Homopause Control by Gravity Wave Breaking in the Planetary Atmospheres

Manabu D. Yamanaka
Radio Atmospheric Science Center, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611, Japan


Advances in Space Research , Vol. 15 , No.4, pp.(4)47-(4)50.

Paper No. C.1-S.2.03 presented at a symposium entitled ``Atmospheres of Venus and Mars'' in the 29th COSPAR Plenary Meeting, the World Space Congress, Washington D.C., USA, 28 August-5 September 1992.
First draft: February, 1992;
Submitted: August 1993, Accepted: September 1993
Published: April, 1995


ABSTRACT , CONTENTS , CORRECTIONS , FIGURES , REFERENCES , CITATIONS


Abstract
Wavebreaking turbulence induced by internal gravity waves which exist commonly in the planetary atmospheres plays an essentially important role in generation and maintenance of the homospheres. It is assumed from observations on the Earth that the scale height of vertical distribution of the vertical wavenumber is 34/7 times as large as the density scale height $H$, and that the intrinsic frequency is given by three times the magnitude of an effective Coriolis paramerter $|f|$. Then the number density at the homopause level is expressed by a universal function of a non-dimensional parameter $b H / |f|$, where $b$ is the collision parameter. Observed values of $b H / |f|$ for many planets are rather similar, and the homopause levels are controlled at number densities $\sim 10^{18 \pm 1}$ m$^{-3}$ on those planets.


Contents
Introduction
Quasi-Monochromatic Field of Internal Gravity Waves
Eddy Diffusivity due to Wavebreaking Turbulence
Control of Homopause Level
Conclusion


Corrections and Additional Remarks
(Nothing at present)


List of Table and Figures


References (Updated after publication)
  • Hodges, 1969: J. Geophys. Res. , 74 , 4087.
  • Leovy, 1982: Icarus , 50 , 311.
  • Lindzen, 1981: J. Geophys. Res. , 86 , 9707.
  • Yamanaka, 1990: Adv. Space Res. , 10 (10), 185.
  • Yamanaka, 1992a: Adv. Space Res. , 12 (10), 181.
  • Yamanaka, 1992b: Adv. Space Res. , 12 (10), 215.
  • Yamanaka and Fukao, 1994: J. Atmos. Terr. Phys. , 56 , 1375.
  • Citations by Subsequent Papers (Under construction !!!!!)


  • List of Original Papers by M. D. Yamanaka

  • Bibliography by any authors


    M. D. YAMANAKA homepage (English)


    E-mail : yamanaka@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp