Observations of molecular oxygen Atmospheric band emission in the thermosphere using the near infrared spectrometer on the ISS/RAIDS experiment

Observations of airglow emission using the RAIDS (Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System) instruments on the International Space Station Kibo module are reported and compared to a photochemical model of the emission process. Launched in Sept. 2009, RAIDS performed routine observations of the O2(b1Σ → X3Σ) Atmospheric band (O2 A‐band) transition during solar minimum conditions from October 2009 to December 2010. Limb brightness of the (0,0), (0,1) and (1,1) vibration band emissions were measured in the altitude range 80 to 180 km with the Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRS) instrument, one of eight limb viewing instruments in the RAIDS experiment. Comparison of observed brightness profiles with the model shows very good agreement for the (0,0) and (0,1) bands. The model underestimates the (1,1) brightness profiles throughout the region, especially near the peak. Reasonable variations of composition and selected rate constants do not account for the underestimation of (1,1) band brightness. A contributing factor could be in the assumption of detailed balance and the accepted energy transfer pathways that redistribute energy between the v = 0 and v = 1 states. Key Points The limb profile of dayglow emission of the O2 A‐band measured from the ISS A photochemical agrees well with (0,0) but underestimates (1,1) emission The International Space Station is an asset for remote sensing observations