A rocket measurement of the (0–0) atmospheric band in a pulsating aurora

Abstract

A rocket measurement of the [Formula: see text] (0–0) atmospheric-band emission profile in an IBC 1+ pulsating aurora is reported. The observed profile consists of a nightglow component of 4.5 kR and an auroral component of 2.0 kR. The relative intensity of the auroral component, compared with [Formula: see text] first negative emission measured on the same flight, is much weaker than the intensities reported from other rocket experiments.An auroral model calculation of the [Formula: see text] production rates from direct electron impact on O2, and from O(1D) produced by electron impact, predicts volume emission rates greater than those actually observed and reaffirms the suggestion that such models must overestimate the secondary electron flux. From an analysis of the possible contributions made to [Formula: see text] production by the reaction of N(2D) with O2, upper limits are placed on the yields of [Formula: see text] and O(1D) in this reaction of 0.02 and 0.1 respectively.It is concluded that mechanisms for the excitation of [Formula: see text] in the aurora, which can explain all of the observational data, have not yet been identified.