Dr. Christopher J. Mertens Profile

Dr. Christopher J. Mertens

Physical Scientist at NASA Langley Research Ctr

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Proceedings Article | 17 September 2011 Paper

Advancements in understanding auroral ionosphere-thermosphere coupling from infrared remote sensing

Christopher Mertens, Xiaojing Xu, Stanley Wellard

Proceedings Volume 8154, 815405 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.895235

KEYWORDS: Infrared radiation, Information technology, Satellites, Infrared sensors, Remote sensing, Thermosphere, Solids, Radiometry, Chemistry, Spectral resolution

Read Abstract +

Recent discoveries from analysis of measurements made by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere-Ionosphere- Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite have shown that NO(v) 5.3 um emission is the primary mechanism of dissipating solar-geomagnetic storm energy in the thermosphere. Further insight into the ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) storm-time response emerged from observations and analysis of the SABER 4.3 um channel radiances, which showed that nighttime 4.3 um emission is dominated by NO⁺(v) during geomagnetically disturbed conditions. Analysis of SABER NO⁺(v) 4.3 um emission led to major advances in the understanding of E-region ion-neutral chemistry and kinetics, such as the identification of a new source of auroral 4.3 um emission, which also provides a new context for understanding auroral infrared emission from O₂(a¹▵g). Surprisingly, NO⁺(v) 4.3 um emission is the second largest contribution to solar-geomagnetic infrared radiative response and provides a non-negligible contribution to the "natural thermostat" thought to be solely due to NO(v) 5.3 um emission. Despite these major advances, a fully physics-based understanding of the two largest sources of storm-time energy dissipation in the IT system from NO(v) and NO⁺(v) is lacking because of the limited information content contained in SABER's broadband infrared channel measurements. On the other hand, detailed information on the chemical-radiative excitation and loss processes for NO(v), NO⁺(v), and O₂(a¹▵g) emission is encoded in the infrared spectrum, of which SABER only provides an integral constraint. Consequently, a prototype infrared field-wide Michelson interferometer (FWMI) is currently under development to advance the understanding of IT storm-time energetics beyond the current state of knowledge. It is anticipated that progress in the developments of the FWMI technology, along with advancements in a physics-based understanding of the fundamental chemical-radiative mechanisms responsible for IT infrared emission, will play an integral role in the future planning of a rocket-borne and satellite-based Eregion science missions. In this paper, a survey of recent SABER discoveries in IT ion-neutral coupling will be given, open questions in a physics-based understanding of chemical-radiative vibration-rotation excitation and loss from important IT infrared emitters will be identified, and the FWMI instrument requirements necessary to address these open science questions will be presented.

Proceedings Article | 17 September 2011 Paper

A field-widened spectrometer-interferometer: back from the past to measure ionospheric-thermospheric energetics

Stanley Wellard, Christopher Mertens

Proceedings Volume 8154, 815403 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.895344

KEYWORDS: Interferometers, Sensors, Michelson interferometers, Satellites, Electronics, Infrared radiation, Rockets, Prisms, Mirrors, Spectroscopy

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 29 September 2009 Paper

Development of a geomagnetic storm correction to the international reference ionosphere model E-region electron densities using TIMED/SABER observations

C. Mertens, X. Xu, J. Fernandez, D. Bilitza, J. Russell, M. Mlynczak

Proceedings Volume 7475, 747508 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.829976

KEYWORDS: IRIS Consortium, Intelligence systems, Magnetism, Climatology, Infrared radiation, Radar, Data modeling, Satellites, Correlation function, Radiometry

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 25 October 2007 Paper

Empirical storm-time correction to the international reference ionosphere model E-region electron and ion density parameterizations using observations from TIMED/SABER

C. Mertens, J. Winick, J. Russell, M. Mlynczak, D. Evans, Dieter Bilitza, X. Xu

Proceedings Volume 6745, 67451L (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.737318

KEYWORDS: Magnetism, IRIS Consortium, Data modeling, Correlation function, Ions, Atmospheric modeling, Satellites, Infrared radiation, Systems modeling, Wave propagation

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 30 November 2004 Paper

Tidal and layer structure in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere from TIMED/SABER CO2 15-µm emission

Richard Picard, Peter Wintersteiner, Jeremy Winick, Chris Mertens, Martin Mlynczak, James Russell, Larry Gordley, William Ward, Chiao Yao She, Robert O'Neil

Proceedings Volume 5571, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.568060

KEYWORDS: LIDAR, Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Climatology, Oxygen, Wave propagation, Radiometry, Space operations, Temperature metrology, Atmospheric propagation

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 16 February 2004 Paper

Comparisons of MIPAS-observed temperature profiles with other satellite measurements

Ding-Yi Wang, Gabriele Stiller, Thomas von Clarmann, Maya Garcia-Comas, Manuel Lopez-Puertas, Michael Kiefer, Michael Hoepfner, Norbert Glatthor, Bernd Funke, Sergio Gil-Lopez, Udo Grabowski, Sylvia Kellmann, Andrea Linden, Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu, Mathias Milz, Tilman Steck, Herbert Fischer, James Russell, Ellis Remsberg, Christopher Mertens, Martin Mlynczak

Proceedings Volume 5235, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.514244

KEYWORDS: Temperature metrology, Satellites, Data processing, Environmental sensing, Data centers, Stratosphere, Meteorology, Data analysis, Earth observing sensors, Mesosphere

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 18 April 2003 Paper

Retrieval of kinetic temperature and carbon dioxide abundance from nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium limb emission measurements made by the SABER experiment on the TIMED satellite

Christopher Mertens, Martin Mlynczak, Manuel Lopez-Puertas, Peter Wintersteiner, Richard Picard, Jeremy Winick, Larry Gordley, James Russell

Proceedings Volume 4882, (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.463358

KEYWORDS: Atmospheric modeling, Temperature metrology, Climatology, Thermodynamics, Satellites, Radiometry, Mesosphere, Atmospheric sensing, Infrared radiation, Thermosphere

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 30 January 2002 Paper

Far-infrared: a frontier in remote sensing of Earth's climate and energy balance

Martin Mlynczak, John Harries, Rolando Rizzi, Paul Stackhouse, David Kratz, David Johnson, Christopher Mertens, Rolando Garcia, Brian Soden

Proceedings Volume 4485, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.454247

KEYWORDS: Climatology, Clouds, Troposphere, Earth's atmosphere, Environmental sensing, Sensors, Infrared radiation, Atmospheric sensing, Satellites, Temperature metrology

Read Abstract +

Proceedings Article | 30 January 2002 Paper

Feasibility of retrieving upper tropospheric water vapor from observations of far-infrared radiation

Christopher Mertens

Proceedings Volume 4485, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.454251

KEYWORDS: Mid-IR, Troposphere, Error analysis, Infrared radiation, Radiation effects, Infrared sensors, Stratosphere, Remote sensing, Climatology, Far infrared

Read Abstract +

Showing 5 of 9 publications

SPIE Conference Volume | 5 October 2009

Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere XIV

Conference Committee Involvement (4)

Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere

24 September 2012 | Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere

21 September 2011 | Prague, Czech Republic

Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere

21 September 2010 | Toulouse, France

Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere XIV

31 August 2009 | Berlin, Germany

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years