Concerning sources of O/1D/ in Aurora - Electron impact and dissociative recombination

The present investigation is concerned with two questions. One is related to the possibility that the O(1D) level is produced by an as yet unidentified process in aurora. The second question is concerned with the need for an additional source and the altitude over which it is required. The data base of the AE satellite (AE-D in particular) was examined for this study. It is found that dissociative recombination and electron impact are inadequate sources of O(1D) in aurora. Nearly 90% of the source function is unidentified below 200 km and about 55% is missing above 250 km. The possibility that thermal electron impact could provide the missing source above 250 km was examined. Calculations showed that the missing source above 250 km could be explained by thermal electron impact if the electron temperatures were approximately 2900 K.