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Simultaneous in Situ Measurements of Small-Scale Structures in Neutral, Plasma, and Atomic Oxygen Densities During the WADIS Sounding Rocket Project
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
  • Boris Strelnikov, Rostock University
  • Martin Eberhart, University of Stuttgart
  • Martin Friedrich, Graz University of Technology
  • Jonas Hedin, Stockholm University
  • Mikhail Khaplanov, Stockholm University
  • Gerd Baumgarten, Rostock University
  • Bifford P. Williams, GATS
  • Tristan Staszak, Rostock University
  • Heiner Asmus, Rostock University
  • Irina Strelnikova, Rostock University
  • Ralph Latteck, Rostock University
  • Mykhaylo Grygalashvyly, Rostock University
  • Franz-Josef Lübken, Rostock University
  • Josef Höffner, Rostock University
  • Raimund Wörl, Rostock University
  • Jörg Gumbel, Stockholm University
  • Stefan Löhle, University of Stuttgart
  • Stefanos Fasoulas, University of Stuttgart
  • Markus Rapp, Institut Für Physik der Atmosphäre
  • Aroh Barjatya, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Michael J. Taylor, Utah State University
  • Pierre-Dominique Pautet, Utah State University
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date
9-11-2019
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Abstract

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.

Citation Information
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., and Pautet, P.-D.: Simultaneous in situ measurements of small-scale structures in neutral, plasma, and atomic oxygen densities during the WADIS sounding rocket project, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 11443–11460, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-11443-2019, 2019.