High Altitude Effects Simulation (HAES) Program. Report No. 1. Rocket Launch of a SWIR Spectrometer into an Aurora (ICECAP 72).

An Astrobee D rocket (A30.205-4) was launched at Poker Flat, Alaska, on 9 March 1972 at 1052 hours UT during a condition of Class IBC2 post-breakup auroral display. A near-zenith spectral radiance profile was obtained from 48.5 km to an apogee of 91.9 km on ascent, and from 91.9 km down to about 84....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Baker,Doran J., Wyatt,Clair L., Pendleton,William R. , Jr., Ulwick,James C.
Other Authors: AIR FORCE CAMBRIDGE RESEARCH LABS L G HANSCOM FIELD MASS
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1974
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0780620
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0780620
Description
Summary:An Astrobee D rocket (A30.205-4) was launched at Poker Flat, Alaska, on 9 March 1972 at 1052 hours UT during a condition of Class IBC2 post-breakup auroral display. A near-zenith spectral radiance profile was obtained from 48.5 km to an apogee of 91.9 km on ascent, and from 91.9 km down to about 84.7 km on descent, using a circular variable-filter spectrometer. About 268 spectral scans were obtained during flight, covering the range from 1.4 to 5.0 micrometer at a resolution of about 4 per cent. The dominant emission feature was at 4.3 micrometer, which is attributed to the CO2 nu(3) fundamental. The upward-viewed spectral radiance appeared to range from about 45 MR/micrometer at 48.5 km to less than 2 MR/micrometer at 92 km. A volume-emission-rate/altitude profile for the nu(3) fundamental of CO2 is presented. The profile is based on a simple LTE model and neglects radiation transport. As a result, the model cannot be compared directly with the data. A more complete analysis of the problem is in progress. (Author)