New Thermospheric Infrared Radiative Flux and Power Results From the SABER Experiment

The Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite measures the vertical distribution of infrared radiation emitted by various atmospheric gases (ozone, water vapor, nitric oxide, and carbon dioxide), providing important information about the radiation budget in the upper atmosphere. From these measurements, the infrared power and energy radiated by nitric oxide (NO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) have been computed. It has been demonstrated that NO, in particular, acts as a natural thermostat, providing a mechanism for solar storm energy to be lost from the atmosphere via infrared emission. A new version (Version 1.07) of the SABER data set has been released and new computations of flux, power and energy have been made with these data over the full mission timeline (2002-2008). A pubic database of the computed daily zonal power values is being developed. Cooling by the atomic oxygen fine structure line at 63 μm based on atmospheric model profiles will also be computed and included in the database. Results for the new data version and comparison with the previous version will be presented. The seven- year span of this data set provides information on long-term solar variability, and the inclusion of more recent data aids the search for evidence of the start of solar cycle 24. These data provide fundamental information on the climate of the thermosphere and enable detailed investigation of short and long-term variability as a function of latitude.