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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

Sec. Space Physics

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fspas.2025.1542596

Fast-type Sporadic Na and K layers over São José dos Campos, Brazil, and their link to meteor ablation

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
  • 2 National Institute of Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study utilizes three years of observational data from the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather (CBJLSW) dual-beam Na-K LIDAR to investigate fast-type sporadic sodium (Na) and potassium (K) layers. The focus is on the sudden enhancement of these metal densities within thin layers, the duration of which is less than one hour. These transient layers were identified in five nights of observational data and were always located a few hundred meters above the main Na and K layers. There was a good correspondence between the fast-type Ns layer and the occurrence of the Sporadic-E (Es) layer, which also presented a short time of duration. Moreover, the results show an increase in the meteor rate during these Ns layers' time and altitudinal range. Our analysis aims to elucidate the formation mechanisms of these fast-type neutral sporadic layers. The slightly higher peak altitudes and earlier started time observed in the Na layer compared to K are evidence of the link to differential meteor ablation. Additionally, the different values found in the relative abundance of the Na to K ratio between the Ns and background layers indicate an extra input of metals in the layers instead of a vertical redistribution of the pre-existing metal normal layer. The findings suggest that the formation of the fast-type Ns layers is linked to the direct deposition of these metals by meteor ablation.

    Keywords: Na Sporadic Layer1, K Sporadic Layer2, Sporadic E Layer3, Meteor ablation4, billow-like structures

    Received: 10 Dec 2024; Accepted: 02 Apr 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Andrioli, Xu, BATISTA, Resende, SANTOS, Femi, Alvares Pimenta, Martins, Da Silva, Moro, De Jesus, Yang, Wang and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Vania Fatima Andrioli, State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, Beijing Municipality, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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