Observed and calculated mesospheric NO, 1992–1997

[1] Mesospheric nitric oxide as observed by the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and calculated by the Langley Research Center two-dimensional chemical transport model are compared on a daily and collocated basis for the period 920101 through 971231. Results show excellent agreement when energetic electron precipitation (EEP) from the outer trapping region of the magnetosphere is included. A simulation using only an upper boundary condition derived from the HALOE, but not explicitly including EEP, is deficient in NO at altitudes above 60 km. The contribution to the stratosphere of odd nitrogen formed by EEP in the mesosphere is significant and is approximately three times the contribution due to the HALOE upper boundary condition (HUBC) which approximates auroral electron precipitation, and solar EUV and solar X-ray effects on NO formation.