<title>Satellite measurements of air density and ozone concentration profiles in the mesosphere using an ultraviolet limb-scan technique</title>

Abstract

For joint retrieval of vertical distributions of both air density and ozone concentration in the mesosphere which are two of the most important atmospheric parameters in this region a retrieval scheme is suggested by using satellite limb scan observation at two UV wavelengths i. e. 265 nm and 296 nm. The retrieval scheme is the modification of the LSUV method by Aruga and Heath with two UV wavelengths and two atmospheric parameters. Feasibility study was made based on simulated limb scan radiances computed with a single scattering radiative transfer algorithm of spherical geometry developed by the present authors and the inversion technique. Results of the simulations show that it is feasible to retrieve air density and ozone concentration vertical distributions on a global basis from satellite UV limb scan over the altitude range of 50-100 km with 1-km intervals as well as the SME measurements of air density and ozone indicate the rationality of the present retrieval method.