Cross-Wave Profiles of Altitude and Particle Size of Noctilucent Clouds in the Case of One-Dimensional Small-Scale Gravity Wave Pattern

Abstract

This paper describes the wide-field three-color observations of an expanded field of noctilucent clouds modulated by a one-dimensional gravity wave. Long wave crests were aligned by a small angle to the solar vertical in the sky. This made possible separate determination of altitude and particle size at different wave phases based on three-color photometry of noctilucent clouds. Thereby, it is possible to use simple optical imaging to record the changes in the parameters of noctilucent clouds when a short-period gravity wave passes by.