Rocket measurements of ozone concentrations in the stratosphere and mesosphere over Thumba

Abstract

A rocket-borne solar middle ultraviolet photometer has been developed at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad for the measurement of ozone concentrations at stratospheric and mesospheric heights. The instrument has now been flown successfully several times from thumba and ozone concentrations determined over an altitude range of 15 to 80 km. This paper describes the instrumentation, data analysis technique as well as the laboratory calibration procedures. Also presented are the results from four successful rocket experiments conducted during equinoctial months under an Indo-USSR collaborative programme for strato-mesospheric studies. The results show that at Thumba peak ozone concentrations vary between 2.2 and 3.1×10¹² molecules per cc and the peak altitude varies from 25 to 29 km from flight to flight. In the altitude region above about 40 km the ozone concentrations over Thumba are lower than the standard mid-latitude model values, by a factor lying between 1.5 and 2.5.