On the rotational temperature of airglow hydroxyl emissions

It is argued that available observational information does not support the contention (recently advanced by Suzuki and Tohmatsu, 1976) that the rotational temperature derived from an airglow hydroxyl emission band depends systematically on the quantum number (ν′) of the vibrational state from which the band originates. In particular, it is shown that bands originating from ν′ = 6, 7 and 8, measured simultaneously, exhibit rotational temperatures which (within the experimental errors) are equal.     

Airglow hydroxyl intensity measurements 0·6–2·3 μ

Airglow hydroxyl band intensities have been measured for bands in the Δν = 2, 3, 4and5 sequences within the wavelength range 0·6–2·3 μ and include corrections for atmospheric extinction. These intensities, along with recently calculated A _{ν′ v″} values (Murphy, 1971), have been used to derive the direct excitation rates q _ν into the ν= 3, 4,..., 9 vibrational levels. The results show that excitation into the v=8and9 levels accounts for about 80 per cent of the total excitation into all levels, ν=0, 1,..., 9.     

OH and O2 airglow emissions during the 1998 leonid outburst and the 2002 leonid storm

In order to enhance our understanding of the possible influence of meteor ablation on the enrichment in OH and O₂ of the lower thermosphere we studied intense Leonid meteor activity by using the SATI (Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager) interferometer of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía. We measured the emission rate and rotational temperature of OH and O₂ airglow emission layers during two observation periods of high meteoric activity: the 1998 Leonid outburst and the 2002 Leonid storm. The results show that there is not a clear relation of O₂ and OH airglow emission and rotational temperature with meteoric activity.     

Airglow on Mars: Some model expectations for the OH Meinel bands and the O2 IR atmospheric band

This work presents model calculations of the diurnal airglow emissions from the OH Meinel bands and the O₂ IR atmospheric band in the neutral atmosphere of Mars. A time-dependent photochemical model of the lower atmosphere below 80 km has been developed for this purpose. Special emphasis is placed on the nightglow emissions because of their potential to characterize the atomic oxygen profile in the 50-80 km region. Unlike on Earth, the OH Meinel emission rates are very sensitive to the details of the vibrational relaxation pathway. In the sudden death and collisional cascade limits, the maximum OH Meinel column intensities for emissions originating from a fixed upper vibrational level are calculated to be about 300 R, for transitions v^′=9→v^′?8, and 15,000 R, for transitions v^′=1→v^′=0, respectively. During the daytime the 1.27 μm emission from O₂(), primarily formed from ozone photodissociation, is of the order of MegaRayleighs (MR). Due to the long radiative lifetime of O₂(), a luminescent remnant of the dayglow extends to the dark side for about two hours. At night, excited molecular oxygen is expected to be produced through the three body reaction O + O + CO₂. The column emission of this nighttime component of the airglow is estimated to amount to 25 kR. Both nightglow emissions, from the OH Meinel bands and the O₂ IR atmospheric band, overlap in the 50-80 km region. Photodissociation of CO₂ in the upper atmosphere and the subsequent transport of the atomic oxygen produced to the emitting layer are revealed as key factors in the nightglow emissions from these systems. The Mars 5 upper constraint for the product [H][O₃] is revised on the basis of more recent values for the emission probabilities and collisional deactivation coefficients.     

The quenching of OH1 in the atmosphere

The intensity distribution of the OH Meinel bands in the airglow has been derived from the minor constituent profiles of Moreels et al. (1977). It has been shown that there is good agreement between the observed and calculated intensity distribution for excitation through the hydrogen-ozone reaction and quenching of the excited state by reaction with atomic oxygen and through vibrational relaxation. The rate constants for vibrational relaxation have been derived and are found to be vibrational level dependent; for the ν = 7 level, the peak value, the rate constant is 5.8 × 10^?12cm³s^?1.     

Measurement of weak airglow emissions with a programmable scanning spectrometer

We demonstrate how the radiance response of a wavelength scanning instrument may be improved with a programmable scanning system. A minicomputer with a high level language offers a versatile software package that can be readily modified for any specific problem. We illustrate the technique with the application of the one meter Ebert Fastie spectrophotometer at the Arecibo Observatory's airglow facility to the measurements of the peak spectral emissions of the 5200 Å doublet of N(²D) in the nightglow and the 7320 Å doublet of O⁺(²P) in twilight. Typical measurement errors were ±0.2 R and ±0.5 R, respectively. We have also applied this method to measurements of the OH rotational temperature from the ratio of the P₁(2) and the P₁(5) rotational lines in the Meinel 8-3 band and obtained a precision of ±3 K within a time period of 6 min. The required modifications to the wavelength drive were not extensive, the costs were not high, and the technique may be applied to any wavelength scanning instrument in operation today.     

Hydroxyl airglow on Venus in comparison with Earth

Hydroxyl nightglow is intensively studied in the Earth atmosphere, due to its coupling to the ozone cycle. Recently, it was detected for the first time also in the Venus atmosphere, thanks to the VIRTIS-Venus Express observations. The main Δν=1, 2 emissions in the infrared spectral range, centred, respectively, at 2.81 and 1.46 μm (which correspond to the (1-0) and (2-0) transitions, respectively), were observed in limb geometry (Piccioni et al., 2008) with a mean emission rate of 880±90 and 100±40 kR (1R=10⁶ photon cm⁻² s⁻¹ (4πster)⁻¹), respectively, integrated along the line of sight. In this investigation, the Bates-Nicolet chemical reaction is reported to be the most probable mechanism for OH production on Venus, as in the case of Earth, but HO₂ and O may still be not negligible as mechanism of production for OH, differently than Earth. The nightglow emission from OH provides a method to quantify O₃, HO₂, H and O, and to infer the mechanism of transport of the key species involved in the production. Very recently, an ozone layer was detected in the upper atmosphere of Venus by the SPICAV (Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Venus) instrument onboard Venus Express (Montmessin et al., 2009); this discovery enhances the importance of ozone to the OH production in the upper atmosphere of Venus through the Bates-Nicolet mechanism. On Venus, OH airglow is observed only in the night side and no evidence has been found whether a similar emission exists also in the day side. On Mars it is expected to exist both on the day and night sides of the planet, because of the presence of ozone, though OH airglow has not yet been detected.In this paper, we review and compare the OH nightglow on Venus and Earth. The case of Mars is also briefly discussed for the sake of completeness. Similarities from a chemical and a dynamical point of view are listed, though visible OH emissions on Earth and IR OH emissions on Venus are compared.     

Venus night airglow: Ground-based detection of OH, observations of O2 emissions, and photochemical model

Venus nightglow was observed at NASA IRTF using a high-resolution long-slit spectrograph CSHELL at LT = 21:30 and 4:00 on Venus. Variations of the O₂ airglow at 1.27 μm and its rotational temperature are extracted from the observed spectra. The mean O₂ nightglow is 0.57 MR at 21:30 at 35°S-35°N, and the temperature increases from 171 K near the equator to ∼200 K at ±35°. We have found a narrow window that covers the OH (1-0) P1(4.5) and (2-1) Q1(1.5) airglow lines. The detected line intensities are converted into the (1-0) and (2-1) band intensities of 7.2 ± 1.8 kR and <1.4 kR at 21:30 and 15.5 ± 2 kR and 4.7 ± 1 kR at 4:00. The f-component of the (1-0) P1(4.5) line has not been detected in either observation, possibly because of resonance quenching in CO₂. The observed Earth’s OH (1-0) and (2-1) bands were 400 and 90 kR at 19:30 and 250 and 65 kR at 9:40, respectively. A photochemical model for the nighttime atmosphere at 80-130 km has been made. The model involves 61 reactions of 24 species, including odd hydrogen and chlorine chemistries, with fluxes of O, N, and H at 130 km as input parameters. To fit the OH vibrational distribution observed by VEX, quenching of OH (v > 3) in CO₂ only to v ? 2 is assumed. According to the model, the nightside-mean O₂ emission of 0.52 MR from the VEX and our observations requires an O flux of 2.9 × 10¹² cm⁻² s⁻¹ which is 45% of the dayside production above 80 km. This makes questionable the nightside-mean O₂ intensities of ∼1 MR from some observations. Bright nightglow patches are not ruled out; however, the mean nightglow is ∼0.5 MR as observed by VEX and supported by the model. The NO nightglow of 425 R needs an N flux of 1.2 × 10⁹ cm⁻² s⁻¹, which is close to that from VTGCM at solar minimum. However, the dayside supply of N at solar maximum is half that required to explain the NO nightglow in the PV observations. The limited data on the OH nightglow variations from the VEX and our observations are in reasonable agreement with the model. The calculated intensities and peak altitudes of the O₂, NO, and OH nightglow agree with the observations. Relationships for the nightglow intensities as functions of the O, N, and H fluxes are derived.     

Io's 4-μm band and the role of adsorbed SO2

The role of adsorbed SO₂ on Io's surface particles in producing the observed spectral absorption band near 4 μm in Io's reflectance spectrum is explored. Calculations show that a modest 50% monolayer coating of adsorbed SO₂ molecules on submicron grains of sulfur of alkali sulfide, assumed to make up Io's uppermost optical surface (“radialith”), will result in a ν₁ + ν₃ absorption band near 4 μm with depth ～30% below the adjacent continuum, consistent with the observed strength of the Io band. The precise wavelength position of the ν₁ + ν₃ band of SO₂ in different phase states such as frost, ice, adsorbate, and gas are summarized from the experimental literature and compared with the available telescopic measurements of the Io band position. The results suggest that the 4-μm band in Io's full disk spectrum can best be explained by the presence on Io's surface of widespread SO₂ in the form of adsorbate rather than ice or frost.     

On the detection and utilization of gravity waves in airglow studies

We develop here theoretical relations between fluctuations of airglow brightness, fluctuations of temperature as revealed by airglow, and the atmospheric gravity waves that are believed to cause these fluctuations. We note and account for differences between our relations and those obtained by Krassovsky (1972, Ann. Geophys. 28, 739) and Weinstock (1978, J. geophys. Res. 83, 5175), correcting both of the latter in the process. We explicitly repudiate the need for a nonlinear treatment of O₂(¹Σ_g) emissions as it was asserted by Weinstock, one aspect of the nonlinear treatment he gave, and the conclusions he drew from that treatment, including, inter alia, the conclusion that temperature fluctuations carry more meaning as a diagnostic than do brightness fluctuations. Instead, we note the dependence of both types of fluctuation on variable gravity-wave parameters, which dependence can be applied to the study of gravity waves via airglow or of airglow via gravity waves. As a first step, we note the ability of the present analysis to account for certain observations of OH and O₂(¹Σ_g) emissions that have been, until now, inadequately or incorrectly explained, and we stress the importance of the proper measurement of parameters such as wave frequency and propagation speed if our own tentative explanations are to be put to the test and further progress is to be made.     

The effect of Antarctic O3 decline on night airglow intensity of Na5893Å, O5577Å, OH emissions and its correlation with total solar flare numbers

The paper presents the effect of O₃ depletion on different night airglow emission lines. Calculations based on chemical kinetics show that the airglow intensity of Na5893Å, O5577Å and OH band emissions will also be affected due to the depletion of O₃ concentration. Intensity of Na5893Å is calculated theoretically for Halley Bay (76° S,27° W), British Antarctic Survey Station, during the period 1973 to 1984. It is concluded from the covariation of different emission lines that O5577Å and OH emissions also follow the same trend of variation. A study has been made to find the correlation between the depletion of O₃ concentration and total solar flare numbers. Important results are as follows:

Near infrared imaging spectroscopy of Venus with the Anglo-Australian Telescope

We have obtained full-disk spatially resolved spectra of the Venus nightside at near-infrared wavelengths during July 2007 using the Anglo-Australian Telescope and Infrared Imager and Spectrograph 2 (IRIS2). The data have been used to map the intensity and rotational temperature of the O₂(a¹Δ_g) airglow band at . The temperatures agree with those obtained in earlier IRIS2 observations and are significantly higher than expected from the Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA) profile. We also report the detection of the corresponding ν=0-1O₂ airglow band at with a similar spatial distribution to the ν=0-0 band. Observations in the thermal window have been used to image surface topography using two different methods of cloud correction. We have also obtained images that can be used to study cloud motion.     

Radiative relaxation of molecular vibration of the nitric oxide molecule as a possible source of the infrared shuttle glow

A model calculation to predict infrared Shuttle flow due to the radiative relaxation of vibration of the NO molecule is presented. Space Shuttles hit atmospheric NO molecules at a very high speed (≈ 8 km s^?1) and excite vibrational and rotational motions up to the temperature of 54,000 K. With the electric dipole radiation of Δν = 1, 2, 3, and particularly 4 (ν is the vibrational quantum number), the excited NO molecules emit infrared radiation before they collide with other molecules. The total radiation power is estimated to be 170AμW, where A is the cross-section area of the Shuttle in m² if no adsorption of the NO molecule takes place on the Shuttle surface. The intensity of each infrared line is calculated as a function of time, including all vibrational states up to ν = 35. For example, the 5039 cm^?1 line (ν = 24 → 20) has a maximum intensity of about 2.3 × 10^?21 W molecule at around 0.2 ms, which corresponds to 80 cm from the Shuttle surface if the recoil speed of the molecules is 4 km s^?1.     

Some problems in Venus' aeronomy

Models are presented for the height distribution of various photochemically active gases in Venus' upper atmosphere. Attention is directed to the chemistry and vertical transport of odd hydrogen (H, OH, HO₂, H₂O₂), odd oxygen (O, O₃), free chlorine (Cl, ClO, ClOO, Cl₂), CO, O₂, H₂ and H₂O. Supply of O₂ may play a limiting role in the formation of a possible H₂SO₄ cloud on Venus. The supply rate is influenced by both chemical and dynamical processes in the stratosphere, and an analysis of recent spectroscopic data for O₂ implies a lower limit to the appropriate eddy coefficient of about 3 × 10⁵ cm²/sec. The abundances of thermospheric O and CO are determined largely by vertical mixing, and an analysis of Mariner 10 measurements of Venus' Lyman α airglow suggests that the eddy coefficient in the lower thermosphere may be as large as 5 × 10⁷cm²sec. The corresponding values for the mixing ratios of O and CO at the ionospheric peak are approximately 1 per cent. The Lyman α data could be reconciled with larger values for thermospheric O, and smaller values for the vertical eddy coefficient, if non-thermal loss processes were to play a dominant role in hydrogen escape, and if the corresponding flux were to exceed 10⁷ atoms/cm²/sec. A sink of this magnitude would imply major depletion of Venus' atmospheric water over geologic time, and would appear to require mixing ratios of H₂O in the lower atmosphere in excess of 4 × 10^?4. The extensive component to the Lyman α emission measured by Mariner 5 may be due to resonance scattering of sunlight by hot atoms formed by charge transfer with O⁺. The H scale height, therefore, may reflect the temperature of positive ions in Venus' topside ionosphere.     

A search for millimeter-wave emission from HCN,CO, and CH3CN in Comet Bradfield (1978c)

Millimeter wavelength emission from the “parent” molecules HCN, CO, and CH₃CN, the latter in both its ground and ν₈ = 1 excited vibrational states, was sought from Comet Bradfield (1978c) during March 1978 after comet perihelion, when the heliocentric distance was between 0.45 and 0.55 AU. No lines were detected, and upper limits on the molecular column densities (averaged over the antenna beam) and production rates, Q are estimated. The upper limits on Q for HCN, CH₃CN (ν₈ = 0), and CH₃CN (ν₈ = 1) are less than the production rates inferred from the millimeter-wave detection of these species in Comet Kohoutek (1973f). The CO upper limit on Q is comparable to that inferred from a detection of Comet West (1975n) in the rocket uv. It seems likely that the total gas production rate of Comet Bradfield (1978c) was relatively low.     

High resolution investigation of the 7 μm region of the ethane spectrum

Building upon previous studies, we re-investigated the ethane spectrum between 1330 and 1610 cm^?1 by combining unapodized spectra obtained at room temperature with a Bruker Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) in Brussels and at 131 K with a Bruker FTS in Pasadena. The maximum optical path differences (MOPD) of the two datasets were 450 and 323.7 cm, corresponding to spectral resolutions of 0.0020 and 0.0028 cm^?1, respectively. Of the 15,000 lines observed, over 4592 transitions were assigned to the ν₆ (at 1379 cm^?1), ν₈ (at 1472 cm^?1), ν₄+ν₁₂ (at 1481 cm^?1) and 2ν₄+ν₉ (at 1388 cm^?1) bands, and another 1044 transitions were located for the ν₄+ν₈?ν₄ hot band (at 1472 cm^?1). Our new analysis included an improved implementation of the Hamiltonian calculation needed to interpret the complex spectral structures caused by numerous interactions affecting these four modes of vibration. From these results, we created the first line-by-line database containing the molecular parameters for over 20,000 ¹²C₂H₆ transitions at 7 μm.     

Temperature variation at mesopause levels during winter solstice at 78°N

Atmospheric temperatures from the polar mesopause are deduced from spectrophotometric measurements of hydroxyl bands and lines in the night airglow made at 78°N during December and January 1980/81 and 1982/83. An overall mean temperature of 220 K is found with a range from 172 to 257 K in the daily mean values. Several warm periods lasting 3–6 days may be due to heat dissipated by gravity waves. One week of consistently low temperatures was apparently connected to a stratospheric warming. Both datasets show a warmer mean temperature later in January than for early and mid-December. The polar OH airglow seems to peak at or just above the mesopause. The data also indicate that the mesopause is situated at approx. 90 km with an upper temperature gradient of 1 K km^?1 indicating a very shallow mesopause. A superposed epoch analysis of 19 consecutive 24-h periods reveals a semidiurnal variation in the temperature around winter solstice with an amplitude of 5 K. No diurnal variation of amplitude greater than 1 K is apparent. Average wind velocity deduced from the amplitude of the semidiurnal temperature variation is 9 m s^?1.     

On the nature of hydroxyl airglow

There are several types of hydroxyl airglow characterized by different relative fluctuations of the intensity and rotational temperature, and by unequal lags of the fluctuations in the intensity with respect to rotational temperature variations. On this basis suppositions are made on the nature of hydroxyl airglow.     

Analysis of Titan CH4 3.3 μm upper atmospheric emission as measured by Cassini/VIMS

After molecular nitrogen, methane is the most abundant species in Titan’s atmosphere and plays a major role in its energy budget and its chemistry. Methane has strong bands at 3.3 μm emitting mainly at daytime after absorption of solar radiation. This emission is strongly affected by non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) in Titan’s upper atmosphere and, hence, an accurate modeling of the non-LTE populations of the emitting vibrational levels is necessary for its analysis. We present a sophisticated and extensive non-LTE model which considers 22 CH₄ levels and takes into account all known excitation mechanisms in which they take part. Solar absorption is the major excitation process controlling the population of the v₃-quanta levels above 1000 km whereas the distribution of the vibrational energy within levels of similar energy through collisions with N₂ is also of importance below that altitude. CH₄-CH₄ vibrational exchange of v₄-quanta affects their population below 500 km. We found that the ν₃ → ground band dominates Titan’s 3.3 μm daytime limb radiance above 750 km whereas the ν₃ + ν₄ → ν₄ band does below that altitude and down to 300 km. The ν₃ + ν₂ → ν₂, the 2ν₃ → ν₃, and the ¹³CH₄ν₃ → ground bands each contribute from 5% to 8% at regions below 800 km. The ν₃ + 2ν₄ → 2ν₄and ν₂ + ν₃ + ν₄ → ν₂ + ν₄ bands each contribute from 2% to 5% below 650 km. Contributions from other CH₄ bands are negligible. We have used the non-LTE model to retrieve the CH₄ abundance from 500 to 1100 km in the southern hemisphere from Cassini-VIMS daytime measurements near 3.3 μm. Our retrievals show good agreement with previous measurements and model results, supporting a weak deviation from well mixed values from the lower atmosphere up to 1000 km.     

The penetration limit of thin films

One sensor of the Helios micrometeoroid experiment is covered by a thin film consisting of 3000 Å parylene and 750 Å aluminium. Micrometeoroids must penetrate this film before they are detected. In order to study the effects of the film on the detection of micrometeoroids simulation experiments were performed with iron, aluminium, glass and polyphenylene projectiles in the mass range of 5 × 10^?13g < m < 2 × 10^?10g and in the speed range of 1.5 km/sec <ν < 13 km/sec. The bulk densities of the projectiles ranged from 1.25 g/cm³ (polyphenylene) to 7.9 g/cm³ (iron). By measuring the speed of the projectiles before and after the film penetration the speed loss Δν caused by the film was determined. The angle of incidence was varied in three steps (0°, 30° and 60°). This deceleration strongly depends on the projectiles' densities: Vertically impacting iron projectiles of m = 10^?11g and ν₁ = 3 km/sec were subject to a relative speed loss of Δν/ν₁ = 4%, aluminium projectiles of the same mass and speed showed Δν/ν₁ = 8%, glass projectiles Δν/ν₁ = 9% and polyphenylene projectiles Δν/ν₁ = 14%. The total charge of the plasma produced upon impact on a gold target of a projectile which had penetrated the film before that was compared with the plasma produced by a projectile without a penetration. For iron projectiles these two signals did not differ significantly even at an angle of incidence of 60°. Whereas polyphenylene projectiles showed an attenuation of the charge signal by a factor of 10 after the penetration already at an angle of incidence of 0°. Polyphenylene projectiles impacting the film at an angle of incidence of 60° could no longer be detected behind the film. This experiment defined the penetration limit of the Helios film. Comparison with other penetration data yielded a penetration formula which is applicable to projectiles with diameters in the submicron to centimeter range. This penetration formula gives the penetration limit of a film as a function of the projectile's mass, speed and density.