Title:
Numerical kinetic simulation of the upper atmosphere photochemistry and dynamics
Authors:
Marov, M. Ia.; Shematovich, V. I.; Bisikalo, D. V.
Affiliation:
AA(AN SSSR, Institut Prikladnoi Matematiki, Moscow, USSR) AC(AN SSSR, Astronomicheskii Sovet, Moscow, USSR)
Journal:
(Ionospheric and thermospheric studies; Proceedings of the Topical Meetings of the Interdisciplinary Scientific Commission P /Meeting P2/ and C /Meetings C4 and C8/ of the COSPAR 28th Plenary Meeting, The Hague, Netherlands, June 25-July 6, 1990. A92-19876 06-46) Advances in Space Research (ISSN 0273-1177), vol. 12, no. 6, 1992, p. 303-308. (AdSpR Homepage)
Publication Date:
00/1992
Category:
Geophysics
Origin:
STI
NASA/STI Keywords:
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY, PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS, REACTION KINETICS, SOLAR WIND, UPPER ATMOSPHERE, EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION, NONEQUILIBRIUM CONDITIONS, PHOTODISSOCIATION, PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES, RAREFIED GASES, STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
Bibliographic Code:
1992AdSpR..12..303M

Abstract

Attention is given to the kinetic approach as a prerequisite for the investigation of the atmospheric gas flow in a transition region between the dense atmosphere at low altitudes and the collisionless atmospheric layers at very high altitudes. The kinetic approach, based on the stochastic simulation method, is found to be an effective numerical technique for examining nonequilibrium physical and chemical systems. The stochastic simulation of collisions in rarefied natural gas makes it possible to estimate the efficiency of energy transfer from atomic and molecular translational degrees of freedom to inner ones as well as the efficiency of ionization-recombination reactions in partially ionized rarefied gas. By extending this technique to so-called photoprocesses, it may be applied to the study of physical and chemical processes in the upper layers of planetary atmospheres. The results of a detailed numerical analysis of the excited and ionized particle production kinetic rates in multichannel dissociation and ionization reactions are presented.