BASIC RESEARCH ON AURORA AND AIRGLOW.
Abstract
Spectroscopic grating and interferometric instruments currently in use for the spectroscopy and photometry of the aurora and airglow are listed and descriptions are given of the most recently developed instruments. A balloon-borne photometer for the infrared is described. Measurements of alkali metal abundances in the atmosphere from twilight observations are reported, including enhancements following artificial injections. Experimental and theoretical observations of the 1.27 micron and 1.58 micron O2 band in the twilight and dayglow are described including recent results obtained from balloons. An investigation on the relative band intensities and excitation of the nitrogen band systems in aurora was completed and the results are reported. Temperatures were obtained from the rotational structure of the first positive group N2 and Vegard-Kaplan bands in aurora. Lifetimes and quenching cross sections for O singlet-S were obtained from multichannel photometer observations of auroral brightness fluctuations. High resolution spectra of the OH bands in the 1 - 2 micron infrared region were obtained with a Michelson interferometer. A synoptic program for the determination of the time and space distributions of proton and electron bombardment of the atmosphere from the analysis of patrol spectra is described. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0635866
Entities
People
- A. Vallance Jones
- E. J. Llewellyn
- H. N. Rundle
Organizations
- University of Saskatchewan