Spectroscopic studies of NdO+ in support of atmospheric release probes of the ionosphere
Abstract
The region of the atmosphere above 70 km, often referred to as the ionosphere, is characterized by the presence of ions and free electrons. The electrons strongly influence the propagation of radio waves, impacting communications, GPS signal reception and radar targeting. High altitude release of the lanthanide metal Neodymium (Nd) is being explored as a means to probe and locally modify the ionosphere. The interpretation of the experiments conducted to date has been hampered by the lack of spectroscopic information for the NdO+ cation. To advance this program, the proposed research will use photoionization techniques to obtain the required spectroscopic data. The results will be used to facilitate the analyses of data from previous Nd atmospheric release experiments, and to guide the design of future experiments that will exploit the efficient Nd + O ? NdO+ + e- associative ionization reaction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 30, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810414
Entities
People
- Michael C Heaven
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Emory University
- United States Air Force