First investigation of ambient positive-ion composition to 219 km by rocket-borne spectrometer

Abstract

The ambient positive-ion composition of the upper atmosphere in the range 8 to 49 atomic mass units (AMU) was measured between 93 and 219 km by means of a Bennett radio-frequency mass spectrometer. The experiment was flown in the Navy Viking 10 rocket, launched from White Sands Proving Ground, Las Cruces, New Mexico, at 10h 00m MST, May 7, 1954. The most prominent ion peaks found between 93 and 124 km on the ascent were at 16, 26, 30, and 32 AMU. Other less prominent peaks occurred at 12, 18, 19, 21, 23, 38, and 45 AMU. From 124 to 219 km, ions of 16 and 32 AMU persisted. The results of this investigation are to be considered preliminary and need further verification, not only because the data were obtained from only one flight, but also because of complications introduced by a charge acquired by the rocket and by the evolution of gas from the rocket.