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Nightglow Evidence of Precipitating Energetic Electrons in the Midlatitude Nighttime D region
Author(s) -
Potemra T. A.,
Zmuda A. J.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs007i001p00063
Subject(s) - airglow , ionosphere , middle latitudes , geomagnetic latitude , ionization , electron , physics , atmospheric sciences , latitude , range (aeronautics) , atomic physics , electron precipitation , thermosphere , f region , earth's magnetic field , altitude (triangle) , rocket (weapon) , ion , magnetosphere , astronomy , plasma , materials science , geography , nuclear physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , magnetic field , composite material , archaeology
The intensity range of precipitating electrons with E > 40 kev determined from a previous review of satellite and rocket data by the authors is used to compute the latitude variation of the 3914‐Å and 4278‐Å intensities of the first negative system of N 2 + . The range of computed airglow intensities encompasses the values observed at Saskatoon, Silver Spring, and Kitt Peak located at geomagnetic latitudes of 60°, 50°, and 40°, respectively. Therefore, these >40 kev electrons, which are a potentially significant source of ionization in the nighttime D region, also provide a sufficient energy input to the ionosphere to account for these nightglow observations.