Conditions for the photochemical destabilization of gravity waves in the 
mesopause region

Xu, J.Y.; Smith, A.K.; Brasseur, Guy P.

doi:10.1016/S1364-6826(01)00061-X

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Conditions for the photochemical destabilization of gravity waves in the mesopause region

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Brasseur, Guy P.
The Atmosphere in the Earth System, MPI for Meteorology, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Xu, J., Smith, A., & Brasseur, G. P. (2001). Conditions for the photochemical destabilization of gravity waves in the mesopause region. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 63, 1821-1829. doi:10.1016/S1364-6826(01)00061-X.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0029-021B-2

Abstract

This paper investigates the conditions under which gravity waves become
unstable due to photochemical heating in the mesopause region. The study
shows that the gravity wave growth rate induced by photochemistry is
sensitive to the temperature and atomic oxygen concentration profiles.
There is also a strong dependence on the background vertical eddy
diffusion coefficient. Gravity waves with longer vertical and/or shorter
horizontal wavelengths are less affected by diffusion and can more
easily become destabilized through photochemistry. For moderately strong
diffusion coefficients (100 m(2) s(-1)), photochemical destabilization
occurs only for fairly long vertical wavelengths, even under the more
unstable conditions of cool temperatures and high atomic oxygen density.
(C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.