ATOMIC REACTIONS IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

The reaction rates of nine upper atmosphere chemical reactions have been analyzed with a digital computer. The dependence of the loss rates of atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen as well as the relative concentrations of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide in the upper atmosphere are given. Using a flow system, nitrogen atoms were produced and then titrated by the addition of NO. The resulting nitrogen and oxygen atom densities were measured with an e.p.r. spectrometer. The dependence of the intensities of the nitrogen afterglow and the NO afterglow were related to the atom densities. An excitation mechanism for OI 5577 has been determined from the relation of the intensity of λ 5577 to the atom densities.