CEDAR: Nightglow Emissions at Solar Maximum

研究所建议使用天文天空光谱来研究太阳活动极大期条件下和太阳活动周期23的下降阶段的地球夜光。 正如CEDAR计划第三阶段议程所概述的那样，这项工作与提高我们对日地相互作用的理解的目标直接相关。 根据2000年收集的有限数据，他们已经确定了光谱可见光和近红外区域原子氧的大部分里德堡跃迁。 除了777.4和844.6 nm的谱线外，这些辐射以前从未在夜光中看到过。 里德堡跃迁有三重态和五重态两种，五重态在实验室中的研究很少，但在天空光谱中它们往往更强。 PI将根据理论计算比较三重峰和五重峰，目标是（1）使用观察到的强度作为相对强度校准标准，以及（2）确定三重峰中由于辐射捕获的变化。

The PIs propose to use astronomical sky spectra to investigate the terrestrial nightglow under solar maximum conditions, and in the declining phase of solar cycle 23. The work is directly relevant to the goal of improving our understanding of solar-terrestrial interactions, as outlined in the phase III agenda of the CEDAR program. From limited data collected in 2000, they have identified most of the Rydberg transitions from atomic oxygen in the visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. Except for the lines at 777.4 and 844.6 nm, these emissions have not previously been seen in the nightglow. Of two types of Rydberg transitions, triplets and quintets, the quintets have been little studied even in the laboratory, yet they tend to be the stronger in the sky spectra. The PIs will compare both triplets and quintets against theoretical calculations, with the goals of (1) using the observed intensities as a relative intensity calibration standard and (2) determining variability in the triplets as a consequence of radiation trapping.