The pressure, density, and temperature of the Earth's atmosphere to 160 kilometers

Abstract

k program of pressure measurements with rockets over White Sands, New Mexico, and over the equator has given values for atmospheric pressure, density, and temperature from the ground .up to 160 km above sea level. The data have been obtained from about a dozen rocket flights at White Sands, New Mexico, latitude 32 ø north, longitude 106 ø west; and from one flight at th• equator, longitude 160 ø west. Measurements were made in every month except April, June, and July. One rocket was flow• at midnight, while the others were between 09 h 00 m and 19 h 00 m local time. Except for one daytime flight at White Sands, all the pressure data agree within the experimental errors. The fundamental data are pressures measured on the nose tips, nose cones, and tail sections of V-2, Viking, and Aerobee rockets. From these measurements, atmospheric pressures, densities, and temperatures have been deduced. The pressure at 160 km is 2 X 10 -6 mm of Itg, and the density is 1.5 X 10 -6 gm/m 3. The temperature reaches a maximum of 270øK at 50 kin, a minimum of 190øI• at 80 km, and increases to about 500øK at 160 kin. INTRODUCTION Pressure, density, and temperature experiments were conducted by this Laboratory during the last five years in V-2, Viking, and Aerobee rockets [see 1 of "References" at end of paper]. The instrumentation consisted of various pressure gages which were sensitive from one atmosphere down to 10 -6 mm of I-Ig. Pressure gages were located near the rocket tail (Fig. 1) to measure ambient pressure up !o about 90 kin, and on the nose to measure ambient density. At altitudes above 100 kin, the pressure and density were generally deduced from pressures measured on the nose cone. Temperatures were calculated from pressure, density, and altitude data. The first pressure and temperature data [2] were obtained in October, 1946, up to an altitude of 70 kin, wkile in March, 1947, data [3] were obtained through the E layer of the ionosphere. The measurements were continued in an effort to 59 6O R. J. HA VENS, R. T. KOLL, AND H. E. LA. GOW , M FIG. 1--Location of pressure gages (At altitudes below 80 km, ambient pressures were meas•

Direct in situ measurements of wave propagation in the neutral thermosphere

“…The technique of using density gauges to perform atmospheric density measurements has been given (Newton, et al, 1965, Schultz, et al, 1948, Havens, et al, 1952 Horowitz and Kleitman, 1953). Measured atmospheric density is proportional to the pressure change measured by the gauges during the rotation of the satellite about its spin axis.…”

A Dynamo Theory in the Ionosphere

“…Inserting the values of (16), we have (22) According to a more precise calculation the first and second relations of (21) hold on the equator, but there we have and this value rapidly approaches to when one goes several degrees from the equator. As (19) and (22) give we may have somewhat larger value of Ey from (2) and (21).…”

A Theory of Diurnal Magnetic Variations in Equatorial Regions and Conductivity of the Ionosphere E Region, Part II

“…in the ionosphere satisfies the equations where r= e, +, -These equations are readily solved for Cr, giving the same expressions as Eq. (4) The density and temperature distribution in the upper atmosphere has been determined by rocket up to 160 km height [9]. These values are somewhat different from those previously determined by the observations of the meteors and radio wave observations, and the reason for the difference is not yet clear.…”