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The response of the ionosphere to the injection of chemically reactive vapors
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Bernhardt, P. A. |
| Copyright Year | 1976 |
| Description | As a gas released in the ionosphere expands, it is rapidly cooled. When the vapor becomes sufficiently tenuous, it is reheated by collisions with the ambient atmosphere and its flow is then governed by diffusive expansion. As the injected gas becomes well mixed with the plasma, a hole is created by chemical processes. In the case of diatomic hydrogen release, depression of the electron concentrations is governed by the charge exchange reaction between oxygen ions and hydrogen, producing positive hydroxyl ions. Hydroxyl ions rapidly react with the electron gas to produce excited oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Enhanced airglow emissions result from the transition of the excited atoms to lower energy states. The electron temperature in the depleted region rises sharply causing a thermal expansion of the plasma and a further reduction in the local plasma concentration. |
| File Size | 6571810 |
| Page Count | 257 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19760021631 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t8kd6pd86 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1976-05-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Geophysics Charge Exchange Atmospheric Chemistry Hydrogen Space Shuttles Hydroxyl Radicals Ionospheric Composition Ionospheric Propagation Oxygen Ions Electron-ion Recombination Airglow Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
