First results from the retrieved column O/N2 ratio from the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON): Longitudinal structures induced by nonmigrating tides | CU Experts

; In near-Earth space, variations in thermospheric composition have; important implications for thermosphere-ionosphere coupling. The ratio; of O to N; 2; is often measured using far-UV airglow; observations. Taking such airglow observations from space, looking below; the Earth’s limb allows for the total column of O and N; 2; in the ionosphere to be determined. While these observations have; enabled many previous studies, determining the impact of non-migrating; tides on thermospheric composition has proved difficult, owing to a; small contamination of the signal by recombination of ionospheric; O; +; . New ICON observations of far UV are presented; here, and their general characteristics are shown. Using these, along; with other observations and a global circulation model we show that; under certain circumstances the impact of non-migrating tides on; thermospheric composition can be observed. By comparing the amplitude of; the variation seen with that in the model, both the utility of these; observations and a pathway to enable future studies is shown.;

England SL; Meier RR; Frey HU; Mende SB; Stephan AW; Krier CS; Cullens CY; Wu Y-JJ; Triplett CC; Sirk MM

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