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NLC & PMSE
NLC = Noctilucent Clouds Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes
“Night Shining Clouds” (PMSE)
Why Study?
• Basic science: how/why do they form?
• How often NLC forms possible related to
global climate change. 3
NLC & PMSE Formation
Meteoric
Ablation
Influx
UV
Nucleation e-
Meteoric Ice Crystal Ions PMSE
Dust
Sublimation
Condensation
Coagulation Nuclei
e- biteout
Deposition
NLC
Sublimation
Water
Vapor
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A Few Scientific Questions:
1. What are the condensation nuclei if any for NLC formation?
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Condensation Nuclei:
Meteoric Dust
Model Predictions:
July Concentration of Meteoric Dust
Model shows that Meteoric dust
is not the condensation nuclei
for NLC formation!
Requirements:
• Pointing in ram direction with • Suborbital spacecrafts allow for
velocity near 1 km/s between multiple flights throughout the
80-90 km. year and at different locations. 7
Particle Charging
Need to measure: Make measurement:
e- UV • Electron density (1) • At multiple solar
zenith angles,
Aerosol • Ion density (2)
varying the amount
• UV radiation (3) of UV.
e-
Ions • Aerosol charge
number density (4)
Mesospheric Aerosol
Langmuir Probe Positive Ion Probe UV Spectrometer Sampling Spectrometer
(1) (2) (3) (4)
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Spatial Variation in NLC
Suborbital Spacecraft can fly
NLC with wave structures caused horizontally through an NLC
by gravity waves / turbulence covering a large area.
Need to measure:
• Neutral air density
• Temperature
COmbined
Instrument for
Neutrals and
NLC have large spatial variation. Electrons
(CONE). Similar
Rockets only sample two
to an ionization
locations.
gauge.
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Conclusions
• Studying NLCs helps our understanding of the Sun-Earth
connection and possibly Global Climate Change.
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Thank you!
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