Excitation of the Aπu state of N by electrons

Absolute values of the emission cross sections for five vibrational bands in the Meinel system of N₂⁺,A²π_u to X²Σ_g⁺, excited by electron impact are presented. From these, a value was obtained for the total excitation cross section of the A²π_u state at 100 eV of 26·5 × 10⁻¹⁸ cm². The results are compared with those of other workers and with theory. Collisional transfer of the excitation energy from the levels of the A²π_u state was also observed with a transfer cross section of approximately 10⁻¹⁴ cm².     

Charge exchange of metastable D oxygen ions with N2 in the thermosphere

Measurements of N₂⁺ and supporting data made on the Atmosphere Explorer-C satellite in the ionosphere are used to study the charge exchange process

$\text{O}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{(}{}^2\text{D}\text{)+}\text{N}{}_2\text{→}\text{k}\text{N}{}^{\mathrm{+}}{}_2\text{+}\text{O}$

The equality k = (5 ± 1.7) × 10^?10cm³s^?1. This value lies close to the lower limit of experimental uncertainty of the rate coefficient determined in the laboratory. We have also investigated atomic oxygen quenching of O⁺(²D) and find that the rate coefficient is 2 × 10^?11 cm³s^?1 to within approximately a factor of two.     

Auroral N2(c′4Σu → aΠg emission

Inspection of recent spectra presented by Sivjee (1983) show evidence of the 0–4 and 0–5 bands of the N₂(c′₄¹Σ_u⁺ → a¹Π_g) Gaydon-Herman system. In conjunction with earlier spectra, it is now possible that this band system is a significant auroral component, with an intensity approx. 7% that of the N2 2P system. The absence in aurorae of the potentially far stronger N₂(c′₄¹Σ_u⁺ → X¹Π_g) system is discussed. It is that the O₂(A³Σ_u⁺ → X³Σ_g⁻) band system is indiscernible in Sivjee's auroral spectra, under conditio the foreground nightglow is expected to be clearly visible. On the other hand, at least one relatively strong O₂(A′³Δ_u → a¹Δ_g) band appears to be present in these spectra.     

Deactivation of N2A Σumolecules in the aurora

Recent rocket observations of the N₂ V-K (Vegard-Kaplan) system in the aurora have been reinterpreted using an atmospheric model based on mass spectrometer measurements in an aurora of similar intensity at the same time of year. In contrast to the original interpretation, we find that population by cascade from the C³Π_u and B³Π_g states in the A³Σ_u⁺v=0,1 levels, as calculated using recently measured electron excitation cross sections, accurately accounts for the observed relative emission rates (IV-K/12PG_0.0). In addition there is no need to change the production rate of A ³ Σ _u⁺ molecules relative to that of C³Π_uv=0 as a function of altitude in order to fit the profile of the deactivation probability to the atmospheric model. Quenching of A ³ Σ _u⁺ molecules at high altitudes is dominated by atomic oxygen. The rate constants for the v=0 and v=1 levels are 8 × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ sec⁻¹ and 1.7 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ sec⁻¹ respectively, as determined using the model atmosphere mentioned above. Recent observations with a helium cooled mass spectrometer suggest that conventional mass spectrometer measurements tend to underestimate the atomic oxygen relative concentration. The rate coefficients may therefore be too large by as much as a factor of 3. Below 130 Km we find that it is possible to account for the deactivation in bright auroras by invoking large nitric oxide concentrations, similar to those recently observed mass spectrometrically and using a rate constant of 8 × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ sec⁻¹ for both the v=1 levels. This rate constant is very nearly the same as that measured in the laboratory (7 × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ sec⁻¹). Molecular oxygen appears not to play a significant role in deactivating the lower A ³ Σ _u⁺ levels.     

Energy transfer from excited N2 and O2 as a source of O(1S) in the Aurora

It is proposed that energy transfer from excited O₂ contributes to the production of O(¹S) in aurora. An analysis is presented of the OI5577 Å emission in an IBC II⁺ aurora between 90 and 130 km. The volume emission rate of the emission at these altitudes is consistent with the production rate of O(¹S) by energy transfer to O(³P) from N₂ in the A³Σ₂⁺ state and O₂ in the A³Σ_u⁺, C³Δc¹Σ_u^? states, the N₂A state being populated by direct electron impact excitation and B → A cascade and the excited O₂ states by direct excitation. Above the peak emission altitude (~105 km), energy transfer from N₂A is the predominant production mechanism for O(¹S). Below it, the contribution from quenching of the O₂ states becomes significant.     

The excitation of O2(b1Σg+) in the nightglow

It is proposed that the available measurements of the O₂(b¹Σ_g⁺ ?X³Σ_g^?) atmospheric bands both in the nightglow and in the laboratory indicate that the excitation mechanism is a two-step process rather than the direct three body recombination of atomic oxygen. It is shown that such a two-step mechanism can explain observations of the atmospheric bands both in altitude and intensity.     

Energy transfer of O(1S) atoms in collision with O(3P) atoms

Elastic scattering and excitation transfer collision cross-sections in O(¹S)-O(³P) collisions are calculated. These cross-sections are needed in determining the degree of thermalization of the O(¹S) atoms in the nighttime thermosphere. A formula is given for the rate coefficient for the production of an O(¹S) atom with a specific energy in collisions involving an O(¹S) atom of a given initial energy and the ground state O(³P) atoms of a thermal gas. Effective elastic scattering and excitation transfer cross-sections are defined and calculated to be 1.71 × 10^?15 cm² and 6.67 × 10^?16 cm² respectively at a relative collision energy of 0.41 eV.     

A measurement of the O2 ultra-violet nightglow emission

New measurements of the Herzberg I emission height profile in the night airglow are reported and indicate a peak emission height near 96 km in agreement with previous measurements. Using an atomic oxygen concentration profile determined from the oxygen green line profile measured on the same rocket it is concluded that the O₂(A³Σ_u⁺) state is not excited in the direct three body recombination of atomic oxygen. It is suggested that the excitation mechanism is a two step process, similar to the Barth mechanism for the atomic oxygen green lineand that the excited intermediate state is C³Δ_u.     

Electron-driven excitation of O2 under night-time auroral conditions: Excited state densities and band emissions

Electron impact excitation of vibrational levels in the ground electronic state and seven excited electronic states in O₂ have been simulated for an International Brightness Coefficient-Category 2+ (IBC II+) night-time aurora, in order to predict O₂ excited state number densities and volume emission rates (VERs). These number densities and VERs are determined as a function of altitude (in the range 80-350 km) in the present study. Recent electron impact excitation cross-sections for O₂ were combined with appropriate altitude dependent IBC II+ auroral secondary electron distributions and the vibrational populations of the eight O₂ electronic states were determined under conditions of statistical equilibrium. Pre-dissociation, atmospheric chemistry involving atomic and molecular oxygen, radiative decay and quenching of excited states were included in this study. This model predicts relatively high number densities for the metastable electronic states and could represent a significant source of stored energy in O₂* for subsequent thermospheric chemical reactions. Particular attention is directed towards the emission intensities of the infrared (IR) atmospheric (1.27 μm), Atmospheric (0.76 μm) and the atomic oxygen ¹S→¹D transition (5577 Å) lines and the role of electron-driven processes in their origin. Aircraft, rocket and satellite observations have shown both the IR atmospheric and Atmospheric lines are dramatically enhanced under auroral conditions and, where possible, we compare our results to these measurements. Our calculated 5577 Å intensity is found to be in good agreement with values independently measured for a medium strength IBC II+ aurora.     

Atomic oxygen distribution in the Venus mesosphere from observations of O2 infrared airglow by VIRTIS-Venus Express

This VIRTIS instrument on board Venus Express has collected spectrally resolved images of the Venus nightside limb that show the presence of the (0,0) band of the infrared atmospheric system of O₂ at 1.27 μm. The emission is produced by three-body recombination of oxygen atoms created by photodissociation of CO₂ on the dayside. It is consistently bright so that emission limb profiles can be extracted from the images. The vertical distribution of O₂() may be derived following Abel inversion of the radiance limb profiles. Assuming photochemical equilibrium, it is combined with the CO₂ vertical distribution to determine the atomic oxygen density. The uncertainties on the O density caused by the Abel inversion reach a few percent at the peak, increasing to about 50% near 120 km. We first analyze a case when the CO₂ density was derived from a stellar occultation observed with the SPICAV spectrometer simultaneously with an image of the O₂ limb airglow. In other cases, an average CO₂ profile deduced from a series of ultraviolet stellar occultations is used to derive the O profile, leading to uncertainties on the O density less than 30%. It is found that the maximum O density is generally located between 94 and 115 km with a mean value of 104 km. It ranges from less than 1×¹⁰¹¹ to about 5×¹⁰¹¹ cm⁻³ with a global mean of 2.2×¹⁰¹¹ cm⁻³. These values are in reasonable agreement with the VIRA midnight oxygen profile. The vertical O distribution is generally in good agreement with the oxygen profile calculated with a one-dimensional chemical-diffusive model. No statistical latitudinal dependence of the altitude of the oxygen peak is observed, but the maximum O density tends to decrease with increasing northern latitudes. The latitudinal distribution at a given time exhibits large variations in the O density profile and its vertical structure. The vertical oxygen distribution frequently shows multiple peaks possibly caused by waves or variations in the structure of turbulent transport. It is concluded that the O₂ infrared night airglow is a powerful tool to map the distribution of atomic oxygen in the mesosphere between 90 and 115 km and improve future Venus reference atmosphere models.     

Brightness of the O2 atmospheric bands in the daytime thermosphere

The Fabry-Perot interferometer on Dynamics Explorer 2 was used as a low sensitivity photometer to study the O₂ Atmospheric A band during the daytime. A study of the brightness of the emission showed that the assumed source of O₂(b¹Σ_g⁺) in the thermosphere, O(¹D), can account for the observed intensity up to about 250 km but with a significantly different scale height. This combined with an enhanced brightness above this altitude suggests an additional source for this emission.     

The altitude dependence of the O2(A3Σu+) vibrational distribution in the terrestrial nightglow

A simple vibrational relaxation model which reproduces the observed altitude integrated vibrational distribution of the Herzberg I bands in the nightglow is used to derive the altitude profiles of the individual vibrational levels at 1 km intervals in the 85–115 km height range. The possible errors associated with using rocket-borne photometer measurements of a limited number of bands in the O₂(A³Σ_u⁺?X³Σ_g^?) system to infer the total Herzberg I emission profile are assessed.     

Photometric measurements of the O2 U.V. nightglow

Measurements of the O₂(A³Σ − X³Σ) Herzberg system in the night airglow have been made with the ESRO TD-1 satellite in the wavelength range 2400–3100 A. The slant emission rate varies from 3.5 to 15 kR, indicating an irregular structure of the atomic oxygen near the turbopause. A statistical maximum intensity is found near the tropic in the winter hemisphere. The intensity profile is consistent with excitation by three-body recombination of oxygen atoms. The observed total emission rate can be accounted for by reasonable atomic oxygen densities and an O₂(A³Σ) production efficiency of about 20% if quenching by N₂ occurs at the rate deduced from laboratory and other airglow measurements.     

Observations of horizontal transport effects on high latitude metastable O(1D), N(2D) auroral emissions

An analysis is presented of photometric measurements of the NI (λ = 520nm),OI(λ = 630nm)and other emissions made at Nord, where the invariant latitude is Λ = 80°4. The time variations of the intensities are interpreted in the following way by comparison with simultaneous ground based or satellite measurements.The N(²D) atoms formed in the dayside cleft are carried by the neutral wind in a plume across the polar cap, so that the ratio of λ(630 nm) to λ(520 nm) intensities decreases along the plume with increasing distance from the source region.In the polar cap, but outside the plume region, 630 nm emission is produced by electron impact of polar rain and by substorms that reach high latitudes. Ionization produced at the same time, especially by the substorms, will produce further 630 nm emission through dissociative recombination. In any case, the region outside the plume may be regarded as a source region, with a high value of the ratio $\text{I(630)}\text{I(520)}$. This explains in part the diurnal variations, since this ratio is depressed as Nord crosses the dayside plume.The electron energy along the oval increases progressively from the dayside to the nightside. The intensity ratio increases with increasing electron energy because N(²D) is quenched more rapidly than O(¹D). Thus the ratio rises progressively from noon to midnight.An effect of the interplanetary magnetic field is superimposed on this pattern : as its North-South component B_z increases, the oval contracts so that Nord becomes nearer from the cleft source and the intensity ratio increases on the dayside. The inverse effect is also observed. On the nightside, negative B_z is associated with substorms that produce poleward expansions of the poleward oval boundary, that brings more energetic precipitation to Nord. This causes the intensity ratio to increase with decreasing B_z in a way that is opposite to that for the dayside.     

The dissociative recombination of N2+ (v = 0, 1) as a source of metastable atoms in planetary atmospheres

The yield of metastable nitrogen atoms in dissociative recombination of N₂⁺ (v = 0, 1)ions has been tudied for different experimental conditions. In a first experiment, the branching ratio for N(²D) production was directly measured as being higher than 1.85; for N₂⁺ (v = 0) this implies that ²D + ²D is the main reaction channel; for N₂⁺ (v = 1) a minor channel could be ²P + ²D, ²P being then quenched toward ²D by electrons. In a second experiment, at higher electron densities, the influence of superelastic collisions was studied; a steady state analysis yields the quenching rate coefficient k₄, of ²D towards ⁴S equal to 2.4 × 10^?10 cm³ s^?1for T_e = 3900 K and shows that ²D + ²D is always the major channel of the reaction for N₂⁺ (v = 1), ²D + ²P being a minor channel. All these results are in good agreement with thermospheric models but imply that N₂⁺ dissociative recombination is a less important source for nitrogen escape of Mars.     

Laboratory investigation of the ionospheric O2+(X2πg, v ≠ 0) reaction with NO

Laboratory measurements of the reaction of O₂⁺ with NO from thermal energy to 0.6 eV in an Ar buffered flow drift tube agree with similar measurements made earlier in the same drift tube with He buffer. Since the O₂⁺ ions are substantially vibrationally excited in Ar and not in He it follows that the reaction is not enhanced by vibrational excitation of the O₂⁺.