imagery, water vapor images and ozone measurement. The well-known synoptic-scale characteristics of the PJ-trough system are described, and evidence for the development of the tropopause fold are presented. Processes contributing to the formation of the fold are discussed in terms of an evaluation of the Sawyer-Eliassen circulation equation and a diagnostic evaluation of the ageostrophic winds and vertical motion near the polar jet streak. The documentation of stratospheric extrusions and their possible role in cyclogenesis is reviewed, and Eulerian and Lagrangian diagnostics are used to establish a connection between the tropopause fold associated with the polar jet streak and rapid cyclogenesis along the East Coast. Conservation of potential vorticity expressed in isentropic coordinates is used as a constraint from which to view cyclogenesis.

Uccellini, L. W.↗

SAGE aerosol measurements. Volume 1: February 21, 1979 to December 31, 1979

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite system, launched on February 18, 1979, provides profiles of aerosol extinction, ozone concentration, and nitrogen dioxide concentration between about 80 N and 80 S. Zonal averages, separated into sunrise and sunset events, and seasonal averages of the aerosol extinction at 1.00 microns and 0.45 microns ratios of the aerosol extinction to the molecular extinction at 1.00 microns, and ratios of the aerosol extinction at 0.45 microns to the aerosol extinction at 1.00 microns are given. The averages for 1979 are shown in tables and in profile and contour plots (as a function of altitude and latitude). In addition, temperature data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the time and location of each SAGE measurement are averaged and shown in a similar format. Typical values of the peak aerosol extinction were 0.0001 to 0.0002 km at 1.00 microns depth values for the 1.00 microns channel varied between 0.001 and 0.002 over all latitudes.

Mccormick, M. P.↗

Solar-Geophysical Data Number 496, February 1986. Part 1: (Prompt reports). Data for January 1986,December 1985 and late data

Solar-Geophysical Data Number 498, February 1986, Part 1 (Prompt Reports), Data for January 1986, December 1985 and Late Data contains the following:detailed index for 1985-86; data for January 1986--(IUWDS alert periods (advanced and worldwide), Solar activity indices, Solar flares, Solar radio emission, Vostok inferred interplanetary magnetic field polarity, Stanford mean solar magnetic field); data for December 1985--(Solar active regions, Sudden ionospheric disturbances, Solar radio spectral observations, Cosmic ray measurements by neutron monitor, Geomagnetic indices, Radio propagation indices); late data--(Solar radio emission Nancay interferometric chart December 1985, Solar radio spectral observations Culgoora May 1985, Geomagnetic indices sudden commencements November 1985, Calcium plage data).

Coffey, H. E.↗

Solar-Geophysical Data Number 498, February 1986. Part 2: (Comprehensive reports). Data for August1985, and miscellanea

Solar-Geophysical Data Number 498, February 1986, Part 2 (Comprehensive Reports), Data for August 1985, and Miscellenea contains the following: detailed index for 1985-86; data for August 1985--(Solar flares, Solar radio bursts at fixed frequencies, Solar X-ray radiation from GOES satellite, Mass ejections from the Sun, Active prominences and filaments); miscellaneous data--Meudon carte synoptique 13 May - 7 July 1985.

Coffey, H. E.↗