Equatorial airglow and the ionospheric geomagnetic anomaly

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1973 · J. Geophys. Res., v. 78, no. 22, pp. 4630-4640

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA078i022p04630· OSTI ID:4365310

Chandra, S; Reed, E I; Troy, Jr, B E; Blamont, J E

Ogo 4 observations of the O I (3600-A) emissions have revealed a global pattem hithento undetected from the ground-based observations. It is seen that the postsunset emission of O I (6300 A) in October 1967 is very asymmetrical with respect to the geomagnetic equator in certain longitude regions and shows poor correlation with the electron density measured simultaneously from the same spacecraft. This asymmetry is less marked in the UV airglow. O l (l356 A), which appears to vary as the square of the maximum electron density in the F region. The horizon scan data of the 6300"A airglow reveal that the latitudinal asymmetry is associated with asymmetry in the height of the O I (6300-A) emission and hence with the altitude of the F/sub 2/. From the correlative studies of the airglow and the ionospheric measurements the mechanisms for the UV and the 6300-A emissions are discussed in terms of the process involving radiative and dissociative recombination. Theoretical expressions are developed relating the airglow data to the ionospheric parameters. and it is shown that the agreement between observed and calculated emission rates is well within the uncertainty of the measurements. (auth)

• Research Organization: Laboratory for Planetary Atmospheres, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-29-013688
• OSTI ID: 4365310
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res., v. 78, no. 22, pp. 4630-4640, Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res., v. 78, no. 22, pp. 4630-4640; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*AIRGLOW-- IONOSPHERE
*F REGION-- ELECTRON DENSITY
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
N58100* --Physics (Atmospheric)--Auroral & Ionospheric Phenomena
OXYGEN
SATELLITES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION