What is Meinel System and OH Meinel Emission Bands?

[dilatoryyang]

what is Meinel system?
and what is OH Meinel emission bands?

 

[Gokul43201]

Citation: Meinel, A. B., "OH emission bands in the spectrum of the night sky" Astrophys. J., 111, 555–564 (1950)

From the Glossary of Meteorology:

hydroxyl emission—(Also known as Meinel bands.) Spectroscopic feature seen in the upper atmosphere; a form of chemiluminescence due to the formation of vibrationally excited hydroxyl radicals in the reaction of hydrogen atoms with ozone,

$$H + O_3 \rightarrow OH + H_2$$

The origin of the emission was correctly identified by A. Meinel in the 1950s. The emission is a component of the airglow.

See also:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v242/n5396/abs/242321a0.html