On the effect of winds on the height-latitude distribution of the oxygen in the region 60–160 km

Abstract

The system of the time dependent continuity and movement equations, describing the essential processes that determined the behaviour of oxygen, was solved numerically. The influence of wind on distribution of atomic and molecular oxygen was estimated. The redistribution of density of oxygen under the influence of neutral wind affects the direction and velocity of wind. So, there is the mutual action of the wind field and density distribution. In the movement equations we take into account the electrodynamic force, arising because of the motion of plasma in the geomagnetic field and deflexion of the wind from geostrophic one. The boundary condition, the density of nitrogen and temperature were taken from the models by Groves and Jacchia for winter in the northern hemisphere. As a result the velocity was found to be about 10–120 m/sec depending on height, latitude and local time. The oxygen density increases in the winter hemisphere and decreases in the summer one in comparison with the zero velocity case.