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Infrared Auroral Emissions Driven by Resonant Electron Impact Excitation of NO Molecules
Author(s) -
Campbell L.,
Brunger M. J.,
Petrovic Z. Lj.,
Jelisavcic M.,
Panajotovic R.,
Buckman S. J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl019151
Subject(s) - excited state , atomic physics , molecule , excitation , chemiluminescence , nitric oxide , infrared , electron , oxygen , atmosphere (unit) , materials science , physics , chemistry , optics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Although only a minor constituent of the earth's upper atmosphere, nitric oxide (NO) plays a major role in infrared auroral emissions due to radiation from vibrationally excited (NO*) states. The main process leading to the production of these excited molecules was thought to be chemiluminescence, whereby excited nitrogen atoms interact with oxygen molecules to form vibrationally excited nitric oxide (NO*) and atomic oxygen. Here we show evidence that a different production mechanism for NO*, due to low energy electron impact excitation of NO molecules, is responsible for more than 30% of the NO auroral emission near 5 μm.