Ultraviolet spectra over the southern hemisphere nightside auroral oval were obtained from the AFGL spectral/photometric experiment on board the polar-orbiting S3-4 satellite at 270 km between mid-May and June 1978. Spectra with 30-Å resolution from seven auroral oval crossings were selected to analyze the dif-fuse auroral region under various magnetic activities (Κ_ρ, = 0 to 7 + ). The observed spectra were compared with synthetic spectra and model calculations of the LBH and VK band systems for var-ious studies. The large range of wavelengths (1100-2900 Å) mea-sured allowed the analysis of band and line intensities such as the LBH and VK band systems and the NI (1744-Å), NII (2143-Å), and OI (1356-Å) lines. Certain wavelengths can be used to determine the energy and flux characteristics of the auroral electron precipitation over the auroral oval and provide quantitatively important information on atmospheric parameters. Of the latter, emphasis here is on the atomic oxygen quenching coefficient for the VK band (ν' = 0), the atomic oxygen column density, the NII (2143- Å) line emission cross section, the impact of 0₂ SR absorption on specific emissions, and the presence and importance of heavy particle precipitation. This study illustrates the range of information that can be obtained by the synthesis of atmospheric emissions model calculations and laboratory measurements.

Date Published: 16 August 1988
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 0932, Ultraviolet Technology II, (16 August 1988); doi: 10.1117/12.946890

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0932:
Ultraviolet Technology II
Robert E. Huffman, Editor(s)