We describe a technique that uses a ground-based all-sky video camera and geosynchronous satellite-based plasma and energetic particle detectors to study ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling as it relates to the aurora. The video camera system was deployed in Eagle, Alaska for a seven month period at the foot of the magnetic field line that threads geosynchronous satellite 1989-046. Since 1989-046 co-rotates with the earth, its footprint remains nearly fixed in the vicinity of Eagle, allowing for routine continuous monitoring of an auroral field line at its intersections with the ground and with geosynchronous orbit. As an example of the utility of this technique, we present coordinated ground-based and satellite- based observations during periods of auroral pulsations and compare this data to the predictions of both the relaxation oscillator theory and flow cyclotron maser theory for the generation of pulsating aurorae. The observed plasma and energetic particle characteristics at geosynchronous orbit during pulsating aurorae displays are found to be in agreement with the general predictions of both theories, lending further support to the belief that a cyclotron resonance mechanism is responsible for auroral pulsations.

The method is based on the representation that the solar light scattered in the earth's atmosphere under twilight conditions is localized at a certain height which increases with the solar depression growth. The main problem of the method of twilight probing includes separation brightness of secondary twilights from the total observed brightness of the twilight sky. A drawback in the available method of separating brightness of secondary twilights lies in their being based on these or those assumptions on atmospheric properties. A method is proposed to take into account brightness of secondary twilights which is independent or model calculations and based only on the observed data.

A new program that simulates the primary light dispersion in atmosphere during twilight is represented. Program uses the modified N. B. Divari model of light dispersion in the atmosphere. Optical depths, the twilight beam height and its half-width may be easily and with high speed obtained using this program. The flexible program construction may be used for the determination the twilight beam parameters by iteration. Obtained results coincide with those in literature.

Atmospheric turbulence data are of great scientific and applied importance. Turbulence characteristics are obtained with interferometric methods by measuring the value of the stellar light coherence passing through the turbulent atmosphere. With this aim interferometers with the Lloyd mirror are generally used. In astrophysics such methods are of great interest and are used to improve atmospheric seeing. The results achieved stimulate the improvement of interferometric equipment for atmospheric turbulence studying. In the paper a new two-mirror version of interferometer is described. The instrument is highly sensitive and has wider functional possibilities.

It is shown that the variations of the Earth electrostatic field before the strong earthquakes may heat up electrons in the E-ionosphere. The latter excite the long-lived vibrations of molecular nitrogen. Which resonantly transfer the energy to the electron excitations of sodium atoms. The increase in the sodium doublet intensity can be detected in the night sky spectrum. The electrons can also populate the surface levels of dusty particles in the E-ionosphere. The surface electron- ion recombination results in appearance of highly excited atoms. These processes contribute also in the infrared range of the night sky spectrum.

The present state of the environment and natural resources of our planet, their ecodynamics and development tendencies demand special attention to determination of environmental parameters which will serve as indicators of ecological stability and safety. The methods of atmospheric optics instrumentation are proposed here for solution of indicated problem.

The paper considers practical problems in the elaboration of methods and techniques for long-term monitoring of the ozonosphere of the Earth from space vehicles by measuring of backscattered solar UV radiation. Possibilities of development and production of advanced space UV ozonometers to measure total ozone content and vertical density distribution with the best achievable for given technical solution parameters are studied based on results of operation of BUVS-1 and BUVS-2 UV ozonometers onboard 'meteor' series satellites. Technical realization of advanced UV ozonometer is described for the specific optic and physical scheme, which combines measurements of total ozone content and vertical density distribution in a single instrument.

The set of onboard optical instruments for investigations of night glow emissions in frame of Ukrainian space project 'Poperedzhennya' are discussed. Two filters photometers, two static optical Fourier spectrometers. IR Fourier spectrometer and TV camera are planned to use for measurements of spatial and temporal variations of emissions intensity of ionosphere. The main parameters of discussed instruments and space vehicles are given.

The apparatus complex that permits to make scan photometrically and polarization measurements of day, twilight and night sky brightness as well as stellar radiation for determining optical characteristic of the Earth's atmosphere is developed. Peculiarities of twilight photometrically measurements are discussed. Constructive features of the twilight photometer and measurement control block, their connection with an IBM-type personal computer, details of control program's algorithms and database's structure are described.

The technical data on ozone gas analyzers which are currently produced and operate in Russia and the CIS countries for ozone concentration measurements in the lower atmosphere are presented. The specific requirements to this type of instruments are formulated and summarized data on their operating and accuracy characteristics are displayed. Some peculiarities of using optical and chemiluminescent ozone analyzers in view of providing minimum instrument error are discussed. An approach to reasonable combination of advantages of optical and chemiluminescent methods into one unique device are suggested and realized. The unique applications of some instruments under severe conditions of low temperatures in Antarctics on a ground based level and for measuring the ozone content vertical profile in the stratosphere up to 40 km are described. The perspective directions in developing ozone gas analyzers are discussed.

At present metal-optical research is of great academic and practical interest, since discovering the way of electromagnetic field and substance interaction allows to study the structure of different substances, find out their specific optical characteristics and obtain an opportunity of their future identification. Reflection factor is one of major experimental parameters of the matter characterizing its interaction with electromagnetic radiation. Measuring its values for low-power optical and IR radiation allows to develop ways and means of non-destructive surface control and know the composition of the specimen studied. This paper considers the techniques and offers a device to investigate surface reflection ability in vacuum under powerful thermal effect. On the basis of Taylor's sphere. A sensor-analyzer has been developed to study the surface of the material inaccessible for direct physicochemical study by conventional methods. Measurement were taken in vacuum up to 10 mTorr with heating from 20 degrees Celsius to 1700 degrees Celsius for the Sun spectrum with the accuracy up to 4 percents. The experimental specimen offered allows to estimate the reflection ability of the object metal surfaces under high temperature and at a far distance from the information receiver.

Total ozone data of 1995/96 season and of the beginning of 1996/97 season from Vernadsky Antarctic station (65S, 64W) are given. The ground-based observations were made using Dobson spectrophotometer that was handed over to the Ukrainian Antarctic Center by the British Antarctic Survey in order to continue the one of the longest series of total ozone data in Antarctica. In 1995/96 season the features of the ozone 'hole' appeared at the mid of September. From the mid of December the ozone hole disappeared, but in Antarctic summer 1995/96 the ozone values were unusually low. The state of 1996/97 season measurements brings the peculiarities of ozone hole early -- at the beginning of August ozone values dropped down to 120 DU. The data of last two seasons probably shows that ozone hole above Antarctica has extended in time to summer months and has appeared earlier in the polar spring.

Observation material of 1993 - 1995 seasons is reduced and optical characteristics of upper atmosphere of the Earth are obtained, and namely: height indicatrices of terrestrial atmosphere scattering and volume coefficient of scattering. For wavelengths 754 nm and 585 nm indicatrices of scattering are obtained for height 10, 20, . . ., 80, 100 km above the ground level whereas for 356 nm indicatrices for height 30, 40, . . . 80, 100 km are obtained. Indicatrices are typically most extended at small height (10 - 40 km) and more sloping at heights 90 km and more at small height antropogeneous and heterogeneous dust is accumulated. This dust concentration diminishes with height and at those of 50 - 80 km a relative purification of the Earth's atmosphere from the dust constituent takes place. At heights over 80 km a considerable contribution is made to scattering by the cosmic dust influx.

The strict analytical formulas are derived from asymptotic formulas of the radiative transfer theory for determination of optical thickness and single scattering albedo on base of measurements reflected or transmitted solar radiance or irradiance in strati clouds. The detailed error analysis of the methodology proposed is carried out. The formulas obtained are applied for interpretation of the spectral data of ground- based measurements at the drifting Arctic station in 1979. The values of optical thickness and single scattering albedo are obtained and reveal the apparent spectral dependency.

In 80-th vast airborne experiments were performed by Atmospheric Physics Department of Physical Institute of St. Petersburg University in different geographical regions and above various underlying surfaces. Statistics and analysis of these numerous data allowed to obtain the criteria of making out of various water and ground surfaces and to carry out their classifications. By making use the criteria elaborated, there were revealed by 14 classes for water and ground surfaces (total 28 classes).

During the summer of 1991, the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) was used over Caribbean to perform five chemical release experiments in ionosphere. The purpose of the G11b experiment was to exclude photoionization to examine the CIV hypothesis by Alfven. For this reason the G11b release was made in shadow to exclude photoionization. In this report we present a possible new method to examine the high CIV interactions in small localized regions, where the anomalous fast barium ionization can produce a local leakage of neutral barium from a sphere shell cloud. It is shown that the optical neutral cloud measurements made in G11b experiment manifest a very simple signature to locate the interaction CIV region as the neutral barium cloud passes the solar terminator. It thus appears that all of main CIV activity for barium orbital injection occurs early in the most dense and energetic part of the cloud. It is suggested that future interactive experiment can use this observation (method) to precisely locate the CIV active region in real time and/or for later analysis of the CIV processes effectiveness.

Optical characterization of the Cu and Cr-implanted copper and stainless steel mirrors, as well as amorphous metallic ribbons, was carried out by angular and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Changes of the optical properties of the stainless steel samples after bombardment by Cr⁺ would occur due to the formation of a carbon layer on a mirror surface after the implantation, without modification of a microstructure of the surface. In case of the copper mirrors, irradiated by Cu⁺ ions, the growth of a carbon layer was not observed. The first stage of ductile-brittle transition was revealed for annealed amorphous alloys.

The distribution of the rotational states of neutral nitrogen molecules depends on the surrounding temperature. When precipitating auroral electrons penetrate into the atmosphere, they ionize and excite atoms and molecules. As a result nitrogen molecule is excited to the N₂⁺B²(Sigma) _u⁺ state. The lifetime of this state is so short compared with the collision frequency at auroral heights that the excited ion emits a photon before the rotational distribution is rearranged. From these emissions it is possible to estimate the rotational temperature of the emitting volume. The measurements can be made by a spectrometer or even by a filter photometer. In this paper the measurements have been made with multichannel auroral photometer by using the photon counting method. It is shown that the temperature may vary from 150 K up to 500 K. In a very intense aurora a temperature of 350 K has been obtained.

Spectral energy distribution of auroras at heights from 80 to 1000 km have been calculated on the base of global photometric model. It describes the processes of emission excitations by solar UV radiation and electron fluxes in auroral zone. This model deals with emissions from EUV to IR spectral regions (0.02 - 20 mcm) during night and day conditions. The main peculiarities of auroral spectra consist in spatial distribution of its components.

Empirical model of the nocturnal variations of intensity, temperature and peak altitude of emissive layer of atomic oxygen emission 557.7 nm are presented. Published data of ground-based and rocket measurements were used.

In this paper some results of lifetime estimations of the O(¹S)-state are presented. The method that we have used is based on the impulse response analysis of 557.7 nm and 427.8 nm emissions together with statistical inversion theory. We have compared two different methods for fitting the theoretical impulse response function to calculated one. It is shown that by inversion method it is possible to find more accurate results.

A method of atmospheric transmission determination by stellar observations has been improved. The essence of the method is that Bouguer equations corresponding to observations of all the stars during one night are solved jointly. This is possible when the atmospheric transmission dependence on time is a continuous function and can be approximated by a broken line or parabola sections. The method does not have any principle restrictions concerning the amount of stars observed during night. Therefore it allows to obtain the maximum accuracy of atmospheric transmission determination.

We have shown that even now it is possible only by the efforts of Ukrainian enterprises to make compact and vibrostable Fourier spectrometers which can be placed not only in laboratories (stationary and movable), but on the board of artificial satellite of the Earth. The spectrophotometry in thermal region of the spectrum is perspective remote method both for monitoring the dynamics of already known gaseous component and discovery of new ones. Within the framework of National program 'The system of ecological monitoring 'Ukraine'' it is reasonable to create the system of the same type movable laboratories for monitoring already ecologically contaminated regions as well as yet relatively undangerous ones.

A version of the spectroscopic method is described for measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor contents in the atmosphere. The results obtained with the method used for monitoring these atmospheric gases in the central part of the European-Asian continent are given.

Spectra of the mesospheric OH(3,1) emission have been recorded by an FTIR spectrometer at Maynooth (53.2 degrees N, 6.4 degrees W), of Ireland on all suitable nights during the period December 1992 to July 1995. A total of 370 nights observations have been obtained. Each spectrum is acquired in a five minute integration period, and has been analyzed to yield a value of rotational temperature and brightness associated with the (3,1) band. Each of these measurements has been normalized to the mean value for the particular night on which it was recorded in an effort to extract the amplitude and phase of the variations. The normalized data have been binned at half-hourly intervals for each month so as to minimize the contribution to the variations from gravity waves and short period planetary scale oscillations. Harmonic analysis has been performed to determine an amplitude and a phase of both the diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations for each month in the period under study. The results of this investigation are presented and they are compared with the predictions of the theoretical model of Forbes and Gillette.

Model of static Fourier spectrometer for atmosphere and ionosphere spectral investigation based on the Michelson interferometer with titled mirrors and CCD detector is designed. Method of array sensor modulation transfer function measurement is proposed. The CCD MTF and emission spectra of some light sources were obtained. Problems and results are discussed.

A portable solar photometer for atmospheric transparency determination in 357 nm, 401 nm, 448 nm, 512 nm, 750 nm, 934 nm, and 1005 nm spectral regions selected with an interference filter is described. The photometer has a separate automatic Sun tracking channel. Operations on signal recording, interference filter changes, photodiode dark current control, reference signal recording from a built-in light diode, temperature and observational time control are made by a computer BK-0010.

Potentialities of the atmospheric research on the base of solar spectroscopy techniques are discussed. Methods of the solar spectroscopy have some important advantages due to the possibility of the simultaneous measurements of many gases, their inexpensivety and safety to ecology, etc. From 1991 the Earth atmosphere investigations are pursued on the base of the horizontal solar telescope with the Echelle spectrograph in the Kyiv University Astronomical Observatory. It was found that in the air basin of Kyiv the NO₂ content is about 3 multiplied by 10^-8. Minimum concentration of NO₂ was observed at the beginning of the year and maximum ones -- in summer and autumn. It is possible that the NO₂ concentration was considerably higher in 1981, when the level of the solar activity was very high. It has been also determined that the oxygen content above Kyiv was unchanged during last 15 years.