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Related Concept Videos

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There are two ways to determine the amount of heat involved in a chemical change: measure it experimentally, or calculate it from other experimentally determined enthalpy changes. Some reactions are difficult, if not impossible, to investigate and make accurate measurements for experimentally. And even when a reaction is not hard to perform or measure, it is convenient to be able to determine the heat involved in a reaction without having to perform an experiment.
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Change in atmospheric pressure with height is particularly interesting. The decrease in atmospheric pressure with increasing altitude is due to the decreasing gravitational force per unit area as we move away from the surface of the earth.
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The partial pressure of a gas is a measure of the thermodynamic activity of the gas's molecules. The pressure that a gas would create if it occupied the total volume available is called the gas's partial pressure. If two or more gases are mixed together in a container, the molecules move randomly and collide with each other, causing them to reach thermal equilibrium. When the gases have the same temperature, their molecules have the same average kinetic energy. Thus, each gas obeys the...
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The Thermospheric Column O/N2 Ratio.

R R Meier1

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomym, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.

Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics
|May 10, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The O/N2 column density ratio, crucial for interpreting Earth's thermosphere using far ultraviolet (FUV) imaging, has had its meaning clarified. A new, simplified method improves its calculation from emission ratios for better thermospheric research.

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Area of Science:

  • Space Physics
  • Atmospheric Science
  • Geophysics

Background:

  • The O/N2 column density ratio was introduced over 20 years ago to interpret thermospheric processes using far ultraviolet (FUV) imaging.
  • This ratio is vital for understanding the global thermosphere but remains conceptually misunderstood and misapplied.
  • It is a key measurement for current and future FUV remote sensing missions studying thermospheric variability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the historical context of the O/N2 column density ratio.
  • To clarify the physical meaning of this geophysical quantity and resolve existing literature misunderstandings.
  • To present a simplified, first-principles approach for deriving the O/N2 column density ratio.

Main Methods:

  • Review of the original derivation of the O/N2 column density ratio from OI 135.6 nm and N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) emissions.
  • Analysis of algorithmic synthesis using precomputed models and table lookups.
  • Development and application of a simplified methodology based on first principles.

Main Results:

  • The study clarifies the conceptual meaning and application of the O/N2 column density ratio.
  • A simplified approach to calculate the O/N2 column density ratio from emission ratios is proposed.
  • This new method is being successfully applied to satellite data (e.g., Ionospheric CONnection satellite).

Conclusions:

  • Clarification of the O/N2 column density ratio enhances its utility in thermospheric research.
  • The simplified methodology offers a more generalized and accessible way to derive this key parameter.
  • This work supports improved analysis of FUV remote sensing data for understanding thermospheric dynamics.