Optically thick cascade to the O I 3s³S state in the Earth's thermosphere

The electron impact excitation cross section for the O I (1304 Å) emission is enhanced in the terrestrial thermosphere owing to an optically thick cascade mechanism. Values for the contribution of the cascade have been calculated and deduced from measured 1304‐Å airglow emissions to between 0 and 200%. We have developed a model to calculate a large portion of the optically thick cascade contribution, including contributions from the radiative entrapment of the O I (1040, 1027, and 989 Å) lines. High‐resolution spectroscopic data from a sounding rocket experiment are analyzed using this model. The optically thick cascade contribution for the three lower lying states was evaluated to be 24.5% and compares well with recent calculations. The data, however, support a total contribution of 40%. The 15.5% difference is likely due to the contribution from higher Rydberg states.