• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2010

To better understand the physical processes that maintain the high-latitude lower thermospheric dynamics, we have identified relative contributions of the momentum forcing and the heating to the high-latitude lower thermospheric winds depending on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and altitude. For this study, we performed a term analysis of the potential vorticity equation for the high-latitude neutral wind field in the lower thermosphere during the southern summertime for different IMF conditions, with the aid of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM). Difference potential vorticity forcing and heating terms, obtained by subtracting values with zero IMF from those with non-zero IMF, are influenced by the IMF conditions. The difference forcing is more significant for strong IMF $B_y$ condition than for strong IMF $B_z$ condition. For negative or positive $B_y$ conditions, the difference forcings in the polar cap are larger by a factor of about 2 than those in the auroral region. The difference heating is the most significant for negative IMF $B_z$ condition, and the difference heatings in the auroral region are larger by a factor of about 1.5 than those in the polar cap region. The magnitudes of the difference forcing and heating decrease rapidly with descending altitudes. It is confirmed that the contribution of the forcing to the high-latitude lower thermospheric dynamics is stronger than the contribution of the heating to it. Especially, it is obvious that the contribution of the forcing to the dynamics is much larger in the polar cap region than in the auroral region and at higher altitude than at lower altitude. It is evident that when $B_z$ is negative condition the contribution of the forcing is the lowest and the contribution of the heating is the highest among the different IMF conditions.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.415-424
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• 2008

Kwak et al. (2008) found that the mean neutral wind pattern in the high-latitude lower thermosphere is dominated by rotational flow than by divergent flow. As an extension of the our previous work (Kwak et al. 2008), we performed a term analysis of vorticity equation that describes the driving forces for the rotational component of the horizontal wind in order to determine key processes that causes strong rotational flow in the high-latitude lower thermospheric winds. For this study the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM) is used. The primary forces that determine variations of the vorticity are the ion drag term and the horizontal advection term. Significant contributions, however, can be made by the stretching term. The effects of IMF on the vorticity forces are seen down to around 105-110km.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.405-414
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• 2008

To better understand the physical processes that control the high-latitude lower thermospheric dynamics, we analyze the divergence and vorticity of the high-latitude neutral wind field in the lower thermosphere during the southern summertime for different IMF conditions. For this study the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEG CM) is used. The analysis of the large-scale vorticity and divergence provides basic understanding flow configurations to help elucidate the momentum sources that ulti-mately determine the total wind field in the lower polar thermosphere and provides insight into the relative strengths of the different sources of momentum responsible for driving winds. The mean neutral wind pattern in the high-latitude lower thermosphere is dominated by rotational flow, imparted primarily through the ion drag force, rather than by divergent flow, imparted primarily through Joule and solar heating. The difference vorticity, obtained by subtracting values with zero IMF from those with non-zero IMF, in the high-latitude lower thermosphere is much larger than the difference divergence for all IMF conditions, indicating that a larger response of the thermospheric wind system to enhancement in the momentum input generating the rotational motion with elevated IMF than the corresponding energy input generating the divergent motion. the difference vorticity in the high-latitude lower thermosphere depends on the direction of the IMF. The difference vorticity for negative and positive $B_y$ shows positive and negative, respectively, at higher magnetic latitudes than $-70^{\circ}$. For negative $B_z$, the difference vorticities have positive in the dusk sector and negative in the dawn sector. The difference vorticities for positive $B_z$ have opposite sign. Negative IMF $B_z$ has a stronger effect on the vorticity than does positive $B_z$.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.241-248
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• 2000

A groung Fabry-Perot interferometer has been used to measure atomic oxygen nightglow (OI 630.0nm) from the thermosphere (about 250km) at King Sejong station (KSS, geographic: $62.22^{\circ}$S, $301.25^{\circ}$E; geomagnetic: $50.65^{\circ}$S, $7.51^{\circ}$E), Antarctica. While numerous studies of the thermosphere have been performed on high latitude using ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometers, the thermospheric measurements in the Southern Hemisphere are relatively new and sparse. Therefore, the nightglow measurements at KSS play an important role in extending the thermospheric studies to the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we investigated the effects of the geomagnetic and solar activities on the thermospheric neutral temperatures that have been observed at KSS in 1989 and 1997. The measured average temperatures are 1400K in 1989 and 800K in 1997, reflecting the influence of the solar activity. The measurements were compared with empirical models, MSIS-86 and semi-empirical model, VSH.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.21
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• pp.16.2-17
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• 1996

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.15 no.spc2
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• pp.27-35
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• 2000

The investigation of the space environment requires the use of experimental and theoretical tools and resources in order to perform the research task. Understanding of these research tools is imperative for proper interpretation of the results. In this paper, we discuss on research tools that are widely used in the field of aeronomy; Fabry-Perot interferometer and Michelson interferometer. These instruments have been used extensively as passive optical devices, spectrally monitoring the natural atmospheric emissions (airglow). This function has made both instruments valuable tools in upper atmospheric studies since they provide the ability to determine the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the upper atmosphere by monitoring naturally-occuring emission.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.70-70
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• 2004

Lower thermospheric winds are forced primarily by non-uniform solar heating, atmospheric tides and other waves coming from below, and energy and momentum forcing associated with high-latitude magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, particularly ion drag and Joule heating. To understand the physical processes that control the thermospheric dynamics, we quantify the momentum forces that are mainly responsible for maintaining the high-latitude lower thermospheric wind system and examine the resulting momentum balance with the aid of the Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM) developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. (omitted)

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.139-150
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• 1998

We measured the terrestrial nightglow of OI $6300{\AA}$ in the thermosphere (~250km) using a ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer at the King Sejong Station, Antarcticfrom March through September, 1997. The King Sejong Station is located at high latitude geographically ($62.22^{\circ}S,\;301.25^{\circ}E$) but at mid latitude geomagnetically ($50.62^{\circ}S,\;7.51^{\circ}E$). It is therefore the strategic location to measure the temperatures of the thermosphere in the Southern Hemisphere associated with both solar and geomagnetic activities. In this study, we analyzed the observed temperatures inrelation to F10.7 and Kp indices to examine the effect of the solar and the geomagneticactivities on high-latitude neutral thermosphere. During the observing period, the solaractivity was at its minimum. The measured temperatures are usually in the range between about 600~1000 K with some seasonal variation and are higher than those predicted by semi-empirical model, VSH (Vector Spherical Harmonics) and empirical model, MSIS (Mass-Spectrometer-Incoherent-Scatter)-86.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.329-335
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• 2010

We investigate the sources of the variation of the high-latitude thermospheric neutral mass density depending on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. For this purpose, we have carried out the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM) simulations for various IMF conditions under summer condition in the southern hemisphere. The NCAR-TIEGCM is combined with a new empirical model that provides a forcing to the thermosphere in high latitudes. The difference of the high-latitude thermospheric neutral mass density (subtraction of the values for zero IMF condition from the values for non-zero IMF conditions) shows a dependence on the IMF condition: For negative $B_y$ condition, there are significantly enhanced difference densities in the dusk sector and around midnight. Under the positive-$B_y$ condition, there is a decrease in the early morning hours including the dawn side poleward of $-70^{\circ}$. For negative $B_z$, the difference of the thermospheric densities shows a strong enhancement in the cusp region and around midnight, but decreases in the dawn sector. In the dusk sector, those values are relatively larger than those in the dawn sector. The density difference under positive-$B_z$ condition shows decreases generally. The density difference is more significant under negative-$B_z$ condition than under positive-$B_z$ condition. The dependence of the density difference on the IMF conditions in high latitudes, especially, in the dawn and dusk sectors can be explained by the effect of thermospheric winds that are associated with the ionospheric convection and vary following the direction of the IMF. In auroral and cusp regions, heating of thermosphere by ionospheric currents and/or auroral particle precipitation can be also the source of the dependence of the density difference on the IMF conditions.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11-28
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• 2004

To better understand how high-latitude electric fields influence thermospheric dynamics, winds in the high-latitude lower thermosphere are studied by using the Thermosphere-ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model developed by the National Conte. for Atmospheric Research (NCAR-TIEGCM). The model is run for the conditions of 1992-1993 southern summer. The association of the model results with the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF) is also examined to determine the influences of the IMF-dependent ionospheric convection on the winds. The wind patterns show good agreement with the WINDII observations, although the model wind speeds are generally weaker than the observations. It is confirmed that the influences of high-latitude ionospheric convection on summertime thermospheric winds are seen down to 105 km. The difference wind, the difference between the winds for IMF$\neq$O and IMF=0, during negative IMF $B_y$ shows a strong anticyclonic vortex while during positive IMF $B_y$ a strong cyclonic vortex down to 105 km. For positive IMF $B_z$ the difference winds are largely confined to the polar cap, while for negative IMF B, they extend down to subauroral latitudes. The IMF $B_z$ -dependent diurnal wind component is strongly correlated with the corresponding component of ionospheric convection velocity down to 108 km and is largely rotational. The influence of IMF by on the lower thermospheric summertime zonal-mean zonal wind is substantial at high latitudes, with maximum wind speeds being $60\;ms^-1$ at 130 km around $77^{\circ}$ magnetic latitude.