Airglow intensity and temperature response to atmospheric wave propagation in the mesopause region

Abstract Simultaneous measurements of the O 2 (0,1) atmospheric band (864.5 nm) and OH(9,4) band (774.6 nm) emissions in the night airglow, using a tilting filter photometer, have been carried out at Cachoeira Paulista (22.7 deg. S, 45.0 deg. W), Brazil, since 1983. The band intensities of the O 2 (0,1) band, I(O2) and OH(9,4) band, I(OH), and their rotational temperatures, T(O2) and T(OH) have been obtained. In the nocturnal variations, time-lagged wave-like co-variations between the intensities and rotational temperatures were frequently observed. Correlation studies reveal that, in general, the rotational temperature variations, T(O2) and T(OH), lead the intensity variations, I(O2) and I(OH), respectively. It is found that the time lag between T(O2) and T(OH) is less, by about 0.5 hour, than that between I(O2) and I(OH), which is about 1.5 hours, indicating that the airglow intensity response to atmospheric wave propagation is different from the temperature response.