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Dayside red auroras at very high latitudes: The importance of thermal excitation
Author(s) -
Wickwar Vincent B.,
Kofman Wlodek
Publication year - 1984
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/gl011i009p00923
Subject(s) - daytime , latitude , excitation , atmospheric sciences , convection , electron density , radar , physics , thermal , morning , electron , atomic physics , incoherent scatter , high latitude , electron temperature , astrophysics , geophysics , meteorology , astronomy , ionosphere , telecommunications , quantum mechanics , computer science
Extensive radar observations have been made from Sondrestrom of the F region in the daytime sector between 70 and 79° Λ. Regions of enhanced electron temperature and electron density are found in close association with the velocity reversal in the morning and afternoon convection cells. From the radar measurements, calculations are made of the contributions to the atomic oxygen emission at 6300A from dissociative recombination and thermal excitation. The latter mechanism, in particular, in the enhancement regions gives rise to intensities that are comparable to those observed at very high latitudes during the past decade.