First results from the retrieved column O/N2 ratio from the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON): Evidence of the impacts of nonmigrating tides.

ABSTRACT: In near-Earth space, variations in thermospheric composition have important implications for thermosphere-ionosphere coupling. The ratio of O to N2 is often measured using far-UV airglow observations. Taking such airglow observations from space, looking below the Earth's limb allows for the total column of O and N2 in the ionosphere to be determined. While these observations have enabled many previous studies, determining the impact of non-migrating tides on thermospheric composition has proved difficult, owing to a small contamination of the signal by recombination of ionospheric O+. New ICON observations of far UV are presented here, and their general characteristics are shown. Using these, along with other observations and a global circulation model we show that during the morning hours

SUBMITTER: England SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8506977 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature