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STS‐9 shuttle glow: Ram angle effect and absolute intensities
Author(s) -
Swenson G. R.,
Mende S. B.,
Clifton K. S.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i006p00509
Subject(s) - space shuttle , spacecraft , physics , optics , atomic physics , glow discharge , intensity (physics) , computational physics , nuclear physics , astronomy , plasma
Visible imagery from Space Shuttle mission STS‐9 (Spacelab 1) has been analysed for the ram angle effect and the absolute intensity of glow. The data are compared with earlier measurements and the anomalous high intensities at large ram angles are confirmed. Absolute intensities of the ram glow on the shuttle tile, at 6563 Å, are observed to be ˜20 times more intense than those measured on the AE‐E spacecraft. Implications of these observations for an existing theory of glow involving NO 2 are presented.