Simulations of mesospheric and thermospheric IR radiance measured in the CIRRIS-1A shuttle experiment

Comprehensive simulations of upper atmospheric limb radiance from 2.5 to 25 μm, carried out using a moderate-resolution non-LTE code and a series of model atmospheres, are compared with data from the 1991 CIRRIS-1A shuttle experiment. Good agreement, typically within a factor of two, is found at most wavelengths over a five-order-of-magnitude range in spectral radiance. The comparisons yield information on the temperature profile, the production and concentrations of odd-oxygen and odd-hydrogen species in the mesopause region and NO in the thermosphere, and the kinetics of CO₂ vibrational states.