Skip to main content
Log in

Luminescence of the disturbed upper atmosphere in the visible and infrared spectral ranges in the conditions of injection of a high-velocity plasma jet: II. Theoretical interpretation of the luminescence in the visible spectral range

  • Published:
Cosmic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A theoretical interpretation is given to the experimental data on the luminescence in the visible spectral region of the disturbed upper atmosphere in the conditions of injection of a high-velocity aluminum plasma jet (the “Fluxus” experiment). Mathematical models of optical effects are presented. It is demonstrated that the results of the calculations and the experimental data agree satisfactorily. The principal physical and chemical processes responsible for the observed luminescence are determined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adushkin, V.V., Zetser, Yu.I., Gavrilov, B.G., et al., Active Experiments Fluxus-1 and Fluxus-2: Investigation of Interaction of a Plasma Jet with Geophysical Medium at an Altitude of 140 km, Dokl. Akad. Nauk, 1998, vol. 361, no. 6, pp. 818–821.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Erlandson, R.E., Swaminathan, P.K., Meng, C.-I., et al., Ultraviolet-Visible Imagery and Spectra of the Fluxus-1 and-2 Artificial Plasma Jet, Proc. 6th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conf., 1998, pp. 13–16.

  3. Zetser, Yu.I., Kozlov, S.I., Rybakov, V.A., et al., Airglow in the Visible and Infrared Spectral Ranges of the Disturbed Upper Atmosphere under Conditions of High-Velocity Plasma Jet Injection: I. Experimental Data, Kosm. Issled., 2002, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 252–260.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kozlov, S.I. and Smirnova, N.V., Methods and Means of Producing Artificial Structures in the Near-Earth Environment and Estimation of Characteristics of Appearing Disturbances: I, II, Kosm. Issled., 1992, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 495–523; Ibidem, no. 5, pp. 629–683.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zetzer, J.I., Gavrilov, B.G., Kiselev, Yu.N., et al., The Fluxus-1 and-2 Experiment: Investigation of Plasma Jet Dynamics and Interactions with the Ionosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 1999, vol. 26, no. 11, pp. 1553–1556.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Rosenberg, N.W., Colomb, D., and Allen, I., Chemiluminescent Techniques for Studing Nighttime Winds in the Upper Atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 1963, vol. 68, pp. 3328–3330.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Armstrong, E.B., Observations of Luminous Clouds Produced in the Upper Atmosphere by Exploding Grenades: III. Continuous Spectra from Nighttime Glows, Planet. Space Sci., 1993, vol. 11, pp. 751–753.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Golomb, D., Harang, O., and Del Greco, F.P., Upper Atmosphere Densities and Temperatures at 105–165 km from Diffusion and Spectral Intensity of AlO Trails, J. Geophys. Res., 1967, vol. 72, pp. 2365–2370.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Oblath, S.R. and Gole, I.L., On the Continuum Emissions Observed upon Oxidation of Aluminum and Its Compounds, Combust. Flame, 1980, vol. 37, pp. 293–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gole, I.L. and Kolb, Ch.E., On the Upper Atmospheric Chemiluminescent Emission Observed upon Release of Aluminum Vapor and Its Compounds, J. Geophys. Res., 1981, vol. 86.

  11. Brode, H.L. and Enstrom, J.E., Calculation of Gas Expansion in a Rarefied Atmosphere, Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp., 1971. Translated under the title Raschet rasshireniya gaza v razrezhennoi atmosfere. Raschet vzryvov na EVM, Moscow: Mir, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kozlov, S.I., Vlaskov, V.A., and Smirnova, N.V., Ion Kinetics, and Small Neutral and Excited Constituents in the D Region with Enhanced Level of Ionization: I. Problem Formulation and General Scheme of Processes, Kosm. Issled., 1982, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 881–891.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hasted, J.B., Physics of Atomic Collisions, London: Butterworths, 1964. Translated under the title Fizika atomnykh stolknovenii, Moscow: Mir, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Eliseev, N.V., Smirnova, N.V., and Kozlov, S.I., Disturbances in the Ionosphere due to Trigger Effects during Active Experiments in the Near-Earth Environment, Kosm. Issled., 1992, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 351–356.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gavrilov, B.G., Podgorny, A.I., Podgorny, I.M., et al., Diamagnetic Effect Produced by the Fluxus-1 and-2 Artificial Plasma Jet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 1999, vol. 26, no. 11, pp. 1549–1552.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kosarev, I.B., Kuz’micheva, M.Yu., and Popova, O.P., Numerical Simulation of Plasma Cloud Formation in an Active Geophysical Experiment with Allowance Made for Deviation from Thermodynamic Equilibrium, in Dinamicheskie protsessy vo vnutrennikh i vneshnikh obolochkakh Zemli (Dynamical Processes in the Inner and Outer Shells of the Earth), Moscow: Nauka, 1995, pp. 193–198.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Avakyan, S.V., Vdovin, A.I., and Pustarikov, V.F., Ioniziruyushchie i pronikayushchie izlucheniya v okolozemnom kosmicheskom prostranstve (spravochnik) (Ionizing and Penetrating Radiation in the Near-Earth Space: A Handbook), St. Petersburg: Gidrometeoizdat, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kolb, Ch.E., Gersh, M.E., and Herbach, D.R., A Suggested Mechanism for the Visible Cheminuminescence Observed in Gas Phase Aluminum Oxidation, Combust. Flame, 1975, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 31–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kaufman, V. and Martin, W.C., Wavelengths and Energy Level Classifications for the Spectra of Aluminum (AlI through AlXIII), J. Phys. and Chem. Ref. Data, 1991, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 775–850.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. McEwan, M.J. and Phillips, L.F., The Chemistry of the Atmosphere, New York: Halsted Press, 1975. Translated under the title Khimiya atmosfery, Moscow: Mir, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kosarev, I.B., Calculation of Thermodynamic and Optical Properties of the Vapors of Substance of Space Bodies Entering the Earth Atmosphere, Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, 1999, vol. 72, no. 6, pp. 1067–1075.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zeldovich, Ya.B. and Raizer, Yu.P., Fizika udarnykh voln i vysokotemperaturnykh gidrodinamicheskikh yavlenii (Physics of Shock Waves and High-Temperature Hydrodynamic Phenomena), Moscow: Nauka, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Original Russian Text © S.I. Kozlov, N.V. Smirnova, T.V. Loseva, A.N. Lyakhov, I.B. Kosarev, 2008, published in Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, 2008, vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 520–529.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kozlov, S.I., Smirnova, N.V., Loseva, T.V. et al. Luminescence of the disturbed upper atmosphere in the visible and infrared spectral ranges in the conditions of injection of a high-velocity plasma jet: II. Theoretical interpretation of the luminescence in the visible spectral range. Cosmic Res 46, 489–498 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952508060038

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952508060038

PACS

Navigation