Jörg Gumbel

Evidence for interhemispheric stratosphere‐mesosphere coupling derived from noctilucent cloud properties

Evidence for interhemispheric stratosphere-mesosphere coupling derived from noctilucent cloud properties

Global and temporal distribution of meteoric smoke: A two-dimensional simulation study

[1] Meteoric material entering Earth’s atmosphere ablates in the mesosphere and is then expected to recondense into tiny so-called ‘‘smoke particles.’’ These particles are thought to be of great importance for middle atmosphere phenomena like noctilucent clouds, polar mesospheric summer echoes, metal layers, and heterogeneous chemistry. Commonly used one-dimensional (1-D) meteoric smoke profiles refer to average global conditions and yield of the order of a thousand nanometer sized particles per cubic centimeter at the mesopause, independent of latitude and time of year. Using the first two-dimensional model of both coagulation and transport of meteoric material we here show that such profiles are too simplistic, and that the distribution of smoke particles indeed is dependent on both latitude and season. The reason is that the atmospheric circulation, which cannot be properly handled by 1-D models, efficiently transports the particles to the winter hemisphere and down into the polar vortex. Using the assumptions commonly used in 1-D studies results in number densities of nanometer sized particles of around 4000 cm �3 at the winter pole, while very few particles remain at the Arctic summer mesopause. If smoke particles are the only nucleation kernel for ice in the mesosphere this would imply that there could only be of the order of 100 or less ice particles cm �3 at the Arctic summer mesopause. This is much less than the ice number densities expected for the formation of ice phenomena (noctilucent clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes) that commonly occur in this region. However, we find that especially the uncertainty of the amount of material that is deposited in Earth’s atmosphere imposes a large error bar on this number, which may allow for number densities up to 1000 cm � 3 near the polar summer mesopause. This efficient transport of meteoric material to the winter hemisphere and down into the polar vortex results in higher concentrations of meteoric material in the Arctic winter stratosphere than previously thought. This is of potential importance for the formation of the so-called stratospheric condensation nuclei layer and for stratospheric nucleation processes.

Simulation of rocket‐borne particle measurements in the mesosphere

Nanometer-sized meteoric smoke particles and ice condensates are thought to influence the chemistry in the 80–120 km altitude region and to play an important role in the evolution of Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes and Noctlucent Clouds. In this paper we show that aerodynamic perturbations introduced by a rocket payload complicate the analysis of dust measurements in this region. We analyze the flow of particles by applying a combined numerical simulation of flight aerodynamics and particle evolution. We show that for typical velocities of 500–1000 ms−1, the detection efficiency drops below 50% for smoke particles with radii 0.8–1.4 nm and for ice clusters with radii 2–5 nm, depending on the rockets angle of attack. The particles are exposed to heating in the shock region, resulting in significant mass loss for ice condensates due to sublimation. Our simulations indicate that a substantial fraction of the expected nm sized meteoric smoke particles could be detected with refined instrumentation.

In situ measurements of the vertical structure of a noctilucent cloud

During the NLC-93 rocket campaign at Esrange, Sweden, the vertical structure of a noctilucent cloud layer has been investigated in situ. As in earlier rocket flights, combinations of scattered light detectors and electrostatic impact probes have been applied. While the photometric measurement provides the total downward radiance scattered from the cloud particles, the impact probe yields local information about the particle properties. The responses of both techniques scale differently with the particle size. This feature is utilized to derive information about the height dependence of the particle population. The analysis of three NLC passages indicates little vertical variation of the population throughout most of the layer. The lower part of the cloud is characterized by an increase in particle size and a decrease in particle density towards the cloud base. This is to be expected for an NLC brightness peak caused by large particles sedimenting out of the cloud. Implications for the dynamical structure of the cloud are discussed.

Rocket-borne in situ measurements of meteor smoke: Charging properties and implications for seasonal variation

Rocket-borne observations of meteoric smoke particles (MSPs) are presented from three campaigns at polar latitudes (69 degrees N) in September 2006, and in the summers of 2007 and 2008. MSPs are detected using a novel technique based on photoelectron emission from the particles after stimulation by UV photons emitted by a xenon flashlamp. Resulting photoelectron currents are shown to be proportional to particle volume density. September results match model predictions qualitatively at altitudes from 65 to 85 km while measurements at higher altitudes are contaminated by photoelectrons from NO and O-2((1)Delta(g)). Contamination below this altitude can be excluded based on concurrent satellite observations. The observations show a large variability from flight to flight. Part of this variability can be attributed to differences in the charging of MSPs during day and night. Finally we find that MSP volume density in summer can exceed that during September. Analyzing model simulations of the global transport and microphysics of these particles, we show that our observations are in agreement with the model predictions, even though number densities of particles with radii >1 nm, which have long been thought to be suitable condensation nuclei for mesospheric ice particles, show the opposite behavior. It is shown that this discrepancy is caused by the fact that even larger particles (similar to 3 nm) dominate the volume density and that transport affects these different particle sizes in different ways. These results reinforce previous model findings according to which seasonal MSP variability is mainly driven by the global circulation and corresponding transport.

Scattering phase functions and particle sizes in noctilucent clouds

The MIDAS-DROPPS campaign conducted in Norway in 1999 provided a comprehensive study of the high-latitude summer mesopause region with rocket-borne and ground-based instrumentation. Optical photometers were flown on two rocket payloads through substantially different mesospheric conditions. On both flights, distinct noctilucent cloud (NLC) layers were detected. We present the first analysis of NLC scattering phase functions observed from sounding rockets. Applying Mie calculations, the angular dependence of the scattering is used to extract information about particle sizes. The first flight featured a weak NLC with small particles (r ≤ 20 nm) located below the core of a strong polar mesosphere radar echo (PMSE). The second flight took place in the absence of any detectable PMSE and probed a bright NLC optically dominated by particles in the size range 40–50 nm.

DROPPS: A study of the polar summer mesosphere with rocket, radar and lidar

DROPPS (The Distribution and Role of Particles in the Polar Summer Mesosphere) was a highly coordinated international study conducted in July, 1999 from the Norwegian rocket range (Andoya, Norway). Two sequences of rockets were launched. Each included one NASA DROPPS payload, containing instruments to measure the electrodynamic and optical properties of dust/aerosol layers, accompanied by European payloads (MIDAS, Mini-MIDAS, and/or Mini-DUSTY) to study the same structures in a complementary manner. Meteorological rockets provided winds and temperature. ALOMAR lidars and radars (located adjacent to the launch site) monitored the mesosphere for noctilucent clouds (NLCs) and polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSEs), respectively. EISCAT radars provided PMSE and related information at a remote site (Tromso, Norway). Sequence 1 (5–6 July) was launched into a strong PMSE with a weak NLC present; sequence 2 (14 July) occurred during a strong NLC with no PMSE evident. Here we describe program details along with preliminary results.

Aerodynamic influences on atmospheric in situ measurements from sounding rockets

Sounding rockets are essential tools for studies of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. However, in situ measurements from rockets are potentially subject to a number of perturbations related to the gas flow around the vehicle. This paper reviews the aerodynamic principles behind these perturbations. With respect to both data analysis and experiment design, there is a substantial need for improved understanding of aerodynamic effects. Any such analysis is complicated by the different flow regimes experienced during a rocket flight through the rarefied environment of the mesosphere and thermosphere. Numerical studies are presented using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach, which is based on a tracing of individual molecules. Complementary experiments have been performed in a low-density wind tunnel. These experiments are crucial for the development of appropriate model parameterization. However, direct similarity between scaled wind tunnel results and arbitrary atmospheric flight conditions is usually difficult to achieve. Density, velocity, and temperature results are presented for different payload geometries and flow conditions. These illustrate a wide range of aerodynamic effects representative for rocket flights in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

Retrieval of global mesospheric sodium densities from the Odin satellite

Satellite observations of the Na D dayglow at 589 nm provide a global database for the climatology of the mesospheric sodium layer. More than five years of Na D limb observations are available from ...

Wintertime water vapor in the polar upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere: First satellite observations by Odin submillimeter radiometer

In this paper we present Odin submillimeter radiometer (Odin/SMR) water vapor measurements in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere with focus on the polar latitudes in winter. Measurements since 2003 have been compiled to provide a first overview of the water vapor distribution in this altitude range. Our observations show a distinct seasonal increase of the water vapor concentration during winter at a given altitude above 90 km. Above 95 km the observations exhibit the annual water vapor maximum during wintertime. Model simulations from the Hamburg Model of the Neutral and Ionized Atmosphere (HAMMONIA) and the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model version 3 (WACCM3) show results that are very similar to the observations. We suggest that the observed increase in water vapor during winter is mainly caused by a combination of upwelling of moister air from lower altitudes and diffusion processes. Distinct interhemispheric differences in the winter water vapor distribution in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere can be observed, both in the observations and the model results. The seasonal water vapor increase in the polar regions is much more pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere winter where higher concentrations can be observed. This observation is most likely due to interhemispheric differences in the underlying dynamics and diffusion processes.