ROTATIONAL TEMPERATURES OF AURORAL $N_{2}^{+}$ $BANDS^{*}$
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Date
1959
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Ohio State University
Abstract
Spectra of the 0.0 First Negative $N_{2}^{+}$ band have been obtained with high resolution, $f/0.8$ grating spectrographs over the past nine years. The earlier spectra obtained from normal low level aurora (100--150 km) gave low rotational temperatures ranging from $250^{\circ} K$ to $350^{\circ} K$ although there was a strong indication of some higher temperature contributions. Recently spectra have been obtained from high level (600--1000 km) sunlit auroral rays and from these rotational temperatures of around $2000^{\circ} K$ have been derived. The rotational energy distributions of the $N_{2}^{+}$ bands in these spectra show irregularities which are analogous to those in the bands of cometary spectra. It is quite possible that these results indicate atmospheric temperatures as high as $2000^{\circ} K$ in the 1000 km region although other interpretations are possible.
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$^{*}$ This work has been supported by the Geophysics Research Directorate of the Air Force Cambridge Research Center.
Author Institution: Physics Department, University of Saskatchewan
Author Institution: Physics Department, University of Saskatchewan