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At least 37 records · Page 2

Effect of solar activity on the frequency of occurrence of major anomalies in the Arctic

Major air pressure and temperature anomalies in certain arctic regions were studied with a view toward predicting their occurrence. Correlations are sought between the frequency of arctic anomalies and solar activity, or specifically the Wolf number and the index of geomagnetic disturbance. Graphic techniques are used to show that solar activity has a definite influence on the frequency of occurrence of major anomalies of pressure and temperature in the Arctic.

Bolotinskaya, M. S.

A Time-Frequency Analysis of the Effects of Solar Activities on Tropospheric Thermodynamics

Whether the Sun has significantly influenced the climate during the last century has been under extensive debates for almost two decades. Since the solar irradiance varies very little in a solar cycle, it is puzzling that some geophysical parameters show proportionally large variations which appear to be responding to the solar cycles. For example, variation in low altitude clouds is shown correlated with solar cycle, and the onset of Forbush decrease is shown correlated with the reduction of the vorticity area index. A possible sun-climate connection is that galactic cosmic rays modulated by solar activities influence cloud formation. In this paper, we apply wavelet transform to satellite and surface data to examine this hypothesis. Data analyzed include the time series for solar irradiance, sunspots, UV index, temperature, cloud coverage, and neutron counter measurements. The interactions among the elements in the Earth System under the external and internal forcings give out very complex signals.The periodicity of the forcings or signals could range widely. Since wavelet transforms can analyze multi-scale phenomena that are both localized in frequency and time, it is a very useful technique for detecting, understanding and monitoring climate changes.

Kiang, Richard K.

Time-dependent model of the Martian atmosphere for use in orbit lifetime and sustenance studies

A time-dependent model of the Martian atmosphere suitable for calculation of long-term aerodynamic effects on low altitude satellites is presented. The atmospheric model is both position dependent, through latitude and longitude effects, and time dependent. The time dependency includes diurnal and seasonal effects, effects of annual motion, long and short term solar activity effects, and periodic dust storm effects. Nine constituent gases are included in the model. Uncertainties in exospheric temperature, turbidity, and turbopause altitude are used to produce bounds on the expected density. A computer model - a Fortran subroutine which, when given the Julian date, Cartesian position of the sun and the spacecraft in aerocentric coordinates, returns the local values of mass density, temperature, scale height, and upper and lower bounds on the mass density is presented.

Culp, R. D.

Long-lifetime Martian orbit selection using a time-dependent model of the Martian atmosphere

A mathematical model of the time-dependent Martian atmosphere has been developed in order to accurately calculate the effects of aerodynamic drag on a low altitude satellite. The time-dependent properties of the model include solar activity effects, dust storm effects, seasonal and diurnal variations, and annual motion effects. Position effects are accounted for through Martian latitude and longitude. Expected values of mass density, temperature, scale height, and the estimated standard deviation of the mass density are provided. An example of the use of the model in selecting an orbit for the Mars Geochemical/Climatology Orbiter is given.

Culp, R. D.

A study of the diurnal variation in the thermosphere as derived by satellite drag

An analysis was performed on 29,574 densities derived from the drag of 10 satellites to determine simultaneously the parameters of the solar-activity effect in the thermosphere on the one hand, and the amplitude and shape of the diurnal-variation curve on the other. This paper reports on the study of the diurnal variation only. Although a considerable amount of smoothing is inherent in the drag method, it seemed useful to see whether any change could be detected in the shape of the diurnal-variation curve with height, latitude and solar activity. None was detected; the curve remains remarkably stable, symmetric, with a maximum at 14 hr 20 min L.S.T. and a minimum at 2 hr 20 min L.S.T. A systematic variation of the temperature range with height is observed when static models are used to derive it.

Jacchia, L. G.

On the limitations of geomagnetic measures of interplanetary magnetic polarity

The maximum attainable accuracy in inferring the interplanetary magnetic polarity from polar cap magnetograms is about 88%. This is achieved in practice, when high-latitude polar cap stations are used during local summer months, and the signature in the ground records is strong. An attempt by Svalgaard (1972) to use this effect to infer an index of interplanetary magnetic polarity back to 1926 has not been so successful. Furthermore, some of the properties of the index have changed with time. Prior to 1963, the inferred polarities are strongly dependent on geomagnetic activity, while after this time they are not. Thus, this index should not be used to separate solar-magnetic from solar-activity effects prior to 1963.

Russell, C. T.

Effects of corpuscular radiation on weather and climate

There is no doubt that the antropogenic effect play an important role in the effects of corpuscular radiation on weather and climate. The task, however, is to distinguish between antropogenic effect in the atmosphere due to human activities and natural climatic fluctuations influencing biological systems. The increase in global temperature during the past 100 years is in relatively good coincidence with the increase in geomagnetic (corpuscular) activity. It is concluded that it could have been the increase in temperature on the Northern Hemisphere, due to the processes occurring in the auroral oval under enhanced corpuscular radiation which led to an increased atmospheric concentration of CO2 in the past. Both processes, i.e., antropogenic and solar activity effects, should be therefore intensively studied due to their important role for elucidating the past and present global change mainly in temperature, climate and biological systems.

Bucha, V.

The search for solar M-regions.

Search for solar M-regions complicated by velocity decrease near active sun, considering corpuscular streams as enhanced solar wind

SOLAR ACTIVITY EFFECT

The Space Environment from LEO to Deep Space

This viewgraph presentation reviews several space environments, and the hazards they pose to spacecraft operations. The presentation covers solar activity effects, galactic cosmic rays, near Earth environments including the magnetosphere, thermosphere, ionsophere, and plasmasphere, single event upsets, micrometeoroids, space debris, and an overview of conditions on other planets, especially Jupiter.

Barth, Janet L.

Effects of Low Activity Solar Cycle on Orbital Debris Lifetime

Long duration of low solar activity in the last solar minimum has an undesirable consequence of extending the lifetime of orbital debris. The AFRL TacSat-2 satellite decommissioned in 2008 has finally re-entered into the atmosphere on February 5th after more than one year overdue. Concerning its demise we have monitored its orbital decay and monthly forecasted Tacsat-2 re-entry since September 2010 by using the Orbital Element Prediction (OEP) model developed by the AFRL Orbital Drag Environment program. The model combines estimates of future solar activity with neutral density models, drag coefficient models, and an orbit propagator to predict satellite lifetime. We run the OEP model with solar indices forecast by the NASA Marshall Solar Activity Future Estimation model, and neutral density forecast by the MSIS-00 neutral density model. Based on the two line elements in 2010 up to mid September, we estimated at a 50% confidence level TacSat-2's re-entry time to be in early February 2011, which turned out to be in good agreement with Tacsat-2's actual re-entry date. The potential space weather effects of the coming low activity solar cycle on satellite lifetime and orbital debris population are examined. The NASA long-term orbital debris evolutionary model, LEGEND, is used to quantify the effects of solar flux on the orbital debris population in the 200-600 km altitude environment. The results are discussed for developing satellite orbital drag application product.

Cable, Samual B.