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Ann. Geophys., 26, 1159-1169, 2008
www.ann-geophys.net/26/1159/2008/
© European Geosciences Union 2008
Electronically excited molecular nitrogen and molecular oxygen in the high-latitude upper atmosphere
A. S. Kirillov
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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