Ultrasensitive infrared chemiluminescence detection. Final report, September 1988-September 1993

This document is the Final Report for a 5-year project dedicated to investigations of chemical processes related to the excitation of infrared chemiluminescent radiation in the upper atmosphere. The effort has included experimental measurements of molecular infrared fluorescence, from 2 to 25 micrometers, excited by energetic chemical reactions involving upper atmospheric and aurorally excited species. Observed IR radiators include electronically excited molecular nitrogen, vibrationally excited N2O, and rovibrationally excited CO(v,J) and NO(v,J). Additional experimental measurements in a discharge-flow reactor quantified the kinetics and spectroscopy of energetic IR precursor species including metastable electronic states of molecular oxygen, molecular nitrogen, and atomic nitrogen. Results from the experimental measurements were included in a critical review of nitric oxide kinetics, and were applied to predictive modeling of nitric oxide excitation in the auroral upper atmosphere.