Infrared Radiance Structure of the Aurora and Airglow,
Abstract
The data base on column intensity and spatial-temporal irregularity structure of 2 1/2 - 7 micrometers infrared auroral airglow radiations is reviewed, and models of occurrence of sky background clutter in sensor fields are specified. Probabilities and geographic location of auroral particle fluxes, energy conversion efficiencies and relaxation times after excitation, chemiluminescence and fluorescence spectrums of the important radiating species N0, C02, N2 and N0+ (at approx < 10/cm resolution), characteristic power spectral densities of the fluctuations in input, and methods of calculating sight paths through the upper-atmospheric layers are compiled for use in the auroral model. The statistical auroral oval defined by a geomagnetic field-disturbance index and magnetic time is taken as the location of occurrence of excitation by incoming electron fluxes (the effect of the proton component is found to be negligible). Hardness of the electron's energy distribution is shown to have important effects on the noise spectrums and the requirements for information about flux structure. Intensities of both flows depend critically on sight path length through the emitting atmospheric layers. As the average variation of hydroxyl zenith radiance is small, it limb brightness is a sharp maximum at readily-determined intercept latitudes-longitudes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA130468
Entities
People
- I. L. Kofsky
- John L. Barrett
- Lance Mcvay