Determination ofFregion height and peak electron density at night using airglow emissions from atomic oxygen

Measurements of the vertical column emission rates of atomic oxygen emissions arising from radiative recombination, ion-ion recombination, and dissociative recombination in the nighttime F region are sufficient to remotely sense the F layer height and peak plasma density. For example, measurements can be made of O I 1356 Å and [O I] 6300 Å, with vertical column emission rates J1356 and J6300. To a very good approximation the peak electron density is proportional to (J1356)1/2, and second-order dependence on height and exospheric temperature is very small. To a good approximation the ratio (J1356)1/2/J6300 is a single-valued function of the layer height.