Metals in the mesosphere: chemistry and change
Abstract
The meteoric metal layers (e.g. Na, Fe, K and Ca) - which form as a result of the ablation of incoming meteors - act as unique tracers for chemical and dynamical processes that occur within the upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere region. This presentation examines whether these metal layers are sensitive indicators of longer-term changes within the upper atmosphere. Output from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) is used to assess the response of the Na, K and Fe layers across a 50-year period (1955-2005), while both model and observational data (satellite and lidar) is used to assess the response of the Na and K layers to the 11-year solar cycle extending between 2004-2013. On short time-scales, the K layer exhibits a very different seasonal behaviour compared to the other metals. This unusual behaviour is also exhibited at longer time-scales (both the 11-yr solar cycle and 50-yr periods); K displays a much more pronounced response to atmospheric changes at a 50-yr time scale than either Na or Fe. Underpinning this modelling work are two new laboratory systems developed at Leeds. First, a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with laser photo-ionization has been used to study the reactions of neutral metallic compounds in the gas phase which are not detectable by conventional spectroscopic probes. This has enabled significant advances in Na layer chemistry to be made. The second is a flowing afterglow/laser ablation experiment which has been used to study the dissociative recombination of metallic ions such as FeO ^{+} and CaO ^{+} with electrons; these processes are particularly important for modelling the phenomenon of sporadic metal layers.
- Publication:
-
41st COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016cosp...41E1568P