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Description

Ground-based image orthicon television systems detected 5 artificial auroras produced by electron beams directed downward from a rocket-borne accelerator flown January 26, 1969 from Wallops Island. One observed artificial aurora was produced with an electron beam of energy 4.9 kev, current 490 ma and duration 0.1 sec. The other 4 were from electron beams of energy 8.7 kev, current 490 ma and duration 1.0 sec. From the observed duration of these 4 auroras (1.4 sec) and other data it is concluded that the ratio of N2+ 1st Neg to 0I 5577 emission was 3 to 7. Widths of artificial auroral rays (130 + 50 m) and altitudes of lower edges (104 km for 8.7 kev beams) are in agreement with calculations by Berger, Seltzer and Maeda assuming Coulomb scattering. The observations show no delay in the arrival of the electron beam and indicate that a major fraction or all of the energy entered the atmosphere in a well-confined beam.

Publication Date

4-17-1970

Keywords

Auroras

Handle

http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15397

Ground-based optical observations of artificial auroras generated with a rocket-borne electron accelerator

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