Book Description

EXCEDE is a program designed to study atmospheric infrared emissive processes induced by a rocketborne electron accelerator in the altitude range 80 to 140 km. The primary scientific interest is the investigation of the detailed production and loss processes of various excited electronic and vibrational states resulting in optical and infrared emission as energetic primary electrons and their secondary and all subsequent generation electrons are stopped in the atmosphere. The electron-induced optical and infrared emissions simulate natural auroral processes with the very significant advantage that the dosing conditions of electron energy and power, deposition volume and altitude, and dosing duration are parameters that may be controlled and monitored. To date, three payloads have been launched in the EXCEDE series of artificial auroral experiments. The program status is reviewed and a follow on experiment, EXCEDE II, is described. Both rocket-based and ground-based imaging and spectro-radiometric instruments are proposed. The feasibility of the scientific approach, the magnitude of the atmospheric emissions, the capabilities of ground-support systems, and the engineering design of the proposed experiment are extensions of the technology base established in the earlier EXCEDE launches. (Author).