Height profiles of OI 630 nm and OI 557.7 nm airglow intensities measured via rocket-borne photometers and estimated using electron density data: A comparison

Abstract

Rocket–borne photometers and electron density probes were launched on–board two Brazilian Sonda III rockets from Natal (5.8° S, 35.2° W), Brazil, one on December 11, 1985 (20:30 LST) and the other on October 31, 1986 (22:59 LST). The payload consisted of photometers for the OI 557.7 nm and OI 630 nm emission lines, mounted parallel to the spin axis of the rocket, a Langmuir probe (LP) and a High Frequency Capacitance Probe (HFC) used to measure the ionospheric electron density and its spatial fluctuations. The photometers were used to measure the intensities of the green and red emission lines of atomic oxygen from the nocturnal ionosphere. The measured values of electron densities from these rocket flights and other parameters from IRI–2001 and MSIS–E 90 models are used to obtain volume emission rate profiles of the atomic oxygen OI 557.7 nm and OI 630 nm. These are compared with the height profiles of the respective emission lines obtained from the rocket–borne photometers. A discussion is carried out of the results of these comparative studies.