Auroral-electron energy and flux from molecular nitrogen ultraviolet emissions observed by the S3-4 satellite

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:5246229

Ishimoto, M; Meng, C; Romick, G J; Huffman, R E

The UV spectra over the southern hemisphere nightside auroral oval have been obtained from an AFGL spectral/photometric experiment on board the low-altitude polar-orbiting S3-4 satellite. A detailed analysis of nightside auroral spectra from seven orbits between mid-May and June 1978 was performed to estimate the average energy and total energy flux of incident electrons. This study was based on observations of the N{sub 2} LBH (3-10) (1928-A) band and the N{sub 2} VK (0-5) (2604 A) band emission intensities and the application of model calculations. Comparison of the estimated quantities with the statistical satellite measurement of incident particles indicates that the LBH (3-10) band emission intensity can be used to estimate the total energy flux of incident electrons, similar to the N{sub 2}(+) 1N (0-0) (3914 A) band emission intensity in the visible region. In addition, the ratio of the LBH (3-10) to the VK (0-5) bande mission intensities indicates the average energy of incident auroral electrons in much the same way that the N{sub 2}(+)1N (0-0) and O I (6300 A) emission ratio does in the visible region. This study shows the use of different constituent emissions, model calculations, and synthetic spectra to infer the inherent possibilities in these types of studies.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA). Applied Physics Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5246229
• Report Number(s): AD-A-212017/8/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENERGY SPECTRA
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
ORBITS
PARTICLES
PHOTOMETRY
RADIATIONS
SATELLITES
SPECTRA
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
VISIBILITY