All Physics Faculty Publications

The 6300Å O(1D) Airglow and Dissociative Recombination

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Planetary and Space Science

Volume

22

Issue

5

Publication Date

5-1974

First Page

709

Last Page

724

Abstract

Measurements of night-time 6300 Å airglow intensities at the Arecibo Observatory have been compared with dissociative recombination calculations based on electron densities derived from simultaneous incoherent backscatter measurements. The agreement indicates that the nightglow can be fully accounted for by dissociative recombination. The comparisons are examined to determine the importance of quenching, heavy ions, ionization above the F-layer peak, and the temperature parameter of the model atmosphere. Comparable fits between the observed and calculated intensities are found for several available model atmospheres (e.g. CIRA, Jacchia). The least-squares fitting process, used to make the comparisons, produces comparable fits over a wide range of combinations of neutral densities and of reaction constants. Yet, the fitting places constraints upon the possible combinations: these constraints indicate that the latest laboratory chemical constants and densities extrapolated to a base altitude are mutually consistent. However, by imposing an additional constraint, an aeronomically derived preference is given for about one O(1D) per combination. A preference is also given for the lower base densities of O2 derived from rockets rather than from models. Altitude profiles for the 6300 Å and 5577 Å emissions are deduced. In the early evening, there are no large discrepancies in the fits that might indicate an effect from elicited states of O+, vibrational excitation of O2, or both. The technique of comparing observed and calculated 6300 Å intensities has considerable potential as an aeronomical tool for examination of other possible sources of emission and for determination of relative changes in the neutral atmosphere.

Comments

Originally published by Elsevier in Planetary and Space Science. Publisher’s PDF and HTML full text available through remote link. May require subscription if user is not on the USU Network.

https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(74)90141-X

Share

COinS