Rocketborne cryogenic (10 K) high-resolution interferometer spectrometer flight HIRIS: auroral and atmospheric IR emission spectra.

A Michelson interferometer spectrometer cooled to 10 degrees by liquid helium was flown into an IBC class III aurora on 1 April 1976 from Poker Flat, Alas. The sensor, HIRIS, covered the spectral range 455-2500 wave numbers (4-22 microm) with a spectral resolution of 1.8 cm(-1) and an NESR of 5 x 10-12 W/cm2 scrm(-1) at 1000 cm(-1). An atmospheric emission spectrum was obtained every 0.7 sec over an altitude range of 70-125 km. Atmospheric spectra were obtained of CO2 (nu3), NO (Deltanu = 1), O3 (nu3) and CO2 (nu2). Auroral produced excitations were observed for each band, this being the first known measurement of auroral enhancements of O3 (nu3), 9.6 microm, and CO2 (nu2), 15 microm, emissions.