The "Rocket Experiment for Neutral Upwelling 2 (RENU2)" Sounding Rocket
Abstract
Thermospheric upwelling has been known to exist since the earliestdays of the space program, when observers noted increased satellite dragassociated with solar activity. Scientists quickly attributed the upwelling toJoule heating effects, explaining that increased solar activity results inincreased Joule heating, which can couple energy to the ambient neutral gasesto cause the upwelling. Observations by the CHAMP satellite, however, haveshown that neutral upwelling often occurs on much smaller scales and is highlycorrelated with small-scale field-aligned currents in the vicinity of the cuspregion. Several theories have since been put forward that seek to explain thisphenomenon. Motivated by these competing theories and outfitted with acomprehensive suite of instruments, the RENU2 sounding rocket was launched intoa Poleward Moving Auroral Form (PMAF) in the cusp region on December 13, 2015.In this highly successful mission, instruments on the payload did, in fact,record neutral atomic oxygen above the payload at 350 km as it passed throughthe PMAF. In addition, signatures of N2+ ions also appeared above the PMAF,evidence of so-called "sunlit aurora". In this presentation, initial resultswill be presented from this mission and discussed in the context describedabove.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMSM53A..05L
- Keywords:
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- 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- IONOSPHEREDE: 2704 Auroral phenomena;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICSDE: 2721 Field-aligned currents and current systems;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICSDE: 2736 Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS