Simultaneous Measurements of OH(9,4), (8,3), (7,2), (6,2) and (5,1) Bands in the Airglow

摘要

Band intensities and the rotational temperatures for the OH(9,4), (8,3), (7,2), (6,2) and (5,1) bands were measured by means of a multichannel tilting filter photometer at Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil. The nocturnal variations of the five bands show good correlation between them, but there are small differences in the amplitudes of the variations between the bands from the upper vibrational levels and those from the lower levels. The cross correlation between the band intensities show that the nocturnal variations of the upper vibrational bands lead those of the lower levels. Vibrational population rates and initial excitation rates for each vibrational level are calculated. An increase of the initial excitation rate in the v = 5 and v = 6 levels was observed. The different features of the intensity variations and the excitation rates of the lower vibrational levels suggest the existence of the mechanism HO2 + 0 yields OH + 02, capable of exciting OH to the v = 5 and v = 6 levels, in addition to the principal mechanism, assumed to be the reaction H + O3 yields OH + O2.