Nitric oxide is an important molecule throughout the atmosphere. The standard remote measurement method of its concentration in the upper atmosphere is by solar-induced resonance fluorescence. The UV fluorescence does not, however, penetrate the atmosphere, and cannot be observed from the ground. This project will investigate an infrared component of the fluorescence that can, in principle, be observed from ground-based stations. The PI will make measurements with a Fabry-Perot interferometer system to determine whether the method holds promise for monitoring nitric oxide above 90 kilometers.
