Regions: South Slave Region
Tags: physical sciences, atmospheric sciences, aurora borealis
| Principal Investigator: | Wescott, E.M. (2) |
| Licence Number: | 12566 |
| Organization: | University of Alaska |
| Licensed Year(s): |
1995
1994
|
| Issued: | Jan 01, 1994 |
| Project Team: | H.C.S. Nielsen |
Objective(s): To investigate processes responsible for the aurora. Auroras are caused by energetic electrons accelerated at an altitude of about 8000 kilometres above the Earth, but we do not know how. By sending beams of barium and calcium ions into the atmosphere, we should be able to test two theories about how the aurora is generated.
Project Description: The researchers are investigating how the aurora borealis is created. Beams of barium and calcium will be sent up into the Earth's atmosphere (via a rocket launched from north of Fairbanks, Alaska). These beams, which will be released at night into the atmosphere at an altitude of 500km, should be visible from Fort Smith. A video camera, located near the Upper Air Station, will record the experiment.
