Molecular oxygen distribution in the upper atmosphere

Three sets of rocket data obtained during the period March 1958 through March 1962 have yielded information about the distribution of molecular oxygen in the altitude region 62 to 175 km. The technique employed was that of photographic photometry of absorption spectrums in which an analysis was made of the effects of absorption by atmospheric molecular oxygen on the solar spectrum in the region 1000 to 2000 A in the altitude region of interest. Our results for the altitude region 62 to 85 km are less than, but parallel closely, results obtained from rockets by other investigators and results derived from theoretical considerations. Our data for the critical region 90 to 120 km did not lend themselves to a meaningful analysis. In the region 120 to 175 km our results follow closely results obtained experimentally by Hinteregger, and by Byram, and theoretically by Nicolet, but deviate noticeably from the distribution derived theoretically for this region by Miller.