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Kinetic Requirements for the Measurement of Mesospheric Water Vapor at 6.8 (microns) under Non-LTE ConditionsWe present accuracy requirements for specific kinetic parameters used to calculate the populations and vibrational temperatures of the H2O(010) and H2O(020) states in the terrestrial mesosphere. The requirements are based on rigorous simulations of the retrieval of mesospheric water vapor profiles from measurements of water vapor infrared emission made by limb scanning instruments on orbiting satellites. Major improvements in the rate constants that describe vibration-to- vibration exchange between the H2O(010) and 02(1) states are required in addition to improved specification of the rate of quenching Of O2(1) by atomic oxygen (0). It is also necessary to more accurately determine the yield of vibrationally excited O2(l) resulting from ozone photolysis. A contemporary measurement of the rate of quenching of H2O(010) by N2 and O2 is also desirable. These rates are either highly uncertain or have never before been measured at atmospheric temperatures. The suggested improvements are necessary for the interpretation of water vapor emission measurements at 6.8 microns to be made from a new spaceflight experiment in less than 2 years. The approach to retrieving water vapor under non-LTE conditions is also presented.
Document ID
19990041578
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Zhou, Daniel K.
(Utah State Univ. Logan, UT United States)
Mlynczak, Martin G.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA United States)
Lopez-Puertas, Manuel
(Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia Granada, Spain)
Russell, James M., III
(Hampton Univ. VA United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Volume: 26
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
Paper-1998GL900232
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS1-20467
CONTRACT_GRANT: ESP97-1798
CONTRACT_GRANT: ESP96-0623
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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