Ionospheric effects of rocket exhaust products - Skylab and HEAO-C

A description is presented of a new computer model of the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere, taking into account a comparison of computed results with experimental data. The model was developed in the course of a study of ionospheric depletion effects of large rocket launches through the F layer. The computer code uses a two-dimensional array of Eulerian mesh cells in Cartesian coordinates x horizontal (in the geomagnetic meridian plane), and z vertical. The code integrates the chemical/photochemical kinetic equations for 30 individual chemical species in each of 315 cells. Solar radiation, scatter UV, cosmic rays, and precipitating electrons are considered. Diffusion rates are computed for each neutral species under the influence of gravity. The midlatitude ionosphere in connection with the launch of Skylab I on May 14, 1973 is considered, and attention is given to rocket launches and two-dimensional model comparisons