Ion photochemistry of the thermosphere from Atmosphere Explorer C measurements

Abstract

A detailed description is presented of the formation and removal processes of O+ ions in the upper atmosphere, and a model is constructed of the ion chemistry of the quiet ionosphere. The model is used in conjunction with the solar ultraviolet reference spectrum of Hinteregger and the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite data on the ion and electron temperatures and on the composition of the neutral atmosphere to predict the altitude profiles of the densities of O+, N2+, NO+, and O2+. The predicted ion densities are in harmony with the ion densities measured during representative mid-latitude daytime orbits by ion mass spectrometers carried aboard the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite.