Production Pathways and Yields of Excited O2 Important for Mesospheric Nightglow

该奖项将支持对在地球中层和低热层(MLT)夜光(70至110公里)中观察到的导致分子氧电子激发态的反应的实验室研究。该奖项将调查碰撞弛豫在主要能量流动路径中的作用，并将测量氧原子三分子缔合过程产生的O2激发态产额。这些测量将提供必要的量化理解，以支持对大气MLT气辉排放的可靠建模，消除目前在理解这些过程中存在的重大差距和减少不确定性。基于激光的实验室方法将被用来调查MLT夜辉发射，这些发射最近导致了对这些夜辉现象的理解的重大突破。最后，拟议的研究将有助于本科生研究经验的发展，同时还将为一名或多名博士后研究员提供培训。这些实验室研究将在原子和分子水平上提供对三分子氧原子结合后产生的激发氧态的潜在产生机制、能量流动途径和产额的洞察。这些研究还将提供目前需要的基本物理测量，以解释和模拟在地球中间层产生电子激发氧的重要氧原子过程。这些测量将量化氧气气辉机制，从而允许随后通过遥感探测大气成分和动力学。将基础化学和物理学应用于研究基础水平上的碰撞和分子能量传递过程，对于了解燃烧、天体物理环境以及激光，特别是高功率化学激光的操作也是至关重要的。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award would support the laboratory studies of the reactions that lead to molecular oxygen electronically excited states that are observed in the Earth's mesospheric and lower thermosphere (MLT) nightglow (70 to 110 km). The award would investigate the role of collisional relaxation within the dominant energy flow pathways and would measure the O2 excited-state yields resulting from the process of termolecular association of oxygen atoms. These measurements would provide a quantitative understanding necessary to support the reliable modeling of the atmosphere MLT airglow emissions removing the significant gaps and reducing uncertainties that currently exist in the understanding of these processes. Laser-based laboratory methodologies would be used to investigate MLT nightglow emissions that have recently led to major breakthroughs in the understanding of these nightglow phenomena. Finally, the proposed research will contribute to the development of research experiences for undergraduate students while also providing training for one or more postdoctoral fellows.These laboratory studies will provide insight at the atomic and molecular level into the underlying production mechanisms, energy flow pathways, and yields of the excited O2 states produced following termolecular O-atom association. These investigations will also supply basic physical measurements currently needed to interpret and model important O-atom processes that generate electronically excited O2 in the Earth’s mesosphere. These measurements will quantify the O2 airglow mechanisms allowing the subsequent probe of atmospheric composition and dynamics by remote sensing. Application of basic chemistry and physics to the study of collisional and molecular energy transfer processes on a fundamental level is also critical for understanding combustion, astrophysical environments, as well as the operation of lasers, especially high-power chemical lasers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.