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The Meridional Thermospheric Neutral Wind Measured By Radar And Optical Techniques In The Auroral Region, Vincent B. Wickwar, J W. Meriwether Jr., P B. Hays, A F. Nagy

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Radar observations of ion velocities in the magnetic zenith over Chatanika, Alaska, were used to determine the geomagnetic meridional component of the thermospheric neutral wind. Corrections for molecular diffusion and molecular ion contamination of the pure O⁺ composition assumed for the ionosphere were included in the analysis. Comparison of the averaged diurnal variation of the meridional wind showed good agreement between the two measurement techniques. Good agreement was also found for several cases of simultaneous observations. The evidence suggested that differences were caused by gravity waves. The 7 years of radar meridional wind results were examined with respect to …