Balloon-Borne Spectroscopic Observation of the Infrared Hydroxyl Airglow

A balloon-borne grating spectrometer has been used to study the spectrum of the airglow between 1.8 microm and 3.6 microm and its diurnal variation. The principal features identified are the bands of the Deltaupsilon = 2 and Deltaupsilon = 1 sequences of the vibration-rotation spectrum of OH. The brightness of the 1-0 band at night was measured to be in the range 270-400 kR on two flights. A sudden decrease in the intensity of the hydroxyl bands occurred in morning twilight at a solar depression of 4 degrees and is ascribed to the photodissociation of ozone. The temperature, as indicated by the Q/R branch ratio, rose from 170 K at night to 255 K at noon indicating a reduction in the height of the emitting layer during the day.