Diagnostics of emission intensities and electron density in auroras based on empirical precipitation models

Abstract

We have studied the influence of the precipitating electron spectrum shape on the integral intensity of emissions λ391.4 nm 1NG N⁺₂, λ670.4 mn 1PG N₂, λ337.1 nm 2PG N₂, λ320.0 nm VK N₂, λ127.3 nm LBH N₂, atomic oxygen emissions λ557.7 and λ630.0 nm, total electron content in the vertical column of aurora. The integral characteristics of the emission intensity and the total electron content are shown to weakly depend on the energy spectrum shape and to be determined mainly by average energy values Eev and energy flux value Fᴇ of precipitating electrons. An algorithm is proposed for diagnosing the planetary distribution of emission intensities and total electron content in auroras based on data from empirical electron precipitation models, without making a priori assumptions about the shape of the energy spectrum of precipitating electrons.

Keywords

• auroras
• electron precipitation
• excitation efficiency
• auroral emissions
• electron density
• planetary distribution