IR band of O2 at 1.27 μm as the tracer of O3 in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere: Correction of the method

Abstract

The problem of systematic overestimation (20–50%) of the retrieved ozone concentrations in the altitude range of 60–80 km in the TIMED–SABER satellite experiment in the daytime has been solved. The reason for overestimation is the neglect of the electronic vibrational kinetics of photolysis products of ozone and molecular oxygen O2(b1Σg +, ν) and O2(a1Δg, ν). The IR emission band of O2(a1Δg, ν = 0) at 1.27 μm can be correctly used in remote sensing in order to obtain the ozone altitude profile in the altitude range of 50–88 km only with the use of a complete model of electronic vibrational kinetics of O2 and O3 photolysis products (YM2011) in the Earth’s mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Alternative ozone tracers have been considered, and an optimum tracer in the altitude range of 50–100 km such as O2(b1Σg +, ν = 1) molecule emissions has been proposed.