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Evidence of non‐LTE in the CO 2 15 µ m weak bands from ISAMS and WINDII observations
Author(s) -
LópezPuertas M.,
Dudhia A.,
Shepherd M. G.,
Edwards D. P.
Publication year - 1997
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 - 10.1029/96gl03704
Subject(s) - mesopause , radiance , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , radiative transfer , latitude , mesosphere , climatology , physics , remote sensing , geology , astronomy , stratosphere , optics
An analysis of the measurements of the CO 2 15 µ m radiance emission by the UARS/ISAMS 30W channel and the kinetic temperature from UARS/WINDII taken on July 21, 1992 at northern latitudes around the mesopause is presented. The modeling of the measurements clearly show evidence of non‐LTE emissions in the CO 2 (ν 2 =1) levels of the minor isotopes 636, 628, and 627 in the 70–90 km region. A comparison with non‐LTE model predictions by López‐Puertas et al. [1992a] shows a good agreement within the errors in the measured quantities. This constitutes the first experimental evidence of non‐LTE emissions in these CO 2 15 µ m weak bands. The measurements also represent indirect evidence of the net radiative heating produced by these bands around the summer mesopause.