Rocket measurements of the altitude distributions of the hydroxyl airglow

Measured profiles of the vertical distributions of the volume emission rates of the OH infrared airglow are presented. These measurements by various investigators constitute a total of 34 rocket flights and were obtained at both mid and high latitudes, at various solar depression angles, and at various times of the year using rockets which flew into the middle atmosphere. Some 55 profiles are summarized. Quantitative altitude comparisons are made at various locations. Included in the comparisons are volume emission rate profiles at IR as well as at visible wavelengths. From all of the profiles reported, the value of the mean altitude of the peak OH volume emission rate is 87.4 km, and the mean half-power thickness is 12.4 km. However, we recommend as working numbers to be used: 86.8 ± 2.6 km for the altitude of the peak and 8.6 ± 3.1 for the thickness of the OH emission layer [taken from the selected profiles of Table III].