Concentration of hydrogen in upper atmosphere according to ionospheric dat

Fatkullin, M. N.

English

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Contract No.NAS-5-12487 
ST-AM-AI - 10763 
CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF THE 
EARTH IN THE 300-600 KM ALTITUDE RANGE ACCORDING 
TO IONOSPHERIC DATA 
bY 
M. N. Fatkullin 
(USSR) 
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CFSTI PRICE(S) S 
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10 OCTOBER 1968 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19680026158 2020-03-12T06:52:00+00:00Z
\ 
ST -AM -AI -10763 
CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF THE 
EARTH IN THE 300-600 KM ALTITUDE RANGE ACCORDING 
TO IONOSPHERIC DATA 
Kosmicheskiye Issledovaniya 
Tom 6 ,  vyp.3, 407 - 410, 
I zda t el ' s tvo "NAUKA" , 19 68 
SUMMARY 
by M. N. Fatkullin 
Utilizing the results of rocket and satellite investigations of the 
ionic composition of the outer part of the Fn-region of the ionosphere 
and of measurements of atomic oxygen concentration at corresponding heights, 
estimates are presented of hydrogen concentration in the 300 - 600 km altitude 
range during solar activity minimum. 
estimated values of hydrogen concentration and the results of direct measure- 
ments. 
Comparison is also made between the 
* 
* *  
According to data of ionosphere investigations, the altitude distribu- 
tion of neutral hydrogen concentration n(h, H) may be estimated from measu- 
rements of the ionic composition of the medium, in particular of hydrogen 
ion H+ concentrations, the latter forming and vanishing in the course of 
reactions of asymmetrical resonance transfer of the charge [l] 
H + O + = = = H + + O  (1) 
and of atomic oxygen O+. These estimates are based upon the equation 
aF (H+) - -_ 
ah ' - S(H+) - L (H+) - 
an (H+) 
dl 
determining the altitude-time distribution n(-@). in equation (2) 
S(H+) = k(H, O+)n(H)n(O+), 
L(H+) = k(H+, O)n(H+)n(O),  
2 
represent respectively the source, the losses and flux of ions H': k are 
the coefficients of reactions rates (11, u(H+> is the vertical velocity com- 
ponent of the directed motion of protons, D(H+> is the diffusion coefficient, 
H is the scale height. 
In the outer part of the F2-region of the ionosphere (h N 300 - 600 km) 
the s.ettling time of chemically equilibrium distribution of ion H+ concentra- 
tion (S = L ) ,  determined as -rl = l/k(H+, O)n(O), constitutes a few tens or 
less minutes, while the settling time of diffusive equilibrium distribution 
[u(H+) = 01 is 
TZ % Hz(H+) / D(H+) % 103 i 101 min. 
More detailed data on the orders of magnitudes of T~ and T~ in daytime (about 
1600 hours LT) at various heights are compiled in Table l(*): 
T A B L E  1 
:haracteristics 
-t 
n(H+)ln(O+) 
n ( O ) ,  ca-9 
Ti ,  O K  
T, "K 
rt ,min 
n(H), cnc-3 
n(ti), c.46- 
tT z Ti) 
n( 13) , CJ@ 
n(li), cJ6-s 
n(li), ca-8  
n( l3) .  c.44-J 
9tn 
(T = Ti )  
(T = 860" K) 
(T = 838" K) 
( T  = 990" K) 
f T  = 1000°K\ 
' n( I I) ,  c.w-8.' 
(T =1000" K) - 
300 
6,s IO-' 
1,0.108 
970 
880 
4,2- 10-1 
1,7 * 104 
2,5 - 10" 
5,8-10' 
5,5 * 106 
7,60 * 104 
3,20 - 100 
2 30.10' 
- 
- 
altitude 
400 
1,1.10- 
1,6*107 
1100 
880 
2 ,,G * 100 
1, ti. 105 
6, so. 104 
2,82.104 
2,o~. 104 
!I,  3 - 103 
6,4 * 10-5 
1,4* 105 
- 
- 
km 
500 
2,5- 10- 
2,4*106 
1370 
880 
1,7*101 
4,0.10$ 
4,2 - 10-3 
5, G - 10' 
4,s- 104 
5,60* I O '  
2,49 * 104 
1,86 * I O 4  
2,70.10J 
7.5.10' 
600 
5,2* 10" 
4,O. 105 
1670 
880 
1,0.102 
2,5 * 109 
3,5 * 10-2 
1,8.104 
1,3*10' 
4,98.104 
2,21.104 
1,67.104 
- 
- 
On the other hand, at considered heights, the term of motion in Eq.(2) 
is much smaller by comparison with S and L, since (see Table 1) 
8F (Ti+) / ah  
ar( H+) /8k D (H+) 
D (H+) 12 (H+) 
-*I, 
I S(H-') IZ (O+) n ( H)H2 (H+) 1- 
L (I{+) k (H+, 0 )  IZ (0)  H2( H+) 
(*> see this remark at the end of the paper. 
' . , .I . 
3 
Therefore ,  i t  i s  c lear  t h a t  i n  Eq .  (2) 
Under t h e s e  cond i t ions  Eq.(2) has t h e  fol lowing s imple s o l u t i o n s :  
n(H+) 9 n(H) 
n(O+) - 8  n ( 0 )  
_- (4) 
a t  e q u a l i t y  of i o n  temperatures  T~ = T ~ ( H + )  = T ~ ( o + ) ,  of n e u t r a l  p a r t i c l e s '  
T [6 ]  and 
9 u(H) ( Ti(0+)/16 -k T --- ia (H-k) 
n(O+)  8 n ( 0 )  : Ti(H+)+T/16 ( 5 )  
f o r  T i  # T [7]. 
T ,  n(H+)/n(Of),  w e  may estimate from (4) and (5) t h e  va lue  of n(h ,  H). 
For t h i s  estimate w e  u t i l i z e  t h e  r e s u l t s  of measurements of t h e  requi red  
q u a n t i t i e s  w i th  r e fe rence  t o  a p e r i o d  c l o s e  t o  s o l a r  a c t i v i t y  minimum. 
I n  t h e  presence of information on t h e  va lues  of n(O), T i ,  
The measurements of n(h ,  0) were conducted wi th  t h e  he lp  of mass-spec- 
t rometers  on AES "EXPLORER-17" during Apr i l  and May 1963 [8 ] .  
s i n g  of t h e  d a t a  r e l a t e d  t o  1100 - 2000 hours  LT and t h e  a l t i t u d e  range 260 - - 600 km by t h e  method of l eas t  squares  allowed u s  t o  o b t a i n  f o r  t h e  d i s t r i -  
bu t ion  n (h ,  0) t h e  fol lowing expression:  
The proces- 
whence i t  is  easy  t o  f i n d  t h e  es t imate  T 880'K. 
Severa l  measurements of ion  composition of t h e  ou te r  p a r t  of t h e  F2- 
r eg ion  of t h e  ionosphere w e r e  performed by v a r i o u s  methods, u t i l i z i n g  radio-  
f requency mass-spectrometers on AES "ELEKTRON-2" [ 5 ]  (10 t o  16 February 1964, 
h ' =  440 - 1800 km, t = 1400 - 1900 hours LT) ,  of incoherent  radiowave scat- 
t e r i n g  [9] (December 1964 and J u l y  1965, h = 450 - 1200 km, a t  middle l a t i -  
tudes  and i n  magnetoquiet days) and of nagne t i c  mass-spectrometer on a rocke t  
1101 ( 1 7  January 1964, h = 200 - 926 km, t = 00 hours  LT, a t  middle l a t i t u d e s ) .  
The r e s u l t s  of c a l c u l a t i o n s  of two v a r i a n t s  of n(h ,  H) d i s t r i b u t i o n  a t  
about  1600 hours  LT, r e l a t e d  r e spec t ive ly  t o  condi t ions  T = T i  and T # T i ,  
are compiled i n  T a b l e ' l .  The ind ica ted  d i s t r i b u t i o n  of T i  w a s  borrowed from 
[ZL]. The takliig i n t o  account of ion and n c i t r a l  temperatures  affects l i t t l e  
t h e  d i s t r i b u t i o n  n(h ,  H ) ;  f o r  example, on h N 500 km, two d i s t r i b u t i o n  va- 
r i a n t s  d i f f e r  on ly  by a f a c t o r  of  'L1.2.  
Comparison of ionospher ic  es t imates  of n(h ,  H) f o r  daytime condi t ions  
w i t h  model c a l c u l a t i o n s  of [12-141 shows a good agreement wi th  those  of [12] 
4 
W + ) l n ( O + )  -
n(O) ,  CAS-3 
n(H), w - 3  
(T = Ti) 
f o r  h = 500 km [12] ( see  Table  1 ) .  
cm-3 a t  T = 1000°K [15],  is apparent ly  somewhat over ra ted .  
However, t h e  va lue  n(500, H) = 7 . 5 0 1 0 ~  
1 ,o 393 10.0 
i,ii. 107 I ,40- 107 I, 35.107 
I ,25.107 4,s. 106 I, 52 -106 
L e t  u s  now cons ider  t h e  n i g h t  condi t ions .  The d a t a  processing of [SI, 
r e l a t e d  t o  t h e  d i s t r i b u t i o n  of n (h ,  0) i n  n i g h t  hours  (2200-0400 hours  LT) 
i n  t h e  a l t i t u d e  range 300 - 680 km, a l s o  applying t h e  method of l eas t  squares ,  
r e s u l t e d  i n  t h e  express ion  
n(O) ,  cra-3 
n(H), ca-3 
(T = 670 O K )  
n(II), c~a-3 
[H(O) 47.6 km corresponds t o  thermosphere temperature  T N 760°K]. 
I n  t h e  near-midnight hours  n(450, 0) = 4 . 8 6 0 1 0 ~  ~ m - ~ .  According t o  [9]  
a t  t h e  same he igh t  n(H+) / n(O+) = 0.6. Under t h e s e  condi t ions ,  a t  midnight 
n(450, H) = 2.6*106 
1,91*107 5,.57-106 1,66.108 
4, 10.105 3,75.105 3,50.105 
I., 70.107 I, 63.107 I ,G ,107 
I 
The r e s u l t s  of estimates of n(h,  H) a t  midnight according t o  d a t a  of [ l o ]  
and t h e  express ion  (7) are compiled i n  Table  2 . ,  where w e  f i n d  a l s o  t h e  es t i -  
mates of n (h ,  H) based upon t h e  da t a  of [ l o ]  and o the r  model d i s t r i b u t i o n s  of 
n (h ,  0) [12, 131 (*)It should be noted t h a t  t h e  d i s t r i b u t i o n  of p(h ,  O), pre- 
ass igned  by express ion  ( 7 ) ,  ag rees  w e l l  w i th  t h e  models of [12 & 131 on t h e  
h e i g h t s  cons idered  ( t h e  divergences do not  exceed a f a c t o r  of Q 2) .  The es- 
timetes of n (h ,  H) i n  t h e  near-midnight hours  according t o  t h e  d i s t r i b u t i o n  
of n(H+) / n(0') [ l o ]  l e a d  t o  va lues  which are a t  leas t  by two o r d e r s  g r e a t e r  
t han  t h e  model ones [12-151. 
n ( O ) ,  c.~c-S 
n( 1%). c r 0  
n(H), c . 0  
(T = 840 O K )  
(T = 750 "K) 
n(Hj, c . 0  
(T = 700 O K )  
n(Ii), rM-3 
-.- 
T A B L E  2 
.2,64.107 - 3,71*1W 
2,35-107 - 3,30* 10' 
2,82-1@ - 2,49.104 
- - 2,os. 105 
- - I  - I --!*5*i05 
.. I 1 -- t--- - 1 I I .  
The experimental  d a t a  on hydrogen concen t r a t ion  on t h e  he igh t  considered 
o r  c l o s e  t o  them are obta ined  from t h e  observa t ions  of La-emission and measu- 
rements  of atmosphere dens i ty .  
of n (h ,  H) can be found i n  t h e  papers [15, 161. 
A review of d a t a  a v a i l a b l e  on t h e  d i s t r i b u t i o n  
_ _ _  
C*) and t h e  r e s u l t s  of model c a l c u l a t i o n s  [12-151 
5 
The determination of hydrogen concentration by atmosphere density leads 
to clearly overrated values. Thus, for example, it was obtained according to 
the density measured by sensorsinstalledonboard "Explorer-17" [17] that in 
April-June 1963 at 900 km altitude, n(H) u lo7 ~m'~. 
Mass-spectrometric observations of atmosphere composition were lately 
conducted on "Explorer-32" in the h N 290-1000 km altitude range [18]. Ac- 
cording to this report the typical value n(H) = 2*106 c~n-~was regsitered at 
0900 hours local time at an altitude h = 300 km. If we combined the data of 
[19] with the results of our own estinates, we would obtain for h = 300 km 
a daily course for n(H) (t = 2200-0400 h.LT. t = 0900 h, 
n(H) = 2*106 ~m'~; n(H) N 5.105 ~m-~), qualitatively 
agreeing with the daily variations of the temperature of the thermosphere. 
n(H) = lo7 cmm3; 
t = 1100-2000 h. LT, 
Manuscript received on 
23 ctober 1967 
(*) NOTE from page 3 (infrapaginal) 
When estimating the values of T 1 , ~ ~ , 6 ~  the diffusion coefficients of H+ 
ions in a gas of ions O+ and through a neutral oxygenous atmosphere was res- 
pectively determined as ["] D(Il+, U+) w9.:3.10TZ'~/n(o+) and D ( H + . O )  = 2.1.10'aT'/z/n(0), 
whereupon D(H+j = D(€I+, O+)D(H+, O)/[D(II'. 0") 1- D(M+, O)]. According t o  ionospheric 
estimates k(H+, 0) = 4.0*10"0cm3~sec-' [3]. 
measurements [4] at TI = Ti(O+) = Ti(H+) 1700"K, k(H+,O) 7*10-'0cm3*sec~'. 
The first value of k(H+, 0) was admitted. 
computed by the relative concentration of ions 0' [5] and N(h)-profile at 
middle latitudes for 10 May 1963 at 1632 h. LT, obtained during external sound- 
ing of the ionosphere from AES "Alouette". Expression (6) was taken for the 
distribution of n(h, 0). 
According to data of laboratory 
The distribution of n(h, O+) was 
Contract No.NAS-5-12487 
VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES, INC. 
1145 - 19th St.NW 0 
WASHINGTON D.C. 20036. 
Tel: 223-6700 (X-36) 
Translated by ANDRE L. BRICHANT 
on 10 October 1968 
References follow../.. 
ST- AM- A I  - 10763 6 
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Concentration of Hydrogen in the Upper Atmosphere of the Earth in the 300-600 Km Altitude Range According to Ionospheric Data

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