Vestnik KRAUNC. Fiz.-Mat. Nauki. 2022. vol. 41. no. 4. pp. 191–208. ISSN 2079-6641

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MSC 78A60

Research Article

Optical characteristics of the thermosphere and mesosphere

B. M. Shevtsov, A. S. Perezhogin, I. S. Seredkin

Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation, FEB RAS, 684034 Kamchatka region, Elizovskiy district, Paratunka, Mirnaya str., 7, Russia

E-mail: bshev@ikir.ru

Using lidar signals at wavelengths of 561 and 532 nm in the altitude range of 30-400 km, by solving the inverse problem, we restore the light scattering coefficients corresponding to these wavelengths, which makes it possible to compare the optical characteristics of the thermosphere, mesosphere and upper stratosphere and determine the relationship between the resonant, Rayleigh and aerosol scattering of light at different altitudes of the atmosphere. Using the scattering coefficients in the thermosphere, we find the cross sections of light scattering at wavelengths of 561 and 532 nm for the transitions of excited atomic oxygen and nitrogen ions and explain why the scattering coefficients for O+, 561 nm are smaller than for N+, 532 nm, while the concentration of O+ is two orders of magnitude higher than N+. The results obtained here are of interest for understanding the ionization effect of solar activity on the optical characteristics of the atmosphere, which determine weather and climate changes.

Key words: optics of the atmosphere, resonant lidar, laser ionozond, lidar reflections in the thermosphere, coefficient and cross-section of light scattering, ionization, aerosol, solar activity, ion aeronomy.

DOI: 10.26117/2079-6641-2022-41-4-191-208

Original article submitted: 01.12.2022

Revision submitted: 12.12.2022

For citation. Shevtsov B. M., Perezhogin A. S., Seredkin I. N. Optical characteristics of the thermosphere and mesosphere. Vestnik KRAUNC. Fiz.-mat. nauki. 2022, 41: 4, 191-208. DOI: 10.26117/2079-6641-2022-41-4-191-208

Competing interests. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding authorship and publication.

Contribution and Responsibility. All authors contributed to this article. Authors are solely responsible for providing the final version of the article in print. The final version of the manuscript was approved by all authors.

The content is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru)

© Shevtsov B. M., Perezhogin A. S., Seredkin I. N., 2022

Funding. The work was carried out within the framework of the state assignment on the topic «Physical processes in the system of near space and geospheres under solar and lithospheric influences» (No. AAAA-A21-121011290003-0).

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