The Visible Airglow Experiment (VAE) was designed to provide detailed profiles of the distribution of excited states of atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. The studies supported during the funding period (1983 - 1989) have made significant contributions in the area of thermospheric aeronomy, and the progress during the first four years of this period has been reviewed by Hays et al. (1988). The investigations carried out have resulted in more than 20 publications, and these are summarized

Abreu, Vincent J.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

NASA-CR-192119
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Grant NAGW-496
7/1/83 - 11/30/89
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/_38o7
VISIBLE AIRGLOW EXPERIMENT DATA ANALYSIS:
FINAL REPORT
J
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Vincent J. Abreu
Space Physics Research Laboratory
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Science
The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor Michigan 48109-2143
August, 1990
(NASA-CR-192119) VISIBLE AIRGLOW N93-18361
EXPERIMENT DATA ANALYSIS Fina|
Technical Report, 1 Jul. 1983 - 30
Nov. 1989 (Michigan Univ.) 7 p Unclas
G3/46 0143807
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930009172 2020-03-17T07:43:05+00:00Z
VISIBLE AIRGLOW EXPERIMENT DATA ANALYSIS
NASA GRANT (NAGW-496): FINAL REPORT
The Visible Airglow Experiment (VAE) was designed to provide detailed profiles of the
distribution of excited states of atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. The studies
supported during the funding period (1983 - 1989) have made significant contributions in the
area of thermospheric aeronomy, and the progress during the first four years of this period has
been reviewed by Hays et al. [1988]. The investigations carried out have resulted in more
than 20 publications, and these are summarized below.
1. INVERSIONS
The technique of determining the local emission rate or density of an excited species
observed with the VAE instrument involves the inversion of line of sight brightness
measurements. Early techniques relied on the assumption that the airglow did not vary in the
horizontal direction. Considerable effort has therefore been directed at the development of
improved two-dimensional generalized inversions which are capable of interpreting VAE
measurements even in highly structured situations, such as occur in the aurora. The
tomographic inversion technique [Solomon et al., 1984, 1985; Abreu et ai., 1989]
has proven highly successful in the recovery of auoral 6300/tL, 5577/_, 3371/_ and 4278/_
emission features [Solomon, 1987; Solomon et al., 1988].
2. THE 6300 /_ EMISSION
VAE studies of the atomic oxygen red line emission at 6300 tl,, which arises from the 3p _
1D transition, have been of crucial importance in determining the thermospheric chemistry of
the O(1D) metastable species. The suggestion by Yee et al. [1985a] that the quenching of
O(1D) by O(3p) atoms was significant in the thermosphere was followed by a reanalysis of
VAE 6300/_ nightglow data in order to determine the quenching rate coefficients for O and N2
. 2
[Abreu et al., 1986]. The results of this work were utilized in a comprehensive
examination of the production and loss mechanisms for O(1D) in the nighttime auroral
thermosphere [Solomon, 1987; Solomon et al., 1988]. In addition, these studies were
extended to the 6300 A dayglow [Solomon and Abreu, 1989]. In a theoretical
investigation, Yee et al. [1990] obtained a rate coefficient for the quenching of O(1D) by
O(3p) atoms which was consistent with the empirical value inferred from VAE data.
VAE observations of the 6300 A nightglow have been employed in an investigation of low
latitude neutral winds IBurrage et al., 1990]. This work demonstrated that visible airglow
data is not only useful in the field of atmospheric chemistry, but may also be appliedto studies
of global transport effects. Another topic pertaining to transport effects is the question of
O(1D) thermalization in the nightglow. The determination of thermospheric neutral
temperatures from observed 6300 A line widths assumes that O(1D) atoms are completely
thermalized. The validity of this assumption has been tested by calculating the elastic and
excitation exchange cross-sections in collisions of O(ID) and O(3p) atoms, which determine
the degree of thermalization of the O(1D) atoms produced by dissociative recombination [Yee
and Dalgarno, 1987; Yee, 1988].
3. THE 5577 ,_ EMISSION
The metastable transition between excited 1S and 1D states of atomic oxygen results in the
atmospheric green line emission at 5577 tl,. VAE measurements were used to generate a
morphological map of the mesospheric 5577 A emission, in which diurnal variations and
shorter time scale variations due to travelling waves were observed [Yee and Abreu,
1987]. In addition, a study of the nighttime 6300 A/5577 A equatorial thermospheric
emission ratio, as measured by the AE-E VAE, has facilitated the determination of the quantum
yields of O(1S) and O(1D) from the dissociative recombination of O2 + [Yee et al., 1989].
A more recent study [Yee and Abreu, 1990] revealed situations near the equator in which
the nighttime volume emission rate ratio rl(6300A)Al(5577A) is enhanced during magnetically
disturbedconditions,andacomparisonwith simultaneousmeasurementsof the electron and
atomic oxygen densities suggest that during magnetic storms the increase in low latitude atomic
oxygen density due to high latitude heating causes a change in the vibrational distribution of
02 +. This leads to a reduction in the quantum yield of O(1S) per dissociative recombination of
O2 +, and hence a decrease in the 5577/1, emission strength.
3
4. SPACECRAFT ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS
VAE photometric data were used in investigations of the optical glow induced by
spacecraft-environment interaction, and these set the foundation for understanding the optical
glow observed on the space shuttle. Yee et al. [1984] found that at altitudes above 160 km
the VAE measured glow intensity was proportional to the ambient atomic oxygen density. A
later study, which extended the analysis to lower altitudes, indicated that below 160 km the
intensity of the emission was proportional to the product of the densities of any of N2, 02 or
NO [Yee et al., 1985b]. In addition, spectrometric data from the Fabry-Perot
interferometer on board the DE-2 satellite suggested that OH might be one of the species
responsible for the vehicle interaction glow at 7320 A [Abreu et al., 1985].
5. OTHER STUDIES
An important goal of auroral studies is to infer the energy inputs to the high latitude
thermosphere from remote observations. The capability of the VAE instrument for studying
the ionospheric response to auroral energetic particle precipitation was first demonstrated by
Rees and Abreu [1984] using VAE photometric measurements of the N2 + (1NG) 4278 A
band. Solomon [1989] employed the tomographic inversion technique to analyze VAE
auroral observations made at 3371 A,, 4278/_,, and 6300 _, and these were in reasonable
agreement with predictions derived from theoretical calculations of the auroral secondary
electron flux.
4At low latitudes,Abreu et ai. [1984] presentedthe first observationsof the ultraviolet
OI 989/I_emissionin thenightglow,usingtheextremeultraviolet spectrometeron boardthe
STP78-1 satellite.In addition,VAE 6563]k data from the AE-E spacecraft were employed in
a study of the tropical geocoronal H Balmer 0_ nightglow [Burrage et al., 1989]. This
investigation was undertaken to resolve a discrepancy between theory, ground based
observations, and measurements made by the earlier D2A satellite. The diurnal and seasonal
variation of the equatorial nighttime mesospheric hydroxyl emission (8-3 band) has been
studied using VAE photometric observations at 7320 ,/k obtained from AE-E [Abreu and
Yee, 1989]. Morphological maps of the hydroxyl zenith intensities as a function of latitude
and local time were generated for both solstice and equinox conditions, and were found to be in
good agreement with ground based measurements and theoretical simulations.
Finally, the experience gained in studies of upper atmospheric chemistry has in one
instance been applied to an astrophysical problem. Yee et al. [1987] derived the
equilibrium energy distribution of energetic N ÷ ions in cold interstellar clouds and calculated
the effective reaction rate coefficients.
PUBLICATIONS
5
Abreu, V. J., and J. -H. Yee, Diurnal and seasonal variations of the nighttime OH (8-3)
emission at low latitudes, _I. Geophy_. R¢_., 94, 11949, 1989.
Abreu, V. J., A. Dalgarno, J. -H. Yee, S. Chakrabarti, and S. C. Solomon, The O1989-A
tropical nightglow, Geophys. Res. Lett., 11, 569, 1984.
Abreu, V. J., W. R. Skinner, P. B. Hays, and J. -H. Yee, Optical effects on spacecraft-
environment interaction: Spectrometric observations of the DE-2 satellite, J. Spa¢ccrdf[
and Rockets, 22, 177, 1985.
Abreu, V. J., J. -H. Yee, S. C. Solomon, and A. Dalgarno, The quenching rate of O(ID) by
O(3p), PlaneI, Space Sci., 11, 1143, 1986.
Abreu, V. J., P. B. Hays, and S. C. Solomon, The tomographic inversion of satellite
photometric data, In RSRM '87: Advances in remote sensing retrieval methods, A.
Deepak, H. E. Fleming, and J. S Theon (Eds.), A. Deepak Publishing, 13, 1989. -
Burrage, M. D., J. -H. Yee, and V. J. Abreu, Atmosphere Explorer observations of the
geocoronal H Balmer ct nightglow, J. Gegphys. Rcs., 94, 2703, 1989.
Burrage, M. D., C. G. Fesen, and V. J. Abreu, Low Latitude Thermospheric Neutral Winds
Determined from AE-E Measurements of the 6300-A Nightglow at Solar Maximum, J.
Geophys. Res., 95, 10357, 1990.
Hays, P. B., V. J. Abreu, S. C. Solomon, and J. -H. Yee, The visible airglow experiment -
A review, Plane_. Spa¢¢ $¢i., 36, 21, 1988.
Rees, M. H., and V. J. Abreu, Auroral photometry from the Atmosphere Explorer satellite, J.
(_ophys. Res., 89, 317, 1984.
Solomon, S. C., Tomographic inversion of auroral emissions, Ph.D. thesis, The University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1987.
Solomon, S. C., Auroral Excitation of the N22P(0,0) and V(0,9) Bands, J. Geophys. Res.,
94, 17215, 1989.
Solomon, S. C., and V. J. Abreu, The 630 nm dayglow, J. Geophys. Res., 9...44,6817, 1989.
Solomon, S. C., P. B. Hays, and V. J. Abreu, Tomographic inversion of satellite
photometry, Appl. Optics, 23, 3409, 1984.
Solomon, S. C., P. B. Hays, and V. J. Abreu, Tomographic inversion of satellite
photometry, II., Appl. Op_tic_, 23, 4134, 1985.
6Solomon, S. C., Paul B. Hays, and Vincent J. Abreu, The auroral 6300/_ emission:
Observationsandmodeling,J. Qeophys, Res., 93, 9867, 1988.
Yee, J. -H., Non-thermal distribution of O (1D) atoms in the night-time thermosphere,
Space Sci., 35, 1389, 1987.
Yee, J. -H., and A. Dalgarno, Energy transfer of O (ID) atoms in collision with O(3P) atoms,
Pl_met. Space Sci., 35, 399, 1987.
Yee, J. -H., and V. J. Abreu, Mesospheric 5577/_ green line and atmospheric motions -
Atmosphere Explorer satellite observations, planet. Space Sci., 35, 1389, 1987.
Yee, J. -H., and V. J. Abreu, The nighttime rl(6300]_)/rl(5577/_) near the equator during high
magnetic activity, J. Geophys. Res., in press, 1990.
Yee, J. -H., V. J. Abreu, and A. Dalgarno, Characteristics of the spacecraft optical glow,
Geophys_ Res. Letts., 11, 1192, 1984.
Yee, J. -H., A. Dalgarno, and S. L. Guberman, The quenching of O (1D) by O(3p) atoms,
EOS, 66, 993, 1985a.
Yee, J. -H., V. J. Abreu, and A. Dalgarno, The Atmosphere Explorer optical glow near
perigee altitudes, Geophy_, Res. Letts., 12,651, 1985b.
Yee, J. -H., S. Lepp, and A. Dalgarno, Energetic N ÷ ions in the interstellar medium, Mon.
Not. R. astr. Soc., 227.'2, 461, 1987.
Yee, J. -H., V. J. Abreu, and W. B. Colwell, Aeronomical determinations of the quantum
yields of OOS) and O(1D) from the dissociative recombination of O2 ÷, In Dissociative
recombination: Theory, Experiment and Applications, World Scientific Publishing Co.
Pte. Ltd., Singapore, 1989.
Yee, J. -H., S. L. Guberman, and A. Dalgamo, Collisional quenching of O (1D) by O(3p),
Planet. Space Sci., 38, 647, 1990.


Visible Airglow Experiment data analysis

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