Absorption Spectrometric Analysis of the Upper Atmosphere in the EUV Region

Abstract

Solar EUV absorption measurements in the upper atmosphere are treated in terms of EUV extinction coefficients, total and partial particle number densities, their vertical scale lengths, gradients and relations with kinetic temperature. Existing rocket measurements are used to illustrate the applicability of the method, and the projected performance characteristics of specialized monochromators for a more systematic atmospheric probing program are outlined.