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The reader may be surprised to learn that the word "aeronomy" is not found in many of the standard dictionaries of the English language (for exam ple. Webster's International dictionary). Yet the term would appear to exist, as evidenced by the affiliations of the two authors of this volume (Institut d'Aeronomie, Brussels, Belgium; Aeronomy Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA). Perhaps part of this obscu rity arises because aeronomy is a relatively new and evolving field of endeavor, with a history dating back no farther than about 1940. The Chambers dic tionary of science and technology provides the following definition: "aeronomy (Meteor. ). The branch of science dealing with the atmosphere of the Earth and the other planets with reference to their chemical com position, physical properties, relative motion,

Aeronomy of the Middle Atmosphere: Chemistry and Physics of the Stratosphere and Mesosphere

1. The Middle Atmosphere and Its Evolution.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Evolution of the Earth's atmosphere.- 1.3 Possible perturbations.- References.- 2. Chemical Concepts in the Atmosphere.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Thermodynamic considerations.- 2.3 Elementary chemical kinetics.- 2.3.1 Collision theory of bimolecular reactions.- 2.3.2 Unimolecular reactions.- 2.3.3 Termolecular reactions.- 2.4 Term symbols and their use.- 2.4.1 General.- 2.4.2 Selection rules for electronic radiative processes.- 2.5 Photolysis processes.- 2.6 Excited species in the middle atmosphere.- References and bibliography.- 3. Structure and Dynamics.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Vertical structure and some observed dynamical characteristics.- 3.3 Fundamental description of atmospheric dynamics.- 3.3.1 The primitive equations.- 3.3.2 The quasi-geostrophic potential voracity equation.- 3.4 Effects of dynamics on chemical species.- 3.5 General circulation models.- 3.6 Dynamics of the stratosphere in two dimensions: a conceptual view.- 3.6.1 Zonal means and eddies.- 3.6.2 Descriptions of the mean meridional stratospheric circulation.- 3.7 The importance of wave transience and dissipation.- 3.8 One-dimensional representations of the atmosphere.- References.- 4. Radiation.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere.- 4.2.1 The sun as a black body.- 4.2.2 The observed solar spectrum.- 4.3 Attenuation of solar radiation in the atmosphere.- 4.3.1 Absorption.- 4.3.2 Scattering by molecules and aerosol particles.- 4.4 Radiative transfer.- 4.4.1 General equations.- 4.4.2 Solution of the equation of radiative for wavelengths less than 4µm: Multiple scattering.- 4.4.3 Solution of the radiative transfer equation at wavelengths longer than 4µm: Absorption and emission of infrared radiation.- 4.5 Thermal effects of radiation.- 4.5.1 Heating due to absorption of radiation.- 4.5.2 Cooling by radiative emission.- 4.6 Photochemical effects of radiation.- 4.6.1 General.- 4.6.2 Absorption cross sections of the principal atmospheric molecules.- 4.6.3 Numerical calculation of photodissociation coefficients.- References.- 5. Composition and Chemistry.- 5.1 General.- 5.2 Oxygen compounds.- 5.2.1 Pure oxygen chemistry.- 5.2.2 The odd oxygen family and some observations.- 5.3 Carbon compounds.- 5.3.1 Methane.- 5.3.2 Methane oxidation chemistry.- 5.3.3 Some end products of methane oxidation: carbon monoxide and dioxide.- 5.4 Hydrogen compounds.- 5.4.1 General.- 5.4.2 Hydrogen radical chemistry.- 5.4.3 The odd hydrogen family and some observations.- 5.5 Nitrogen compounds.- 5.5.1 Sources of stratospheric nitrogen oxides.- 5.5.2 Chemistry of nitrogen and nitric acid in the stratosphere.- 5.5.3 The odd nitrogen family: lifetimes and observations.- 5.5.4 Chemistry of odd nitrogen in the lower thermosphere.- 5.5.5 The odd nitrogen family in the lower thermosphere and mesosphere.- 5.6 Chlorine compounds.- 5.6.1 General.- 5.6.2 Chlorine chemistry.- 5.6.3 The odd chlorine family: lifetimes and observations.- 5.7 Other halogens.- 5.8 Sulfur compounds and formation of aerosol.- 5.9 Generalized ozone balance.- References.- 6. The Ions.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Formation of ions in the middle atmosphere.- 6.2.1 The effect of solar radiation.- 6.2.2 Effects of energetic particles.- 6.2.3 Comparison of different ionizing processes.- 6.3 Positive ion chemistry.- 6.3.1 Positive ions in the E-region.- 6.3.2 Positive ions in the D-region.- 6.3.3 Positive ions in the stratosphere.- 6.4 Negative ion chemistry.- 6.4.1 Negative ions in the D-region.- 6.4.2 Negative ions in the stratosphere.- 6.5 Effect of ionic processes on neutral constituents.- 6.6 Radio waves in the lower ionosphere.- References.- 7. Possible Perturbations and Atmospheric Responses.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 The importance of coupling in the study of perturbations.- 7.3 The effect of changes in the solar irradiance.- 7.4 Particle precipitation.- 7.5 Volcanic emissions.- 7.6 Anthropogenic emissions.- 7.6.1 Carbon dioxide.- 7.6.2 Methane.- 7.6.3 Nitrous oxide.- 7.6.4 Aircraft in the troposphere and lower stratosphere.- 7.6.5 The chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's).- 7.6.6 Simultaneous perturbations.- References.- Appendix A. Numerical values of physical constants and other data.- Appendix B. Conversion factors.