Search Results

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Item
    Turbulent energy dissipation rates observed by Doppler MST Radar and by rocket-borne instruments during the MIDAS/MaCWAVE campaign 2002
    (Göttingen : Copernicus GmbH, 2005) Engler, N.; Latteck, R.; Strelnikov, B.; Singer, W.; Rapp, M.
    During the MIDAS/MaCWAVE campaign in summer 2002 we have observed turbulence using Doppler beam steering measurements obtained from the ALWIN VHF radar at Andøya/Northern Norway. This radar was operated in the Doppler beam steering mode for turbulence investigations during the campaign, as well as in spaced antenna mode, for continuously measuring the background wind field. The real-time data analysis of the Doppler radar backscattering provided the launch conditions for the sounding rockets. The spectral width data observed during the occurrence of PMSE were corrected for beam and shear broadening caused by the background wind field to obtain the turbulent part of the spectral width. The turbulent energy dissipation rates determined from the turbulent spectral width vary between 5 and 100 m Wkg-1 in the altitude range of 80-92 km and increase with altitude. These estimations agree well with the in-situ measurements using the CONE sensor which was launched on 3 sounding rockets during the campaign.
  • Item
    Thermal structure of the mesopause region during the WADIS-2 rocket campaign
    (Göttingen : Copernicus GmbH, 2019) Wörl, R.; Strelnikov, B.; Viehl, T.P.; Höffner, J.; Pautet, P.-D.; Taylor, M.J.; Zhao, Y.; Löbken, F.-J.
    This paper presents simultaneous temperature measurements by three independent instruments during the WADIS-2 rocket campaign in northern Norway (69° N, 14° E) on 5 March 2015. Vertical profiles were measured in situ with the CONE instrument. Continuous mobile IAP Fe lidar (Fe lidar) measurements during a period of 24 h, as well as horizontally resolved temperature maps by the Utah State University (USU) Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) in the mesopause region, are analysed. Vertical and horizontal temperature profiles by all three instruments are in good agreement. A harmonic analysis of the Fe lidar measurements shows the presence of waves with periods of 24, 12, 8, and 6 h. Strong waves with amplitudes of up to 10K at 8 and 6 h are found. The 24 and 12 h components play only a minor role during these observations. In contrast only a few short periodic gravity waves are found. Horizontally resolved temperatures measured with the AMTM in the hydroxyl (OH) layer are used to connect the vertical temperature profiles. In the field of view of 200km×160km only small deviations from the horizontal mean of the order of 5K are found. Therefore only weak gravity wave signatures occurred. This suggests horizontal structures of more than 200 km. A comparison of Fe lidar, rocket-borne measurements, and AMTM temperatures indicates an OH centroid altitude of about 85 km. © 2019 Copernicus GmbH. All rights reserved.
  • Item
    Simultaneous in situ measurements of small-scale structures in neutral, plasma, and atomic oxygen densities during the WADIS sounding rocket project
    (Göttingen : Copernicus GmbH, 2019) Strelnikov, B.; Eberhart, M.; Friedrich, M.; Hedin, J.; Khaplanov, M.; Baumgarten, G.; Williams, B.P.; Staszak, T.; Asmus, H.; Strelnikova, I.; Latteck, R.; Grygalashvyly, M.; Lübken, F.-J.; Höffner, J.; Wörl, R.; Gumbel, J.; Löhle, S.; Fasoulas, S.; Rapp, M.; Barjatya, A.; Taylor, M.J.; Pautet, P.-D.
    In this paper we present an overview of measurements conducted during the WADIS-2 rocket campaign. We investigate the effect of small-scale processes like gravity waves and turbulence on the distribution of atomic oxygen and other species in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region. Our analysis suggests that density fluctuations of atomic oxygen are coupled to fluctuations of other constituents, i.e., plasma and neutrals. Our measurements show that all measured quantities, including winds, densities, and temperatures, reveal signatures of both waves and turbulence. We show observations of gravity wave saturation and breakdown together with simultaneous measurements of generated turbulence. Atomic oxygen inside turbulence layers shows two different spectral behaviors, which might imply a change in its diffusion properties. © 2019 Author(s).
  • Item
    Atmospheric band fitting coefficients derived from a self-consistent rocket-borne experiment
    (Göttingen : Copernicus GmbH, 2019) Grygalashvyly, M.; Eberhart, M.; Hedin, J.; Strelnikov, B.; Lübken, F.-J.; Rapp, M.; Löhle, S.; Fasoulas, S.; Khaplanov, M.; Gumbel, J.; Vorobeva, E.
    Based on self-consistent rocket-borne measurements of temperature, the densities of atomic oxygen and neutral air, and the volume emission of the atmospheric band (762 nm), we examined the one-step and two-step excitation mechanism of O2 + b16C g for nighttime conditions. Following McDade et al. (1986), we derived the empirical fitting coefficients, which parameterize the atmospheric band emission O2 + b16C g X36 g .0;0/. This allows us to derive the atomic oxygen concentration from nighttime observations of atmospheric band emission O2 + b16C g X36 g .0; 0/. The derived empirical parameters can also be utilized for atmospheric band modeling. Additionally, we derived the fit function and corresponding coefficients for the combined (one- and two-step) mechanism. The simultaneous common volume measurements of all the parameters involved in the theoretical calculation of the observed O2 + b16C g X36 g .0; 0/ emission, i.e., temperature and density of the background air, atomic oxygen density, and volume emission rate, is the novelty and the advantage of this work. © Author(s) 2019.