Atomic hydrogen and solar Lyman. alpha. flux deduced from STP 78-1 UV observations

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA08p08759· OSTI ID:5615092

Anderson, Jr, D E; Paxton, L J; McCoy, R P; Meier, R R ^[1]; Chakrabarti, S ^[2]

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1. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)
2. Univ. of California, Berkeley (United States)

Simultaneous observations of the Lyman {alpha} and 1,026 {angstrom} airglow by a spectrometer on the STP 78-1 satellite have been analyzed. A spherical model of the multiple scattering of solar Lyman {alpha} and Lyman {beta} radiation was utilized which includes the effect of pure absorption by O{sub 2} and a nonisothermal temperature profile. Analysis of data near 0{degrees} latitude yields an exobase temperature T{sub c} = 1,300 {+-} 200 K, exobase density N{sub c} = 2.6 {+-} 0.2 {times} 10{sup 4} cm{sup {minus}3}, and escape flux F{sub c} = 2{+-} 0.5 {times} 10{sup 8} cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1}. The solar Lyman {alpha} line center flux determined form analysis of the Lyman {alpha} airglow was 6.0 {+-} 1.2 {times} 10{sup 11} photons cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1} {angstrom}{sup {minus}1}. Analysis of the 1,026 {angstrom} airglow showed that this emission is dominated by multiple scattering of solar Lyman {beta} photons by atomic oxygen and that the Lyman {beta} airglow contributes less than 20% to the observed emission.

• OSTI ID: 5615092
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 92:A8; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
AIRGLOW
DATA ANALYSIS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTRA
EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
LYMAN LINES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
RADIATIONS
SATELLITES
SCATTERING
SOLAR RADIATION
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
STELLAR RADIATION
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION