The Neutral Upper Atmosphere

by Ghosh, S. N.

• ISBN13: 9780792364344
• ISBN10: 0792364341
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-09-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

After World War II, Professor S.K. Mitra wrote a comprehensive book called The Upper Atmosphere , which dealt with information available from ground-based and balloon-borne experiments. As a result, topics such as day airglow were investigated and further ground-based experiments using incoherent back-scattering were carried out. These activities resulted in new information on the ozonosphere. The dramatic discovery of ozone holes forms a new and exciting chapter in the discovery of atmospheric processes. While dealing with the limits of the atmosphere, reference may be made to interstellar molecules whose discovery has raised considerable scientific curiosity. Knowledge of the solar-terrestrial relationship advanced a great deal when more information on solar radiation became available by measuring higher energy photons in the UV, EUV, and even X-ray regimes. All this information is incorporated in this volume and presented under the title The Neutral Upper Atmosphere.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Atmospheric Regions, Their Constituents and Chemistry	1	(22)
Atmospheric Regions	2	(11)
Troposphere	4	(3)
Stratosphere	7	(2)
Mesosphere	9	(2)
Thermosphere	11	(1)
Ionosphere	11	(2)
Coupling of Atmospheric Regions	13	(3)
Solar Wind and Magnetosphere	14	(1)
Magnetosphere - Thermosphere - Ionosphere	14	(1)
Magnetosphere - Ionosphere	15	(1)
Thermosphere - Mesosphere	15	(1)
Middle Atmosphere to Sun and Troposphere	16	(1)
Minor Constituents of the Atmosphere	16	(7)
Nitrogen Atom	16	(1)
Ozone Molecule	17	(2)
Sodium Atom	19	(1)
Nitric Oxide Molecule	20	(1)
OH Radical	20	(3)
Pressure and Density Distributions in the Terrestrial Atmosphere	23	(14)
Due to Gravity and Temperature Variation	24	(4)
Atmosphere in Isothermal Equilibrium	27	(1)
Atmosphere in Adiabatic Equilibrium	27	(1)
Due to Gravity, Temperature Variation and Motion	28	(4)
Atmospheric Drag on Satellite	32	(5)
Expression of Atmospheric Drag on Satellite	32	(1)
Density Distribution	33	(4)
Atmospheric Ozone, its Depletion and the Antarctic Ozone Hole	37	(24)
Solar UV Cut-off	37	(1)
Special Features of Atmospheric Ozone	38	(3)
Absorption Bands of O3, O2, H2O and Others	41	(2)
Production and Loss Processes of Atmospheric Ozone	43	(1)
New Destructive Ozone Reactions	44	(2)
Solar UV Absorption by Atmospheric Ozone	46	(1)
Control of Atmospheric Ozone Depletion	47	(1)
Regular Check of Atmospheric Ozone Level	48	(1)
Treaty for Protection of Ozone Layer	48	(1)
The Antarctic Ozone Hole	49	(5)
Special Features of the Antarctic Region	54	(2)
Suggested Reactions for Ozone Depletion	56	(1)
Proposed Theories for the Antarctic Ozone Hole	57	(1)
Conclusion	58	(3)
Effects of Solar UV, EUV and X-Ray Radiation on the Upper Atmosphere	61	(22)
Solar Radiation in UV, EUV and X-ray Regions	61	(6)
Solar Temperature in the X-ray Region	67	(1)
Solar Activity	68	(1)
Solar UV, EUV and X-ray Absorption by Atmospheric Constituents	68	(15)
Airglow I: Four Main Airglow Emissions	83	(44)
Experimental Arrangements for Observing Airglows	84	(9)
Dunn-Manring's Apparatus	84	(2)
Kulkarni's Apparatus	86	(2)
Misawa's Apparatus	88	(4)
Chaudhuri and Tillu's Apparatus	92	(1)
Experimental Arrangements for Observing Day Airglow	93	(5)
Observation from Rockets	93	(1)
Observation from Satellites	94	(4)
Four Main Emissions of Night, Twilight and Day Airglows	98	(29)
Characteristic Features	99	(16)
Excitation Mechanisms	115	(12)
Airglow II	127	(20)
Other Night and Twilight Airglow Emissions	127	(6)
OI 777.4 nm	127	(1)
OI 130.4 and 135.6 nm	128	(1)
OI 80.0-105.0 nm, 122.0-140.0 nm	128	(1)
O+ 83.4 nm	128	(1)
O+ 247.0 nm	128	(1)
O+ 733.0 nm	129	(1)
O2 (0 - 1) 864.5 nm	130	(1)
O2(761.9 nm)	130	(1)
130.4, 135.6 nm	131	(1)
NI 520.0 nm	131	(1)
N2+ 427.8 nm	131	(1)
N2 337.1 nm	131	(1)
6.1.13 NO 215.0 nm	131	(1)
OH 632.9 nm	132	(1)
6.1.15 656.3 nm	132	(1)
Fe 386.0 nm	132	(1)
650.0 nm	132	(1)
Li line	132	(1)
Ca+ line	132	(1)
135.0-170.0 nm	133	(1)
Mg+ Emission	133	(1)
279.6-280.3 nm	133	(1)
Excitation of the 1NG Band of the N+2 Ion	133	(1)
Other Day Airglow Emissions and Excitation	134	(8)
OI 130.4 nm line	135	(1)
OI 135.6 nm	136	(2)
O+ 83.4 nm	138	(1)
N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield Band	139	(2)
MgI 285.2 nm and Mg+ 280.0 nm	141	(1)
Metastable Atoms and Molecules in the Atmosphere	142	(5)
Measurement of Quenching of Metastable States	143	(1)
Quenching Coefficients	144	(3)
The Limit of the Atmosphere and the Space Beyond	147	(28)
Cone of Escape	147	(2)
Molecules in Space	149	(3)
Unfavourable Conditions for Molecular Formation	149	(2)
Communication through Space	151	(1)
Detected Interstellar Molecules	152	(15)
Detection by Optical Means and Radio Telescopes	152	(12)
Isotropic Abundance	164	(1)
Column Densities of Interstellar Molecules	165	(2)
Formation and Destruction of Interstellar Molecules	167	(6)
Classification of Interstellar Molecules	173	(2)
Life Related Molecules and Masers in Space	175	(1)
Life-Related Molecules	175	(1)
Constituent Molecules of Living Matter	176	(1)
Terrestrial Origin of Life	176	(1)
Extra-terrestrial Origin of life	177	(1)
Search for life	178	(2)
Formation and Destruction Processes	180	(4)
Masers in Space	184	(1)
Spectral Features	184	(5)
Observations and Interpretations	189	(2)
Pumping Mechanisms	191