UPPER ATMOSPHERE INFRARED EMISSION MODELING
ARCON scientists have developed models to further the understanding of atmospheric properties, identify unknown processes, conditions and emitters that might contribute to the natural signature of the atmosphere. Our models are utilized by scientists at government agencies such as the Air Force Research Laboratory to determine the direction of future scientific experiments, predict the performance of various operational systems and to aid in the design of infrared detection and surveillance systems.
We have developed and tuned our models over the past several years by validation with data collected from rockets and satellites. Models developed at ARCON have also been used to assist other researchers upgrade their models.
Atmospheric Radiance Code (ARC)
A recent application of ARC has been the modeling of the infrared signature of atmospheric "sprites" and "jets", which are the names given to the mysterious red and blue flashes appearing in the atmosphere above large-scale thunderstorm systems, immense diffuse short-lived bursts of light extending upwards to great altitudes. Current investigations center about the idea that, in the presence of typically strong electric fields between thunderclouds and the ionosphere, some event may trigger dielectric breakdown in the atmosphere and produce, on a horizontal spatial scale of tens of kilometers, a huge transient current. The optical signatures would then result from the impact of energetic electrons on nitrogen and oxygen molecules.
Auroral Atmospheric Radiance Code (AARC)
We have developed the AARC model to investigate the infrared signature of auroras. Our work has been involved in the understanding of the extent of energy transfer for different classes of auroras.
Representative Publications List:
"Comparison of line-by-line and Curtis matrix calculations for the vibrational temperatures and radiative cooling of the CO2 15 m m bands in the middle and upper atmosphere", J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 52, 409-423, 1994 (with M. Lopez-Puertas, R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, and R.D. Sharma).
"CO2 non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative excitation and infrared dayglow at 4.3 m m: Application to Spectral Infrared Rocket Experiment data", J. Geophys. Res. 99, 10409-10419, 1994 (with H. Nebel, R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, and R.D. Sharma).
"Line-by-line radiative excitation model for the non-equilibrium atmosphere: Application to CO2 15 m m emission", J. Geophys. Res. 97, 18083-18117, 1992 (with R.H. Picard, R.D. Sharma, J.R. Winick, and R.A. Joseph).
"Role of carbon dioxide in cooling planetary atmospheres", Geophys. Res. Lett. 17, 2201-2204, 1990 (with R.D. Sharma).
"4.3 m m radiation in the aurorally dosed lower thermosphere modeling and analysis", in Progress in Atmospheric Physics (R. Rodrigo, J.J. Lopez-Moreno, M. Lopez-Puertas, and A. Molina, eds.) pp. 229-237, Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1988 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, R.D. Sharma, and R.A. Joseph).
"Radiative transfer effects in aurorally enhanced 4.3 m m emission, Adv. Space Res. 7, (10)17-(10)21, 1987 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, R.D. Sharma, and R.A. Joseph).
"CO2 component of daytime Earth limb emission at 2.7 micrometers", J. Geophys. Res. 90, 9789-9803, 1985 (with R.D. Sharma).
Recent short communications:
"Infrared Glow above Thunderstorms?" EOS Trans AGU, 77, F67, 1996 (with R.H. Picard, U.S. Inan, V.P. Pasko, and J.R. Winick).
"The Effect of Localized Temperature Perturbations on Non-LTE Radiance and Cooling Rates in the Middle Atmosphere", EOS Trans AGU, 77, F542, 1996 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, and A.J. Paboojian).
"Non-LTE Effects on Atmospheric Radiance Spectra and Structure: Recent Advances", Fourth Colloquium on Atmospheric Spectroscopy Applications, Reims, France, 4-6 September 1996 (with R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, J.O. Wise, R.G. Roble, J.-L. Moncet, H.E. Snell, D.B. Hogan, J. Wang, E.M. Dewan, U.B. Makhlouf, and P. Dao).
"15 Micron non-LTE Cooling Rates from CIRRIS-1A", 19th Annual Review Conference on Atmospheric Transmission Models, Phillips Lab, 5 June 1996 (with J.O. Wise, R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, and R.G. Roble).
"Non-LTE Infrared Radiance from Localized Structures", 19th Annual Review Conference on Atmospheric Transmission Models, Phillips Lab, 5 June 1996 (with R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, E.M. Dewan, and U.B. Makhlouf).
"Earthlimb Studies of Infrared Radiance and Radiance Structure at Phillips Laboratory", CRISTA/ MAHRSI Workshop, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany, 30-31 May 1996 (with R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, E.M. Dewan, U.B. Makhlouf, J.O. Wise, A.J. Ratkowski, and L.S. Jeong).
"Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) & Sprite Observations", Sprites Summer '96 Campaign Coordination Meeting, Phillips Lab, 22 April 1996.
"MSX: Earthlimb Automated UVISI Spectrographic Image Analysis in Support of SPIRIT III", MSX PI Executive Committee Meeting, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, 21 March 1996.
"NO Cooling Rates from CIRRIS-1A", EOS Trans AGU, 76, F86, 1995 (with J. Wise, J. Winick, R. Picard, R. Roble, and A. Zachor).
"15 micron Cooling Rates from CIRRIS-1A", EOS Trans AGU, 76, F87, 1995 (with J. Wise, J. Winick, R. Picard, and R. Roble).
"Transient 4.3 m m rovibrational emission from carbon dioxide in sprites and auroras", IUGG XXI General Assembly, Boulder, CO, 2-14 July 1995 (with R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, W.A.M. Blumberg, and R.A. Armstrong).
"Non-LTE effects on nadir viewing temperature sounding in the stratosphere in the CO2 4.3 m m and 15 m m bands", IUGG XXI General Assembly, Boulder, CO, 2-14 July 1995 (with J.R. Winick, J.-L. Moncet, and H. Snell).
"PL Atmospheric Radiance Code (ARC): status and recent applications", 18th Annual Review Conference on Atmospheric Transmission Models, Hanscom AFB, MA, 6 June 1995 (with R.H. Picard, and J.R. Winick).
"Improved modeling of NO radiative processes", NO/NO+ Review, Hanscom AFB, MA, 7 February 1995.
"Spectral measurements and modeling of nonequilibrium 4.3 m m emissions from space shuttle and rocketborne platforms", SPIE meeting on Optical Spectroscopic Techniques for Atmospheric and Space Research, San Diego, CA, 25-29 July 1994 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, R.A. Joseph, A.J. Paboojian, M. Lopez-Puertas, and U. Makhlouf).
"Role of non-LTE radiative transfer in the energy budget of the middle atmosphere", 30th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, 11-21 July 1994 (with R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, and U. Makhlouf).
"Comparison of line-by-line and modified Curtis matrix narrow-band approaches to radiative transfer in the CO2 15 m m bands", 17th Annual Review Conference on Atmospheric Transmission Models, Hanscom AFB, MA, 8 June 1994 (with M. Lopez-Puertas, R.H. Picard, and J.R. Winick).
"Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX): Plans and capability for the measurement of infrared earthlimb and terrestrial backgrounds", Proc. SPIE, 2223 (25), International Symposium on Optical Engineering in Aerospace Sensing, Orlando, FL, 4-8 April 1994 (with R.R. O’Neil, H.A.B. Gardiner, J. Gibson, C. Humphrey, R. Hegblom, M.E. Fraser, M. Kendra, and C. Rice).
"Re-examination of O(1D) as a source of N2(v) and its effect on CO2 4.3 m m non-LTE emission", EOS Trans. AGU, 74, 467, 1993 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, R.A. Joseph, A.J. Paboojian, M. Lopez-Puertas, and U. Makhlouf).
"Comparison of line-by-line and Curtis matrix calculations for the vibrational temperatures and radiative cooling of the 15 m m bands in the middle and upper atmosphere" ASA Meeting, Reims, France, 8-10 September 1993 (with M. Lopez-Puertas, R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, and R.D. Sharma).
"Spectral measurements and modeling of high-latitude nonequilibrium midwave infrared emissions from the space shuttle and rocketborne platforms" EUROPTO International Symposium on High-Latitude Optics, Tromso, Norway, 28 June-2 July 1993 (with R.H. Picard, J.R. Winick, R.A. Joseph, and A.J. Paboojian).
"Automated analysis of UVISI SPIM data", MSX Earthlimb System Design Review, Bedford, MA, 4 June 1993 (with R.A. Joseph).
"On determining the carbon budget (CO2 and CO) of the lower thermosphere from non-equilibrium infrared radiance", OSA Topical Meeting on Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere, Salt Lake City, UT, 8-12 March 1993 (with H. Nebel, R.H. Picard, R.D. Sharma, and J.R. Winick).
"Analysis of STS-39 CO 4.7 m m limb emission", Chapman Conference on the Upper Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere, Thousand Oaks, CA, 16-20 November 1992 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, A.J. Paboojian, and R.A. Joseph).
"Global behavior of the 4.3 m m CO2 earthlimb emission from STS-39 CIRRIS-1A data", Chapman Conference on the Upper Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere, Thousand Oaks, CA, 16-20 November 1992 (with R.H. Picard, E.T.P. Lee, J.R. Winick, U. Makhlouf, D. Smith, R.D. Sharma, J.R. Wise, R.M. Nadile, A.J. Paboojian, and R.A. Joseph).
"Analysis of the 4.3 m m limb emission observed from STS-39", EOS Trans. AGU, 73, 418, 1992 (with J.R. Winick, R.H. Picard, U. Makhlouf, E.T.P. Lee, W.M. Blumberg, D.R. Smith, R.M. Nadile, A.J. Paboojian, and R.A. Joseph).