Electron Energy Deposition in the Middle Atmosphere.
Abstract
Spectra of locally precipitating 36 to 317 keV electrons obtained by instrumentation on the S3-2 satellite are used to calculate energy deposition profiles as a function of latitude, longitude, and altitude. In the 70 - 90 km altitude, midlatitude ionization due to these precipitating energetic electrons can be comparable to that due to direct solar H Lyman alpha. At night, the electrons produce ionization more than an order of magnitude greater than that expected from scattered H Lyman alpha. Maximum precipitation rates in the region of the South Atlantic Anomaly are on the order of 1/100 erg/sw cm-sec with a spectrum of the form j(E) = 134000 x 1/E + 2.27 power (keV). Southern hemisphere precipitation dominates that in the north for 1.1 < L 6 except for regions of low local surface field in the northern hemisphere. Above L = 6, local time effects dominates; i.e., longitudinal effects due to the asymmetric magnetic field which are strong features below L = 6 disappear and are replaced by high-latitude precipitation events which are local-time features. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA139122
Entities
People
- A. L. Vampola
- D. J. Gorney
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation