Temperature and chemistry of the polar mesopause OH

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA05p04663· OSTI ID:5595979

Sivjee, G G ^[1]; Hamwey, R M ^[2]

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1. Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univ., Daytona Beach, FL (United States)
2. Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (United States)

Intensities (I) and rotational temperatures (T) of the OH(8, 3) and (6, 2) bands were derived from spectrophotometric observations of airglow emissions, over Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen, made in December 1984. The high latitude of the Spitsbergen Observatory (78{degree}15{prime}N) permitted 24-hour coverage of the wintertime polar airglow. These measurements yielded the following results: (1) T derived from P{sub 1} rotational lines of OH depend on the choice of A values (T (Honl-London, A) > (Mies, A) > T); (2) {bar T}(8, 3) = 213 {plus minus} 3 K > {bar T}(6, 2) = 207 {plus minus} 2 K, implying a 3- to 5-K/km temperature gradient in the atmosphere around 85 km height; (3) {bar I}(8, 3) = 314 {plus minus} 30 R and {bar I}(6, 2) = 1,025 {plus minus} 110 R; the corresponding OH(v{prime}) columnar abundances are (5.5 {plus minus} 0.6) {times} 10{sup 8} cm{sup {minus}2} and (8.0 {plus minus} 0.8) {times} 10{sup 8} cm{sup {minus}2} for v{prime} = 8 and v{prime} = 6 vibrational levels. These results are compared with the predictions of a one-dimensional oxygen-hydrogen model which shows that (1) the reaction rate of OH{sup {asterisk}}(v{prime} > 0) + O k{sub 6}/{yields} H + O{sub 2} may be much higher than the laboratory-measured k{sub 6} value for OH(v{prime} = 0); (2) the higher k{sub 6} value accounts for the separation of OH layers for different v{prime} levels observed in various rocket measurements of OH{sup {asterisk}}(v{prime}) profiles and implies a positive temperature gradient in the atmosphere around 85 km; (3) Llewellyn et al.'s (1978) rate for quenching of OH{sup {asterisk}} by M(N{sub 2} and O{sub 2}) is required in the model to match the calculated column abundance of OH{sup {asterisk}} in v{prime} = 8 to the value derived from the observed intensities of the airglow OH(8, 3) band.

• OSTI ID: 5595979
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 92:A5; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
AIRGLOW
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
EMISSION SPECTRA
EVALUATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INFRARED RADIATION
LEVELS
MESOSPHERE
NEAR INFRARED RADIATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS