Coordinated analysis of airborne spectrophotometric measurements from the mid-day auroras

Measurements made in the midday auroras are analyzed and compared to measurements from the nighttime auroras. The auroral emission features in the UV spectrum, the N2(+)ING, the N22PG, and N2VK bands, are discussed. Spectral profiles of different bands are presented, and intensity distributions are obtained. Three mechanisms are suggested which can account for the marked differences between the intensity distributions of the N2(+)ING bands of the high altitude midday auroras and the low altitude nighttime auroras: (1) differences in vibrational, rotational, and transitional temperatures; (2) resonant scattering of solar radiation; and (3) excitation of slow ions.