Daytime high‐latitude rocket observations of the NO γ, δ, and ε bands

Cleary, David D.

doi:10.1029/ja091ia10p11337

Cited by 59 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In laboratory measurements of the associative recombination process, only the v' = 0 level is populated [Groth et al, 1971], but if the results of Cleary [1986] are correct and fluorescence is the dominant daytime source of the S bands, then bands from higher v' levels may also be present.…”

Section: No 8 Bandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Thermospheric nitric oxide from the ATLAS 1 and Spacelab 1 missions

Torr

Chang

et al. 1995

J. Geophys. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Spectral and spatial images obtained with the Imaging Spectrometric Observatory on the ATLAS 1 and Spacelab 1 missions are used to study the ultraviolet emissions of nitric oxide in the thermosphere. By synthetically fitting the measured NO gamma bands, intensities are derived as a function of altitude and latitude. We find that the NO concentrations inferred from the ATLAS 1 measurements are higher than predicted by our thermospheric airglow model and tend to lie to the high side of a number of earlier measurements. By comparison with synthetic spectral fits, the shape of the NO y bands is used to derive temperature as a function of altitude. Using the simultaneous spectral and spatial imaging capability of the instrument, we present the first simultaneously acquired altitude images of NO y band temperature and intensity in the thermosphere. The lower thermospheric temperature images show structure as a function of altitude. The spatial imaging technique appears to be a viable means of obtaining temperatures in the middle and lower thermosphere, provided that good information is also obtained at the higher altitudes, as the contribution of the overlying, hotter NO is nonnegligible. By fitting both self-absorbed and nonabsorbed bands of the NO gamma system, we show that the self absorption effects are observable up to 200 km, although small above 150 km. The spectral resolution of the instrument (1.6 A) allows separation of the N + ( 5 5) doublet, and we show the contribution of this feature to the combination of the NO y (1,0) band and the N + ( 5 S) doublet as a function of altitude (less than \ §% below 200 km). Spectral images including the NO 8 bands support previous findings that the fluorescence efficiency is much higher than that determined from laboratory measurements. The Spacelab 1 data indicate the presence of a significant population of hot NO in the vehicle environment of that early shuttle mission.

show abstract

Section: No 8 Bandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Had Erwin filled Ihe (1,1) and (2,2) bands he would, in fact, have measured the degree of self-absorption of the (1,0) and (2,0) bands. Cleary [1986] derived altilude profiles of NO concenIralion from the j (1,0) and (2,0) bands. These profiles showed a roll over below 120 km, which the authors presumed to be due to self-absorplion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermospheric nitric oxide from the ATLAS 1 and Spacelab 1 missions

Torr

Chang

et al. 1995

J. Geophys. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The ions N + and O + are negligible, and correspond to less than 10% of the total absorption. We aim at showing the effect of the solar and geomagnetic activity on the NO excitation and ionisation [24]. shows that the state A 2 Σ + is one of the brightest in the Earth's atmosphere in general.…”

Section: Figs (3 4 5)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Energetic Electron Precipitation on the Upper Atmosphere: Nitric Monoxide

Vialatte¹,

Barthélemy²,

Lilensten³

2017

TOASCJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The fluorescence efficiency of the C state is low for v ϭ 0 and negligible for vϾ0, presumably due to rapid predissociation (9)(10)(11)(12). Day-time observations of the terrestrial atmosphere have found weak C 3 X (vЈ ϭ 0) bands, which have been attributed to resonance scattering (13)(14)(15), although there are significant uncertainties (16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The near-infrared nitric oxide nightglow in the upper atmosphere of Venus

Muñoz

Mills

Piccioni

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The v ‫؍‬ 0 progressions of the C 3 X and A 3 X band systems of nitric oxide dominate the middle-UV spectrum of the night-time upper atmospheres of the Earth, Mars, and Venus. The C(0) 3 A(0)؉h radiative transition at 1.224 m, the only channel effectively populating the A(0) level, must therefore occur also. There have been, however, no reported detections of the C(0) 3 A(0) band in the atmospheres of these or any other planets. We analyzed all available near-infrared limb observations of the darkside atmosphere of Venus by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument on the Venus Express spacecraft and found 2 unambiguous detections of this band at equatorial latitudes that seem to be associated with episodic events of highly enhanced nightglow emission. The discovery of the C(0) 3 A(0) band means observations in the 1.2-1.3 m region, which also contains the a(0) 3 X(0) emission band of molecular oxygen, can provide a wealth of information on the high-altitude chemistry and dynamics of the Venusian atmosphere.T he luminescence that results from exothermic chemical reactions between the constituents of a planetary atmosphere is customarily termed the night airglow or, simply, the nightglow (1). Although possibly present all day long, it appears most distinctly at night when the other processes of atomic and molecular excitation that depend directly on the action of the Sun are not at play and the diffuse radiation of solar light is at its minimum. The nightglow may originate from various, possibly minor, atmospheric constituents and provides insight into the chemistry, composition, temperature and energy balance of the atmosphere of a planet.The C 2 ⌸ 3 X 2 ⌸ and A 2 ⌺ ϩ 3 X 2 ⌸ band systems of nitric oxide (often referred to as the ␦ and ␥ bands, respectively) have long been known in the upper-atmospheric nightglow of the Earth (2, 3) and Venus (4, 5). More recently, they have also been reported in the atmosphere of Mars (6). A common structure, caused by the vЈ ϭ 0 progression of the aforementioned systems, characterizes the night-time middle-UV spectrum of all 3 planets. Separately and in combination with other nightglow emissions, observations of the nitric oxide nightglow have been used to infer details of the odd-nitrogen chemistry and dynamics in the emitting atmospheres.In the dayglow, resonance scattering of solar photons from ground-state nitric oxide gives rise to additional A 3 X (vЈ Ն 0) bands that have been observed on the sunlit side of the Earth (7) but that remain undetected in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus. On Mars, and expectedly also on Venus, the emission of the a 3 ⌸ 3 X 1 ⌺ system of carbon monoxide is likely to mask the nitric oxide A 3 X dayglow (8). The fluorescence efficiency of the C state is low for v ϭ 0 and negligible for vϾ0, presumably due to rapid predissociation (9-12). Day-time observations of the terrestrial atmosphere have found weak C 3 X (vЈ ϭ 0) bands, which have been attributed to resonance scattering (13-15), although there are significa...

show abstract

Daytime high‐latitude rocket observations of the NO γ, δ, and ε bands

Cited by 59 publications

References 58 publications

Thermospheric nitric oxide from the ATLAS 1 and Spacelab 1 missions

Thermospheric nitric oxide from the ATLAS 1 and Spacelab 1 missions

Impact of Energetic Electron Precipitation on the Upper Atmosphere: Nitric Monoxide

The near-infrared nitric oxide nightglow in the upper atmosphere of Venus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About