The theory of charged particle temperatures in the upper atmosphere.

The thermal structure of the earth's upper atmosphere is examined in detail, with emphasis on the physical processes that govern the behavior of charged-particle temperatures. The characteristic features of and competition between the heating, cooling, and thermal conduction processes that govern electron and ion temperatures in the mid-latitude and auroral ionospheric regions are theoretically analyzed, and appropriate comparisons are made with experimental data. The proposed elaborate theory is considered qualitatively successful in accounting for the thermal structure of the ionosphere, and points requiring quantitative verification are delineated.