Development of a Rocket-Borne Resonance Lamp System for the Measurement of Atomic Oxygen,
Abstract
Two small rocket payloads containing atomic oxygen resonance lamps and detectors were flown during twilight and night conditions to measure atomic oxygen profiles from 70 to 130 km. The payloads each consisted of a closed, flowing rf excited, modulated, oxygen resonance lamp producing on the order of 10 to the 13th power photons/sec sr of 130.2, 130.4, 130.6 nm oxygen triplet radiation. The emissions were generated with minimal self reversal. The lamp output was baffled into a beam 38 deg wide normal to the payload axis. A segment of this beam was viewed by a photon counting detector designed for good sensitivity at 130 nm while rejecting Lyman-alpha and wavelengths beyond 130 nm. The system absolute calibration was achieved by two totally independent techniques. The first technique required a knowledge of all physical parameters associated with the system; i.e., lamp intensity, directivity, spectrum, atomic oxygen scattering cross section, temperatures, overall instrument geometry, and detector quantum efficiency. The second technique utilized the measurement of zenith 5577 nm intensity at the time of launch and an atmospheric model to place the absolute scale on the measured relative O profile.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA062239
Entities
People
- Kay D. Baker
- L. Carl Howlett
Organizations
- Utah State University