Laboratory Studies Required for the Extraction of O-atom Concentration Profiles from O2 Atmospheric Band Emissions

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This project proposes to measure the rate coefficient for the collisional removal of O2 by oxygen atoms as a function of temperature in the range 300-800 K. This measurement is a key step in quantifying a new approach for interpreting the strong ionospheric emissions from O2 and thereby deriving altitude profiles of oxygen atom density and local temperature. Extensive data sets of these 750-780 nm emissions are already available from the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) and the Arizona Airglow (GLO) studies and can provide global altitude-dependent O( 3 P) atom density maps, once the above rate coefficient has been determined. Simultaneously, the shape of the atmospheric O2 emission band envelopes can provide the local temperature. The proposed laboratory experiments will thus significantly improve the current unsatisfactory understanding of thermospheric emissions from O2.