Improved Performance by the TIE-GCM with the Inclusion of Helium as a Major Species
Abstract
When considering the neutral constituents in the upper thermosphere and exosphere, helium needs to be accounted for as a major species. As detailed by Emmert [2015], most first-principle models do not consider helium a major species when solving for diffusion and collisions within the atmosphere. First-principle, physics-based models hold a distinct advantage of seasonal variations and spatial resolution over empirical models which leads to a more realistic depiction of the atmosphere. The National Center for Atmospheric Researchs (NCAR) self-consistent, physics-based Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) has been updated to take into account this neutral constituent in its calculations. The major goal was to characterize this change to the TIE-GCM as a function of altitude as helium becomes a dominant species. A distinct improvement was found in the updated model during lower solar activity conditions and altitudes above 750 km altitudes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1053923
Entities
People
- Frederick R Schmidt
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology