SOFIE observations of PMCs and meteoric smoke

The Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) has operated onboard the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite since May 2007. SOFIE uses solar occultation to measure vertical profiles of limb path atmospheric transmission within 16 spectral bands between 0.29 and 5.32 microns wavelength. SOFIE measurements are used to retrieve PMC extinction at ultraviolet (UV) through infrared (IR) wavelengths, meteoric smoke extinction at UV - near-IR wavelengths, temperature, and the abundance of five gaseous species (O3, H2O, CO2, CH4, and NO). Recent developments in understanding PMCs and meteoric smoke have been possible using SOFIE observations at 330 nm wavelength. These measurements provide information concerning PMC particle size, and also have provided observational evidence for the composition of meteoric smoke.