Two types of fundamental topological junctions of elements are deduced from a nonlinear thermodynamical model. Using this scheme, the possibility of a causal relation between fireballs and faint meteors as nonlinear sources on the one hand, and noctilucent clouds (NC) and Hoffmeister's enhanced airglow (EA) as complementary formative processes in the middle atmosphere and ionosphere, on the other hand, is examined. The principal role of the global atmospheric circulation in this relation is demonstrated. Such circulation in the mesosphere appears to prevent the neutral dust dissipated by fireballs from becoming an efficient agent in NLC generation. In this case, the behavior of ionized material deposited by both the bright and faint meteors is more probably controlled, as shown from the annual variation of the E sub s layer by the darkness of lunar eclipses and the global circulation of the lower thermosphere. The role of fireballs and neutral dust might be more significant as a source of EA phenomenon

Rajchl, J.

English

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266 
THE NONLINEAR THERMODYNAMICS OF METEORS, NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS, ENHANCED 
AIRGLOW AND GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION 
J. Rajchl 
Astronomical Institute 
Ondrejov, Czechoslovakia 
Abstract 
Two types of fundamental topological junctions of elements are deduced 
from a nonlinear thermodynamical model. Using this scheme we examined the 
possibility of a causal relation between fireballs and faint meteors as 
nonlinear sources on the one hand, and noctilucent clouds (NLC) and 
Hoffmeister's enhanced airglow (EA) as complementary formative processes in 
the middle atmosphere and ionosphere, on the other hand. The principal 
role of the global atmospheric circulation in this relation is 
demonstrated. Such circulation in the mesosphere appears to prevent the 
neutral dust dissipated by fireballs from becoming an efficient agent i n  
NLC generation. In this case, the behavior of ionized material deposited 
by both the bright and faint meteors is more probably controlled, as shown 
from the annual variation of the E, layer by the darkness of lunar eclipses 
and the global circulation of the lower thermosphere. The role of 
fireballs and neutral dust might be more significant as a source of the EA 
phenomenon. 
Details of this investigation will be published in the Bulletin of 
Astronomical Institutes of Czechoslovakia. 
From a recent investigation by the author of coincidences between very 
bright meteors -- fireballs and noctilucent cloud (NLC) occurrence, it 
appears that practically no such coincidences exist (Paper 11, RAJCHL, 
1985). The question arises, what might be the cause of this negative 
result? 
To answer this question, we have used a more general approach. From 
the author's thermodynamic model of meteors, published in Paper I (RAJCHL, 
1979), it follows that an intimate connection does exist between the so- 
called compound thermodynamic system and the Clifford algebra 
representation. This leads to the conclusion that it is not only in the 
dissipative phase of meteor interaction that the role of the atmosphere is 
crucial. However, especially in the following formative phase, when 
deposited meteor material acts on the atmosphere, it is the dynamics of the 
atmosphere, represented in the model by vector products (namely, rotors 
contained in the Clifford product (CASANOVA, 1979)), and realized to the 
first approximation by the global circulation of the mesosphere and lower 
thermosphere, which is of fundamental importance (Paper 11.) 
It is widely accepted that the nucleation process leading to NLC 
generation in middle latitudes is nonhomogeneous and of a nonlinear nature 
(GADSDEN, 1982). Therefore, the nonlinear extension of our former 
thermodynamic approach, as used in Paper 11, is necessary. Two forms of 
such extension are used: the network thermodynamics representation with 
bond graphs (OSTER et al., 1973) and the time derivative of the original 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19880005156 2020-03-20T09:10:56+00:00Z
26 7 
linear compound system of Paper I; thus, for such a nonsecond form of 
extension this means that the overall change of entropy production in such 
a nonlinear compound system S becomes proportional to the sum of terms fJ, 
XJ, f*J*, and X*J*; X and J are the forces of interaction with the 
atmosphere and the flow of meteor matter, respectively (represented e.g., 
by the mean velocity) in the dissipative phase of the meteor -- atmosphere 
interaction, and X* and J* are the same quantities for the formative 
phase. In other words, the formative process in the atmosphere, as induced 
by meteors, is represented by the response of the atmosphere to the 
dissipation of meteor matter as a source. The nonlinear compound system 
contains two different types of dissipative and formative terms. 
Both above-mentioned thermodynamic nonlinear representations contain 
fundamental topological features in the form of serial (s )  and parallel (p) 
junctions of sources and responses. From Paper I it follows that the 
following are acceptable nonlinear sources: fireballs and faint meteors. 
The atmosphere is considered global: both the northern and southern 
hemispheres are included. 
From observational data collected by the European Network for fireball 
photography in the northern hemisphere (CEPLECHA, 1977), and those 
published in the SEAN Bulletin (1976-1980), we found that the maximum of a 
number of fireballs is in winter in the northern hemisphere. As no 
systematic fireball observation data exist for the southern hemisphere, we 
used an intimate analogy between fireballs and meteorites to estimate their 
approximate number in this hemisphere. A recent study by HALLIDAY and 
GRIFFIN (1982) shows that the maximum of fireballs (if analogous to 
meteorites) would occur in the southern hemisphere a half year later than 
in the northern. Thus, it seems that fireballs manifest -- in respect to 
both hemispheres -- a nonsimultaneous, i.e., serial junction of maxima of 
occurrence. 
On the other hand, faint meteors represented by radar meteors (ELFORD, 
1965) show their number maxima simultaneously in winter and in summer in 
both hemispheres, therefore in a parallel junction. 
From Paper 111 (RAJCHL, 1985), it is apparent that possibly two 
adequate responses to the above-mentioned two sources may be observable in 
the form of NLC and the so-called enhanced airglow (EA)  phenomenon 
(HOFFMEISTER, 1958). Both phenomena constitute a complementary s-p system, 
analogous to the system of soruces. That is to say, the NLC are present 
only in the summer season in both hemispheres (GADSDEN, 1982), i.e., in a 
serial configuration, while EA are observed simultaneously in both the 
northern and southern hemispheres, therefore in a p-junction. 
Now, if we introduce the global circulation of the mesosphere and 
lower thermosphere connected with subsequent vertical transport, we obtain 
throughout the whole year a situation demonstrated schematically in Table I 
(global circulation) and Table I1 (vertical transport) (ILICHOV and 
PORTNYAGIN, 1977, Papers I1 and 111). According to NECHITAILENKO (1979), 
the direction of vertical transport is the same for netural and ionized 
material only for heights < 80 km. Higher in the atmosphere it is mutually 
opposite for both species. 
268 
Season 
Hemisphere 
winter I summer 
north. south. 
Table I. 
horth. south 
Height 
in km 
> 80 W E W  
< 80 w E 
W - cyclonic 
W E W  
- 
L W 
E - anticyclonic type-of global circulation 
< 80 
Table 11. 
7 
Height 
in km 
winter 
I 
summer 
I 
Season winter 
Hemisphere I north. 
I 
Observed 
Phenomena 
1 
I EA 
summer 
south. 
EA NLC 
summer winter 
north. south. 
J. i t  
I 
I 
/'EA/NLC /EA/ I 
/EA/ means the EA of smaller intensity. 
f means transport of neutral material 
means transport of ionized material 
269 
The Tables show that the majority of fireballs, which deposit ablated 
material (neutral dust and ions) at altitudes lower than the NLC level, is, 
because of the prevalent downward global transport in summer, incapable of 
directly influencing the NLC nucleation process. This conclusion is 
confirmed also by the minimal dust concentration in the whole atmosphere up 
to the 120-km height level in summer, as deduced from lunar eclipses 
photometric observations (LINK, 1955). Moreover, if we estimate the mean 
velocity of vertical transport from the delay between the global 
circulation reversal and the subsequent change of dust content in the 
atmosphere, we find a value of - 4 cm/s, i.e., the same value as obtained 
by other methods. 
The meteor material transported upwards to the 120-km level in winter 
is more likely to be involved in the EA phenomenon, while the downward 
transport of ionized material, deposited mainly by faint meteors in heights 
abolit 100 km, it probably the source of NLC nuclei. This result seems to 
be substantiated also by the observed downward transport towards the E, 
layer in summertime (ROYRVIK, 1983). Another fact may support the ions as 
the main cause of NLC nucleation: the short break in the global 
circulation of the lower thermosphere caused by the spring type of 
circulation result in upward ion transport. The return of the 
thermospheric circulation to westerly at the end of May, or the beginning 
of June, renews the downward transport of ions into the NLC level. This 
time coincides very closely with the beginning of the season of NLC 
observations in midlatitudes. Thus, it seems that in addition to the low 
temperature, this onset of downward transport of ions may be another 
important condition for the occurrence of NLC. 
Thus, we may conclude that: 1) Even though such "locall' processes as 
-,, turbulence, internal gravity waves, etc. may be of higher intensity than 
the relatively fainter global-circulation-induced transport processes, to a 
first approximation, the global circulation may lead to consequences of 
fundamental importance relating meteors to atmosphere phenomena. 
2 )  It seems that deposition of meteor ions is connected with NLC 
initiation, and neutral dust with EA phenomena. 
3) If secondary relations are omitted, the fireballs (s-sources) are 
connected with EA (p*-phenomena) and faint meteors (p-sources) with NLC 
(s*-phenomena); so that some type of a cross-complementarity 6-p*, p-s* 
arises. For the principal interactions (the secondary ones are omitted) we 
obtain the following nonlinear thermodynamic scheme: 
An analogous scheme is known also in network thermodynamics (OSTER et al., 
1973); when adapted to our problem, it is of the following form: 
2 70 
f a i n t  meterors @R Fireballs 
J X 
X P 
NLC @N EA 
where X , J , x  and P are f o r c e s ,  f l o w s ,  d i s p l a c e m e n t s  and i m p u l s e s ,  
r e s p e c t i v e l y .  h, $, 4c, % are i n d i v i d u a l  c o n n e c t i o n s ,  r e p r e s e n t e d  i n  
t h e  form of t h e  s o - c a l l e d  c o n s t i t u t i v e  r e l a t i o n s :  
%(X,J)  = 0 ,  %(J ,P )  = 0 ,  +c(X,x> = 0 ,  %(P,X) = 0 
It is a p p a r e n t  t h a t  both schemes are i n t e r r e l a t e d .  Combining t h e  r e s u l t s  
of the p r e s e n t  paper  w i t h  t h o s e  of t h e  network thermodynamics of OSTER e t  
a l .  (1973) ,  we  may o b t a i n  some a d d i t i o n a l  c o n c l u s i o n s :  
4 )  The s o u r c e s ,  i n  t h e  same way as e n e r g e t i c  t r a n s a c t i o n s ,  are 
c h a r a c t e r i z e d  by t h e  c o n s t i t u t i v e  r e l a t i o n  h ( X , J )  = 0, o r  by d i s s i p a t i o n  
( X . J )  f 0. The product  (P.x) f 0 is t y p i c a l  f o r  responses .  Connect ions 
between s o u r c e s  and r e s p o n s e s  are t h e n  r e a l i z e d ,  i n  g e n e r a l ,  by t h e  ( X . x ) ,  
i.e., v i r i a l  and (J .P)- impulse products .  Applying t h i s  knowledge t o  o u r  
case, we f i n d  t h a t  t h e  connec t ion  between f a i n t  meteors  and NLC (scheme 11) 
i s  of t h e  form of t h i s  v i r i a l ,  e s p e c i a l l y  as it a p p l i e s  t o  t h e  NLC 
n u c l e a t i o n ,  as widely accepted .  On t h e  o t h e r  hand, t h e  impulse  i n t e r a c t i o n  
i s  v a l i d  f o r  t h e  f i reba l l -EA connect ion .  U n f o r t u n a t e l y ,  no more can be  
s a i d  about  t h e  p r e c i s e  mechanisms of e i t h e r  t h e  v i r i a l  o r  t h e  impulse 
i n t e r a c t i o n s  from t h i s  scheme a lone .  
5 )  The q u a n t i t i e s  t h a t  are c o n s t a n t  are t h e  f lows  J f o r  f i r e b a l l s  and 
f o r c e s  X f o r  f a i n t  meteors; f o r  NLC t h e r e  are d i s p l a c e m e n t s  x; f o r  EA 
i m p u l s e s ,  P.A comparison w i t h  i n d i v i d u a l  terms of t h e  n o n l i n e a r  compound 
sys tem i m p l i e s  that  t h e  q u a n t i t i e s  c o n j u g a t e  t o  t h e  above-mentioned 
c o n s t a n t s ,  i.e., X t o  J f o r  f i r e b a l l s ,  J t o  X f o r  f a i n t  meteors ,  etc. can 
change w i t h  t i m e .  T h e r e f o r e ,  from t h e  schemes ( I )  and (11) and t h e  
n o n l i n e a r  compound system terms a l l  combined t o g e t h e r  w i t h  o b s e r v a t i o n s ,  we 
may i n f e r  t h a t ,  e.g., fJ corresponds  t o  f i r e b a l l s  and t h e  s - j u n c t i o n  and X J  
t o  f a i n t  meteors  and t h e  p- junc t ion ,  and so on. 
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The nonlinear thermodynamics of meteors, noctilucent clouds, enhanced airglow and global atmospheric circulation

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