The OH Bands in the Infrared Airglow.

Abstract

A series of infrared airglow spectra have been made at 70 A/mm, in order to obtain accurate wave lengths of the high-excitation (v = 8 and 9) Meinel OH bands. Band origins have been measured with a very small probable error, and the agreement between the airglow 2 and 5-1 bands with earlier high-dispersion measurements in the laboratory indicates that there are no appreciable systematic errors such as plagned previous airglow measurements. In order to represent accurately all energy levels up to V = 9, it is necessary to use five terms in the usual power series involving We, WeXe, etc. These vibrational levels are discussed, and a possible blending of airglow lines with [Oii] in the infrared auroral spectrum is pointed out.