Excitation of the oxygen nightglow on the terrestrial planets |
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| Authors: | Vladimir A Krasnopolsky |
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| Institution: | a Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, WA, DC 20064, USA
b 6100 Westchester Park Drive #911 College Park, MD 20740, USA |
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| Abstract: | A scheme of excitation, quenching, and energy transfer processes in the oxygen nightglow on the Earth, Venus, and Mars has been developed based on the observed nightglow intensities and vertical profiles, measured reaction rate coefficients, and photochemical models of the nighttime atmospheres of the Venus and Mars. The scheme involves improved radiative lifetimes of some band systems, calculated yields of the seven electronic states of O2 in termolecular association, and rate coefficients of seven processes of electronic quenching of the Herzberg states of O2, which are evaluated by fitting to the nightglow observations. Electronic quenching of the vibrationally excited Herzberg states by O2 and N2 in the Earth's nightglow is a quarter of total collisional removal of the O2(A, A′) states and a dominant branch for the O2(c) state. The scheme supports the conclusion by Steadman and Thrush (1994) that the green line is excited by energy transfer from the O2(A3Σu+, v≥6) molecules, and the inferred rate coefficient of this transfer is 1.5×10−11 cm3 s−1. The O2 bands at 762 nm and 1.27 μm are excited directly, by quenching of the Herzberg states, and by energy transfer from the O2(5Πg) state. Quenching of the O2 band at 762 nm excites the band at 1.27 μm as well. Effective yield of the O2(a1Δg) state in termolecular association on Venus and Mars is ∼0.7. Quantitative assessments of all these processes have been made. A possible reaction of O2(c1Σu−)+CO is a very minor branch of recombination of CO2 on Venus and Mars. Night airglow on Mars is calculated for typical conditions of the nighttime atmosphere. The calculated vertical intensity of the O2 band at 1.27 μm is 13 kR, far below the recently reported detections. |
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| Keywords: | Airglow Venus nightglow Mars nightglow Excitation and quenching processes |
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