Upper Atmosphere Temperature Derived from Charged Particle Observations
Open Access
- 1 May 1962
- journal article
- Published by American Meteorological Society in Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
- Vol. 19 (3) , 218-225
- https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1962)019<0218:uatdfc>2.0.co;2
Abstract
Charged Particle temperature results obtained by three different methods (rocket and satellite-borne Langmuir probes, rocket measurements of the altitude dependence of charged particle densities above the F2 peak, and radar incoherent backscatter) are compared with recent models of kinetic gas temperature. From the few sets of charged particle data available for conditions of a quiet sun at temperate latitudes, the comparison favors the concept of temperature equilibrium between electrons and heavy constituents in all but the lower F region of the ionosphere. Additional departures from equilibrium are indicated for disturbed ionospheric conditions and possibly for a quiet sun at auroral latitudes.Keywords
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