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On spacecraft‐induced optical emission:A proposed second surface luminescent continuum component
Author(s) -
Prince R. H.
Publication year - 1985
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/gl012i007p00453
Subject(s) - spacecraft , physics , atomic oxygen , common emitter , satellite , computational physics , atomic physics , radiative transfer , oxygen , optics , astronomy , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics
The status of observations and current theories of spacecraft‐induced optical emission (ram glow) from the Atmospheric Explorer‐C satellite to the most recent shuttle missions is reviewed. To resolve the discrepancy between the observed spectral continuum and the most likely gas‐phase emitter, the NO 2 continuum, a second continuum is proposed, lying further to the red and due to true surface emission (chemiluminescence) as a consequence of atomic and molecular oxygen adsorption. An altitude variation modelled on the basis of this mechanism, using laboratory data, offers good agreement with observations by the AE‐E satellite, and is capable of producing the quantitative intensities in general.