Photodissociation rates of molecular oxygen in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere

Band oscillator strengths and predissociation line widths for the Schumann-Runge band system that were recently obtained by the authors have been used to calculate the photodissociation rate of molecular oxygen as a function of column density and temperature by solar radiation between 1025 and 2500 A. Data are presented from which the mean transmission and photodissociation rates for given wavelength intervals between 1750 and 2025 A can be calculated for column densities between 1017 and 1023 molecules/cm² and for temperatures between 150° and 300°K. Also, the production of vibrationally excited oxygen molecules as a result of fluorescence in the Schumann-Runge bands is discussed.