Ozone and airglow in the mesosphere region

The paper presents the results of a photometric study of the hydroxyl bands (7–2) and (8–3) in the night airglow spectrum at Mt. Abu in the winter and spring of 1966–1972. The observed nocturnal variation differs from the variation expected from the theoretical studies of Hesstvedt, Hunt, Shimazaki and others. Instead of a gradual fall in intensity after sunset to shortly before sunrise, a peak in intensity is found at a time which changes from month to month and roughly coincides with the transit times of the X-ray star TAU (XR-1)-Crab Nebula. Anexplanation of the observed phenomenon is offered in terms of the increased energy output into the D and E regions of the atmospheres, increased eddy diffusion, and production, of additional O(³P) and O₃ in the region 80–95 km. O₃ reacting with H gives rise to OH^*.