nightglow vibrational distributions in the a3σu+ and a'3δu states of o2 derived from astronomical sky spectra
;T. G. Slanger;P. C. Cosby;D. L. Huestis;A. M. Widhalm
journal of food measurement and characterization2004Vol. 22pp. 3305-3314
145
slanger2004annalesnightglow
Abstract
Astronomical sky spectra from the Keck I telescope on Mauna Kea have been
used to obtain vibrational distributions in the O2A3Σu+) and
O2(A'3Δu) states from rotationally-resolved
Herzberg I and Chamberlain band emissions in the terrestrial nightglow. The
A3Σu+ distribution is similar to that presented in earlier
publications, with the exception that there is significant population in the
previously undiscerned v=0 level. The vibrational distributions of the
A'3Δu and A3Σu+ states are essentially the
same when comparison is made in terms of the level energies. The intensity
of Chamberlain band emission at the peak of the distribution is about one-fourth
that of the Herzberg I emission, as previously shown, and may be
related primarily to radiative efficiency. The peaks in both population
distributions are about 0.25eV below the O(3P)+O(3P)
dissociation limit. We compare these Herzberg state distributions with that
of the O2(b1Σg+) state, concurring with others that the
intense nightglow emission associated with
b1Σg+(v=0) is a reflection of direct transfer from the
Herzberg states. This process takes place following O2 collisions, with
simultaneous production of very high a1Δg and b1Σg+ vibrational levels.