The overlooked potential of O8446 remote sensing

The neutral oxygen 844.6 nm emission line has long been considered a potential candidate for estimating the oxygen density in the upper thermosphere due to its brightness and relatively simple photochemistry, yet there is a dearth of studies observing the storm time effects of this emission. A comparison of storm time Arecibo Observatory Photometer 844.6 nm data with the Field Line Interhemispheric Plasma (FLIP) model simulations suggests variable thermospheric neutral Oxygen density throughout the pre-storm, main phase, and recovery phases of the storm. A new 844.6 nm photometer, Stellar Calibrating Imaging Photometer (SCIP), capable of absolute brightness calibration from astronomical sources, is in preparation at Illinois for deployment at a high latitude facility to deepen investigation ion-neutral coupling and storm time Ionosphere-Thermosphere dynamics.