A photometer array for atmospheric gravity wave measurements on the Lower Atmosphere Ionosphere Coupling Experiment (LAICE) mission

Abstract

The photometer payload of the lower atmosphere ionosphere coupling experiment CubeSat mission will observe and characterize atmospheric gravity wave (AGW) propagation through the mesosphere/lower thermosphere region of Earth’s atmosphere on a global scale. AGW characteristics will be measured via passive observation of airglow emission from atmospheric O2(b1Σg+) at 762.0 nm (O2A) and Herzberg I O2(A3Σu+−X3Σg−) at 277.0 nm (O2HI) under nighttime conditions. The photometer payload consists of a seven-element array of photomultiplier tubes grouped into four channels, which will measure O2A intensity at two emission wavelengths, O2HI band intensity at a single emission wavelength, and ambient background intensity at 770.0 nm. AGW horizontal wavelength will be measured from O2A band airglow perturbations related to rotational temperature and density, while vertical wavelength will be determined from the phase relationship between the O2HI and O2A bands. Wave number and wave amplitude will be used to determine the extent of energy and momentum flux associated with the wave. This is important in understanding the global distribution of high frequency waves which carry the bulk of the influence of wave energy and momentum flux from lower altitudes into the mesosphere. This can only be measured from space by nadir viewing. To our knowledge, nadir viewing of mesospheric airglow to quantify intrinsic properties of gravity waves from space has not been performed to date.