Exploration of the Polar Upper Atmosphere e-bog

This book is an ordered collection of tutorial lectures on the physical processes in the polar upper atmosphere given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on "e;The Exploration of the Polar Upper Atmosphere"e; held at Lillehammer, Norway, May 5-16, 1980. The polar cap is an important part of the high latitude atmosphere not only because of circulation and horizontal trans- port in the neutral atmosphere and convection in the ionosphere, but also because of its unique energy sources and sinks. In addition, solar wind plasma is led into-the upper atmosphere by the geomagnetic field at the poles, and the polar cap is, as stated by Tutorial Leader Roederer in this volume, "e;the place where outer space meets earth"e;. The atmosphere at lower latitudes is well-known to the ground-based observer, and the advent of satellite observations was simply the beginning of a new perspective. The exploration of the atmosphere at polar latitudes, however, proceeded in quite the opposite manner, and satellite maps of the polar caps may be compared with a relatively meagre set of ground-based data. Recent efforts to extend the polar observations from the ground have resulted in the need for a review of the physical principles and processes occurring in the polar upper atmosphere. The interdisciplinary nature of these efforts led to the emphasis here on a tutorial program.