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Theory of the nightglow continuum
0032-0633/86 $3.00+ 0.00 PergamonJournals Ltd.
Planer. SpaceSci., Vol.34,No. 12,p. 1373,1986. Printed inGreatBritain.
SHORT PAPER
THEORY
OF THE NIGHTGLOW
CONTINUUM
P.C. Wraight Department of Physics University of Aberdeen*
In studies of the airglow continuum, for example McDade et al (1986), reference continues to be made to the theory proposed by the author, Wraight (19771, that the near infrared nightglow continuum may be explained by radiative association of oxygen atoms via the 311u state. AS intimated informally at the 10th annual meeting on upper atmosphere studies by optical methods at Grasse in 1982, the theory is known to be incorrect; this note is to make that statement more widely known. The theory was based on calculations of the dipole transition moment between the 3Zg- and 311, states made by Buenker et al (1976). It appears that two 311u states were wrongly identified in a diagram in that paper (R.J. Buenker, private communication, 1982); the relevant transition moment is substantially lower, in fair agreement with the calculations published by Guberman and Dalgarno (19791 and Allison et al (1982). The predicted continuum emission, which is proportional to the square of the transition moment, is now too low to be significant. As noted by Noxon (1978), the observed continuum is also not large; features near 7050 w and 7140 g are probably discrete emissions and not continuum (Sternberg and Ingham, 1972); however there may well be a component which is not to be ascribed to the NO + 0 reaction. I should like to thank R.J. Buenker, correspondence.
*
Present
address:
A. Dalgarno,
and S.L. Guberman
University of Aberdeen, Department Aberdeen, AB9 2UE, Scotland.
for helpful
of Engineering,
Kings College,
References
Allison,
A.C., Guberman,
Buenker,
R.J. Peyerimhoff,
Guberman,
J.F.
Sternberg, Wraight,
S.D. and Peric,
S.L., and Dalgarno,
McDade, I.C., Llewellyn, 34_, 801. Noxon,
S.L. and Dalgarno,
A.,
R.G.H.
(1977), Planetary
Res. 81, 923.
(1976). Chem. phys. Lett. -42, 383. Res. 84, 4437.
and Murtagh,
Space Sci. 6,
J.R. and Ingham, M.F.
P.C.
M.
(1982) J. Geophys.
(1979), J. Geophys.
E.J., Grew,
(19781, Planetary
A.,
D.P.
(1986) Planetary
191.
(1972) Mon. Not. R. Astr. Sot. 159, Space Sci. g,
787.
1373
1.
Space Sci.
Planer. SpaceSci., Vol.34,No. 12,p. 1373,1986. Printed inGreatBritain.
SHORT PAPER
THEORY
OF THE NIGHTGLOW
CONTINUUM
P.C. Wraight Department of Physics University of Aberdeen*
In studies of the airglow continuum, for example McDade et al (1986), reference continues to be made to the theory proposed by the author, Wraight (19771, that the near infrared nightglow continuum may be explained by radiative association of oxygen atoms via the 311u state. AS intimated informally at the 10th annual meeting on upper atmosphere studies by optical methods at Grasse in 1982, the theory is known to be incorrect; this note is to make that statement more widely known. The theory was based on calculations of the dipole transition moment between the 3Zg- and 311, states made by Buenker et al (1976). It appears that two 311u states were wrongly identified in a diagram in that paper (R.J. Buenker, private communication, 1982); the relevant transition moment is substantially lower, in fair agreement with the calculations published by Guberman and Dalgarno (19791 and Allison et al (1982). The predicted continuum emission, which is proportional to the square of the transition moment, is now too low to be significant. As noted by Noxon (1978), the observed continuum is also not large; features near 7050 w and 7140 g are probably discrete emissions and not continuum (Sternberg and Ingham, 1972); however there may well be a component which is not to be ascribed to the NO + 0 reaction. I should like to thank R.J. Buenker, correspondence.
*
Present
address:
A. Dalgarno,
and S.L. Guberman
University of Aberdeen, Department Aberdeen, AB9 2UE, Scotland.
for helpful
of Engineering,
Kings College,
References
Allison,
A.C., Guberman,
Buenker,
R.J. Peyerimhoff,
Guberman,
J.F.
Sternberg, Wraight,
S.D. and Peric,
S.L., and Dalgarno,
McDade, I.C., Llewellyn, 34_, 801. Noxon,
S.L. and Dalgarno,
A.,
R.G.H.
(1977), Planetary
Res. 81, 923.
(1976). Chem. phys. Lett. -42, 383. Res. 84, 4437.
and Murtagh,
Space Sci. 6,
J.R. and Ingham, M.F.
P.C.
M.
(1982) J. Geophys.
(1979), J. Geophys.
E.J., Grew,
(19781, Planetary
A.,
D.P.
(1986) Planetary
191.
(1972) Mon. Not. R. Astr. Sot. 159, Space Sci. g,
787.
1373
1.
Space Sci.