Previous studies have identified longitudinal structures associated with non-migrating tides in observations of the upper neutral atmosphere of Mars. MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrometer (IUVS) observations of the upper atmosphere reveal variations in density with longitude at altitudes of 130 – 200 km, and can be used to identify non-migrating tides. These observations cover higher latitudes and allow for studying the local time variations of tides. The analysis presented here shows that the longitudinal structure attributed to non-migrating tides is dominated by wavenumber 2 and wavenumber 3 harmonics during the periods studied. Comparison with the Neutral Ion and Gas Mass spectrometer (NGIMS) shows a good agreement in wave amplitudes observed for the first two cases studied. The temperatures and 𝑂/𝐶𝑂# ratios from the IUVS L2 data files revealed an anti-correlation with the densities which confirms the theoretical interpretation from the linear wave theory. / Master of Science / There are waves internal to all fluids in our surroundings and daily lives, such as sound waves. Waves in the atmosphere are also fluid in nature. In planetary atmospheres, the scale sizes of some of these waves become comparable to the size of the planet itself. The waves interact with the structure of the surface of Mars to form a certain type of wave called “Non-migrating tides”. These waves have been observed in multiple previous studies in the upper atmosphere of Mars (~130 km and above). These waves cause the atomic and molecular content of the upper atmosphere to be displaced in a particular manner to form a unique structure. The structures formed are observed on a scale that covers the entire planet. It is by studying these structures in the upper atmosphere that it is possible to characterize the waves that control them and thereby understand their nature and impact. Understanding how these waves vary helps spacecraft to gain better control over mechanisms required to swing them into the desired orbit (location).
This study uses the observations from an instrument aboard the MAVEN mission and compares it to the observations from another instrument aboard the same mission. The results of this study demonstrate that these “Non-migrating” tides play a vital role in controlling the behavior of the upper atmosphere.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/85828 |
| Date | 02 August 2018 |
| Creators | Kumar, Aishwarya S. |
| Contributors | Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bailey, Scott M., England, Scott L., Lind, Elena Spinei |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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