Deducing composition and incident electron spectra from ground‐based auroral optical measurements: A study of auroral red line processes

We conclude from a study of the production and loss of O(¹ D ) in auroras that the “traditional” sources, direct electron inpact excitation of atomic oxygen and dissociative recombination of molecular oxygen ions, can account for most of the O I 6300‐Å emission rate. In a specific application of the model to the comprehensive observation of an auroral event by Sharp et al. (1979), we show that there is no compelling need for the reaction N(² D ) + O 2 → NO + O(¹ D ). We also present a study of the sensitivity of the red line emission rate to a wide variety of input conditions.