High Resolution UV Emission Cross Section for Analysis of Satellite Observations of Aurora and Dayglow of Planetary Atmosphere

Abstract

A new generation of high resolution UV imaging spacecraft (Polar, Galileo, HST) are studying the airglow and aurora of the Earth and the Jovian planets. To keep pace with these technological improvements we have developed a laboratory program to provide electron collision cross sections of the major molecular planetary gases (H<FONT SIZE=2><SUB>2</sub></font>, H, O, N<FONT SIZE=2><SUB>2</sub></font>, CO<FONT SIZE=2><SUB>2</sub></font>, SO<FONT SIZE=2><SUB>2</sub></font>, O<FONT SIZE=2><SUB>2</sub></font>, H<FONT SIZE=2><SUB>2</sub></font>O, and CO).