A MODEL FOR CALCULATING ACOUSTIC-GRAVITY WAVE ENERGY AND MOMENTUM FLUX IN THE MESOSPHERE FROM OH AIRGLOW

Acoustic gravity and tidal waves propagating in the mesosphere/lower t hermosphere (80-110 km) perturb the airglow layer intensities. The OH airglow has recently been modeled to determine the relationship betwee n the relative perturbed atmospheric density and temperature (p'/p, T' /T) to the OH intensity (I-OH/I-OH) at the OH emission altitudes [Swen son and Gardner, 1997]. A model is presented here which relates wave p erturbed OH airglow to the wave energy and momentum flux as they propa gate through the emission layer. The model is dependent on the wave ho rizontal and vertical wavelengths (or phase speed as related through t he dispersion relationship), and the relative perturbed airglow intens ity, I'(OH)/I-OH. The model can be used by optical experimenters to re late their measurements to wave energy and momentum flux in the stated altitude region.