The influence of vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen on infrared emissions of O3 and N2O gases at altitudes of the middle atmosphere

Abstract

The concentrations of N2(X1g+, v' = 1) and the emission intensities of infrared bands of ozone O3 and nitrous oxide N2O are calculated at altitudes of 30–70 km of the Earth's middle atmosphere during precipitation of electrons with energies E = 2, 4, 10 MeV. It is shown that for a given relativistic electron flux of 105 e/cm2·s·ster, the concentrations of vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen N2(X1g+, v' = 1) are about 105–106 cm–3 at altitudes of 50–70 km of the middle atmosphere. The emission profiles of the infrared bands of ozone at 4.7 µm and 9,9 µm, as well as the infrared band of nitrous oxide at 4.5 µm, are calculated for precipitation of high-energy electrons with energies E = 2, 4, 10 MeV. It has been shown for the first time that vibrationally excited nitrogen N2(X1g+, v' = 1) plays an important role in changing the infrared balance of the middle atmosphere as a result of inelastic molecular collisions with O3 and N2O molecules during precipitation of high-energy electrons.