(1) Astrobiology Center, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095-1567, CA, USA;(2) Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), 3004, 18080 Granada, Spain
Abstract:
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.