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Ann. Geophys., 24, 1625-1637, 2006
www.ann-geophys.net/24/1625/2006/
© European Geosciences Union 2006
Modeling the behavior of hot oxygen ions
M. D. Zettergren1, W. L. Oliver1, P.-L. Blelly2, and D. Alcaydé3
1Boston University, Massachusetts, USA
2LPCE-CNRS, Orléans, France
3CESR-CNRS-UPS, Toulouse, France
Abstract. Photochemical processes in the upper atmosphere are known to create
significant amounts of energetic oxygen atoms or "hot O". In this research we
simulate the effects of ionized hot oxygen, hot O+, on the ionosphere. We
find that hot O+ is not able to maintain a temperature substantially above
the ambient ion temperature at most altitudes, the exception being around the
F-region ion density peak. However, the thermalization of hot O+, due to
Coulomb collisions, represents an important heating process for the ambient
ions. A time-dependent, fluid-kinetic model of the ionosphere (TRANSCAR) is
used to self-consistently simulate hot O+ by considering it to be a
separate species from O+. A Maxwellian neutral hot O population having
characteristics consistent with current knowledge is added to TRANSCAR. The
production of the hot O+ is then computed by considering ion charge
exchange with the neutral hot O population that we have assumed. Loss of hot
O+ results from these charge exchange reactions and from reactions with
molecular atoms.
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