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www.ann-geophys.net/26/1159/2008/
doi:10.5194/angeo-26-1159-2008
© European Geosciences Union 2008
Electronically excited molecular nitrogen and molecular oxygen in the high-latitude upper atmosphere
Polar Geophysical Institute of the Kola Science Centre RAS, Apatity, 184209, Russia
Abstract. Relative vibrational populations of triplet B3Πg, W3Δ,sub>u, B'3Σu− states of N2 and the b1Σg+ state of O2 are calculated for different altitudes of the high-latitude upper atmosphere during auroral electron precipitation. It is shown that collisional processes cause a wavelength shift in the distribution of relative intensities for 1PG Δv=3 sequence of N2. The calculation of relative populations for vibrational levels v=1–5 of the b1Σg+ state in the auroral ionosphere has not given an agreement with experimental results. Preliminary estimation of the contribution of the reaction O2++NO to the production of O2(b1Σg+) on the basis of a quantum-chemical approximation does not allow for an explanation of the observable vibrational population of the b1Σg+ state in the aurora.
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Citation: Kirillov, A. S.: Electronically excited molecular nitrogen and molecular oxygen in the high-latitude upper atmosphere, Ann. Geophys., 26, 1159-1169, doi:10.5194/angeo-26-1159-2008, 2008. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
