A simultaneous observation of the height profiles of the night airglow OI 5577 .ANGS., O2 Herzberg and Atmospheric bands.

Abstract

Height distributions of the OI 5577Å, O₂ Herzberg and Atmospheric bands in the night airglow were simultaneously measured with photometers on board a rocket flown from Uchinoura (31°N). The volume emission rates attained its maximum at a height of 96 km for the 5577Å, at 97km for the Herzberg bands and at 94km for the Atmospheric band, being in agreement with previous observations. The ratio of the volume emission rates of the Herzberg bands to the 5577Å exhibited a constant value with height, and that of the Atmospheric band to the 5577Å varied with height in proportion to the atmospheric density. Some implications to the excitation mechanism are presented and discussed according to this result along with the recent data on reaction rate coefficients from laboratory experiments.