Collaborative Research: Relativistic Particle Precipitation and Upper Atmospheric Effects

该项目将研究高能粒子降水如何影响高层和中层大气中的电导率和电场。它将研究太阳高能质子如何进入大气层中部，并利用入射质子发射的伽马射线来确定入射粒子的能谱。它还将研究加速、传输和沉淀相对论电子的机制。该项目将分析两个气球数据集的数据，这些数据集包含多个高能粒子降水事件。将建立模型来描述这些高能粒子在上层和中层大气中产生的影响。模式结果将与测量到的大气中辐射、电导率和电场进行比较。为了确定相对论性电子加速、输运和沉淀的机制，气球观测将与地面和航天器观测相结合，以检验沉淀的波粒相互作用理论。该项目的结果将提高我们预测高能降水事件的能力，这些事件可能影响各种卫星，并可能改变大气的化学成分。该项目由达特茅斯学院、华盛顿大学和休斯顿大学的教师和学生合作完成。

This project will examine how energetic particle precipitation affects the electrical conductivity and fields in the upper and middle atmosphere. It will examine how solar energetic protons access the middle atmosphere and will utilize the gamma rays emitted by the incoming protons to determine the energy spectrum of the incoming particles. It will also investigate the mechanisms which accelerate, transport, and precipitate relativistic electrons.The project will analyze data from two balloon data sets that contain multiple episodes of energetic particle precipitation. Models will be constructed to describe the effects these energetic particles produce in the upper and middle atmosphere. Model results will be compared with measured middle atmosphere radiation, conductivity, and electric fields. To determine the mechanisms which accelerate, transport and precipitate relativistic electrons the balloon observations will be combined with ground and spacecraft observations to test wave-particle interaction theories for precipitation.The results from the project will improve our ability to predict energetic precipitation events that can affect a variety of satellites and can alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere. The project is a collaborative one involving faculty and students at Dartmouth College, the University of Washington and the University of Houston.