The morphology of oxygen greenline dayglow emission

Abstract

In this study, the morphology of the oxygen greenline dayglow emission is presented. The volume emission rate profiles are obtained by using Solomon’s glow model. The glow model is updated in terms of recent cross sections, reaction rate coefficients and quantum yield of greenline emission. Throughout most of the thermosphere the modelled and observed emission rates are in reasonably good agreement. In the region between 98 and 120 km, the modelled emission rates are substantially higher (about a factor of 1.7) than the observed emission rates. This discrepancy is discussed in terms of scaling of solar fluxes which accounts the variation of solar activity for the day on which calculations are made. The modelled morphology of greenline emission is compared with those cases where WINDII data is available. The modelled and observed morphology is in reasonably good agreement at most of the latitudes above 120 km. In the mesosphere the qualitative nature of morphology is very similar to those of WINDII observation except the modelled emission rates are about a factor of 1.7 higher than the observed emission rates.