Abstract

WINDII, the WIND Imaging Interferometer is one of two instruments aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite mission which are responsible for measuring atmospheric winds. WINDII concentrates on the uppermost part of the altitudes covered by UARS, with a primary emphasis on the range 80 to 110 km, extended at times as high as 300 km. WINDII measures winds by taking advantage of the light emitted from the airglow, both during the day and at night. During the day, the emission is produced primarily by the impact of photoelectrons generated by the absorption of solar EUV radiation. During the night, emissions are mainly produced by the recombination of atomic oxygen, or of molecular ions. The hydroxyl radical is a special case; it is produced by the reaction of H and O₃. A range of emissions is used for WINDII in order to cover the full desired altitude range. A summary of the emissions and the altitude range associated with each is given in the following table.

© 1991 Optical Society of America