COUPLING PHASES AND AMPLITUDES OF MINOR CONSTITUENTS WITH TEMPERATUREPERTURBATIONS IN THE LOWER THERMOSPHERE

Based on the linearized theory of atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) and considering the effects of temperature perturbation on the chemical ra te coefficients, the formulae of coupling relations between n'(j)/n(j) and T'/T driven by AGW (n(j) and T denote the background quantities) are described, the coupling phases and amplitudes of minor constituent s O3, NO, H, OH, and O are analyzed in detail for the mesopause (86km) and just upside of the O layer (100km) at daytime. A general principl e is outlined: the coupling phases are strongly dependent on density s cale heights and perturbation scales, while the amplitudes are little affected by these two factors. A criterion to distinguish the coupling behavior is given: when the minor constituent number density scale he ight H(j) satisfies 1 - gammaH(m)/H(j) > 0, (H(m) denotes the scale he ight of the major constituent) the dynamical perturbation process alwa ys keeps the n'(j)/n(j) in phase with T'/T, i.e. keeps the n'(n)/n(j) in antiphase with that of the major constituent. The results obtained indicate that both the temperature dependence of reaction rate coeffic ients and the profile slopes of the O distribution may have a major in fluence on the behavior of the coupling relations.