Neutral composition variation above 400 kilometers during a magnetic storm.
Examination of data from the neutral atmospheric composition experiment launched aboard Ogo 6, June 5, 1969, for the period from Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, 1969. Several magnetic storms occurred during this time, and the response of the neutral atmosphere to the energy deposition causing these storms was studied. The data indicate that the major portion of the energy is deposited at high latitudes, causing enhancements in N2 densities corresponding to Jacchia (1970) temperature increases on the order of 400 to 500 K. The time difference between atmospheric response and magnetic activity appears to be very short at high latitudes. The O/N2 ratio variations suggest dynamic processes that cause a circulation in the atmosphere that is upward at the pole with subsidence at the equator.