Collaborative Research: CEDAR--Quantifying the Impact of Radiation Belt Electron Precipitation on Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Ozone (O3)

这项工作将研究磁层中的某些高能粒子如何影响和改变更接近地球表面的大气区域的组成。更好地了解地球大气层不同区域是如何联系在一起的，将增强我们的预测能力，以保护卫星和其他技术资产免受太阳和磁层风暴的影响。这笔赠款还将促进地球科学(磁层、电离层、高能粒子、高层和中层大气层)的跨学科合作。研究将量化来自范艾伦辐射带的高能电子沉淀对中间层和平流层活性氮氧化物(NOx)的产生及其对臭氧(O3)的影响。来自火鸟(相对论电子爆发强度、射程和动力学的重点调查)卫星和Van Allen探测器的观测将用于产生粒子光谱和电子通量的全球地图，这些将被用于驱动WACCM-DART模型，该模型实施了一种新的D区化学方案来计算NOx。通过在WACCM-DART中加入这个新的源，即来自辐射带的电子通量，模式模拟中NOx的缺陷有望得到解决。一旦模型得到验证并与观测结果进行比较，辐射带对中间层和平流层中的NOx以及平流层中的臭氧的影响将被量化。这一奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This work will study how certain energetic particles in the magnetosphere affect and change of the composition of the region of the atmosphere closer to the surface of Earth. Improved understanding of how different regions of Earth's atmosphere are linked will enhance our predictive capabilities to protect satellites and other technological assets from the effects of solar and magnetospheric storms. This grant will also develop interdisciplinary collaborations across geoscience (magnetosphere, ionosphere, energetic particles, upper and middle atmosphere).The research will quantify the contribution of energetic electron precipitation from the Van Allen radiation belts to the production of reactive nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the mesosphere and stratosphere and its resultant impact on ozone (O3). Observations from the FIREBIRD (Focused Investigations of Relativistic Electron Burst Intensity, Range, and Dynamics) satellites and Van Allen Probes will be used to produce the particle spectra and the global maps of electron flux that will be used to drive the WACCM-DART model which implements a new D-region chemical scheme to calculate NOx. By adding this new source, i.e., electron flux from the radiation belts, to the WACCM-DART, the deficits of the NOx in the model simulation are expected to be tackled. Once the model can be validated and favorably compare with observations, the impacts of the radiation belt REP on the NOx in the mesosphere and stratosphere, and the O3 in the stratosphere will be quantified.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.