Multiple Peaks in SABER Mesospheric OH Emission Altitude Profiles

Since January 2002, the SABER instrument aboard the TIMED satellite has been performing limb-scan measurements of the altitude distribution of the hydroxyl airglow. The majority of the SABER 1.6 μm and 2.0 μm OH volume emission rate (VER) profiles manifest a single peak at around 90 km, and are roughly gaussian in shape. However, a significant number (approximately 10% in nighttime) of these VER profiles have an irregular characteristic of multiple peaks that are comparable in brightness to the absolute maximum. The origin of these multiple peaks in SABER profiles is currently being studied. Single peak and irregular SABER OH VER profiles are compared with OH VER altitude curves obtained via theoretical vertical distribution models. In addition, we compare SABER profiles with OH VER altitude profiles obtained from rocket-borne radiometric experiments. The techniques of Liu and Shepherd's analysis of double-peaked emission profiles obtained by the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) using similar scan geometry are applied. The geographical distribution of the SABER nighttime multiple-peak VER profiles in the 1.6 μm and 2.0 μm channels is presented, as are the distributions of these profiles with respect to instrument-scan geometry parameters. It is noted that during the night, multiple peak profiles are more common at equatorial latitudes. A relationship has been found between the geographical distribution of two-peaked profiles and spatial orientation of the SABER instrument's viewing field.