On the Theory of Oxygen Red-Line Emission

A general time-dependent formula has been derived for the total intensity at zenith of the red oxygen line at 6300 A of the night airgiow. The formula takes specifically into account the variations in the shape of the profiles of electron density as a function of time; it reduces to the well-known Barbier formula when the distribution of electron density is shape-invariant. Luminosity profiles based on the atmospheric parameters at St. John's, Newfoundland, have also been calculated for different times and have been compared with the corresponding distributions of electron density