The role of non thermal oxygen atoms in the vertical distribution of the
989 A OI EUV multiplet intensity is investigated using a thermospheric
radiative transfer code. In particular, the role of the oxygen scale height
change due to hot oxygen atoms is estimated for hydrostatic adjustment.
The superthermal oxygen concentration and temperatures are derived from
the O(3P) atoms energy distribution functions calculated by a Monte Carlo
stochastic model. The density profile change due to the scale height effect
is found to have a significant influence on the intensity profile of the oxygen
optically thick EUV lines at 989 A. This contribution dominates the radiative
transfer effect due to the perturbation of the Doppler profile by the hot
O(3P) atoms. The intensity increase we calculate remains unsufficient to
account for the EUV intensity measurements of the 989 A multiplet. Nevertheless,
it is shown that the O(3P) thermospheric density profile must account for
the scale height perturbation caused by the superthermal oxygen population
which is non negligible above the exobase