Accession Number:

ADA188190

Title:

Theoretical and Observational Problems with 'Holes' in the Far UV Dayglow.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept.,

Corporate Author:

NAVAL RESEARCH LAB WASHINGTON DC

Personal Author(s):

• Meier, R. R.
• Chubb, T. A.

Report Date:

1987-11-05

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

Results of an OI 1304 A radiative transfer model indicate that it is highly unlikely that holes in the Dynamics Explorer-1 DE-1 dayglow observations are caused by either absorptive material imbedded in the atmosphere or to a depletion of atomic oxygen in an atmospheric column. An alternative explanation of absorbing clouds between the spacecraft amd the emitting atmosphere is not precluded by the theory. In addition, observations from a far UV experiment on Orbiting Geophysical Observatory-4 OGO-4 are examined for events comparable to the DE-1 holes. Some 200 events would be expected from the OGO-4 N2 Lyman-Birge Hopfield LBH band data if the holes are atmospheric phenomena lasting on the order of minutes. Alternatively, if the holes are the result of passage of absorbing clouds across detector fields of view, 30 events would have been expected in OGO-4 data however, their short occurrence time would make them difficult to detect, on the average. No evidence of holes was found in the OGO-4 data. Keywords Earth atmosphere phenomena Atmosphere models Dayglow observations Far ultraviolet radiation.

Descriptors:

• *ATMOSPHERE MODELS
• *AIRGLOW
• *HOLES(OPENINGS)
• ABSORBERS(MATERIALS)
• ATMOSPHERES
• EARTH ATMOSPHERE
• EMISSION
• FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
• METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA
• RADIATIVE TRANSFER
• SHORT RANGE(TIME)
• OXYGEN
• REMOTE DETECTORS
• SCIENTIFIC SATELLITES

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE