Exospheric Studies

On 15-17 May 2012, with support from the National Science Foundation, an international group of scientists convened for two and a half days at the University Club of Chicago to discuss the scientific merits of developing a major new observational facility to explore the fundamental processes that are known to shape planetary atmospheres throughout the galaxy and govern their evolution. Participants focused primarily on Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere from 50 to 1000 km altitude. They identified the science drivers for the initiative, determined what new observational capabilities were required to address them and developed a top-level design concept for the new facility. In particular, they acknowledged that there exists a serious observational gap of the Earth’s neutral atmosphere above 100 km. Information on neutral winds and temperatures and on the interactions between the neutral atmosphere and plasma in the Earth’s space-atmosphere-interaction region is either sparse or nonexistent. The group consensus was that the new facility must address this observational gap.The conference participants and others spent the next eighteen months refining the scientific arguments, assessing the current state of technology and developing the design requirements and performance specifications for the new facility. The results of their careful deliberations are contained in two reports: OASIS: Exploring the Interaction of Earth\u27s Atmosphere With Space and the OASIS: Engineering and Technical Supplement. This chapter on Exospheric Studies by E. J. Mierkiewicz and J. W. Meriwether is part of the Engineering and Technical Supplement. To view the two reports in their entirety, please visit: Link to full-text report