Auroral emission generated by a trimethyl aluminum release

Authors
Gelinas, LJ Kelley, MC Sia, C Larsen, MF
Citation
Lj. Gelinas et al., Auroral emission generated by a trimethyl aluminum release, J GEO R-S P, 106(A10), 2001, pp. 21495-21502
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
ISSN journal
21699380 → ACNP
Volume
106
Issue
A10
Year of publication
2001
Pages
21495 - 21502
Database
ISI
SICI code
0148-0227(20011001)106:A10<21495:AEGBAT>2.0.ZU;2-6
Abstract
A trimethyl aluminum (TMA) release rocket launched during the 1998 Coqui II sounding rocket campaign in Puerto Rico produced what appeared to be an ar tificially generated aurora. This phenomenon has been observed on several o ther occasions but has heretofore not been reported. In this paper we discu ss the observation of artificially generated auroral light in relation to a kerosene-doped TMA release and propose an auroral generation mechanism inv olving motion of charged particulates associated with the TMA trail.