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ODIN is a Swedish small satellite project for Astronomical and Atmospheric Research. The Aeronomy research will address scientific problem areas in the stratosphere and mesosphere by making measurements of various trace species. The scientific goals can be summarized as follows:
1. Stratospheric ozone science: To elucidate the geographical extent of and mechanisms responsible for ozone depletion in the "ozone hole" region and to study dilution effects and possible heterogeneous chemistry even outside of the polar regions due to sulphate aerosols
2. Mesospheric ozone science: To establish the relative role of odd hydrogen chemistry and the effects of ordered and turbulent transport and corpuscular radiation.
3. Summer mesospheric science: To establish the variability of mesospheric water vapor including an assessment of the required fluxes for aerosol formation in the polar mesosphere.
4. Coupling of atmospheric regions: To study some of the mechanisms that provide coupling between the upper and lower atmosphere, eg downward transport of aurorally enhanced NO with its effects on ozone photo chemistry and the vertical exchange of minor species such as odd oxygen, CO and H2O. Odin will work in unexplored bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, around wavelengths of 0.5 mm and 3 mm. These contain emission lines from important molecules such as water vapor, molecular oxygen, ozone and carbon monoxide. The lines will be used as tools to study processes in the Earth's atmosphere and in astronomical objects. Complementary information on the atmosphere will come from spectral lines at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. Major scientific issues relate to star formation processes interstellar chemistry and atmospheric ozone balance. Additional information available at http://www.ssc.se/ssd/ssat/odin.html
[Summary provided by Swedish Space Corporation]
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