Neutral Atmospheric Temperatures from Incoherent Scatter Observations

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Abstract
A method is described for calculating neutral atmospheric temperatures from the data provided by incoherent scatter sounding of the ionosphere. The basis of the method is the use of the data to solve the thermal continuity equation for the ions. In this way the difference between the ion and neutral temperatures can be determined as a function of the heat flow from the ions to the neutral particles and the neutral particle densities. It is shown that under suitable circumstances the neutral temperatures can be determined quite accurately. The method has at present the unique advantage that temperature fluctuations can be followed continuously throughout a day at one location. Calculated values of neutral temperatures for several days derived front incoherent scatter sounding measurements at Arecibo are presented. It is shown that for the days analysed the time of the diurnal temperature maximum was at 1600±1 hour, the diurnal minimum at 0400±1 hour, and the average day-to-night temperature ratio was 1.36±0.03.

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