GEM: Quantifying Radiation Belt Losses and Their Effects on the Atmosphere

众所周知，从太空降落到大气中的高能降水会造成一系列太空天气影响，包括对近地轨道航天器的破坏、定位信号的中断，以及对跨极地飞机和乘客的危险。此外，颗粒降水产生的一氧化氮对大气的影响在我们对天气和气候的理解中起着重要作用——这是一个目前特别相关的话题。空间和气候之间的联系并不为人所知。本研究旨在通过分析来自航天器、地面仪器的数据，并使用大气模型来揭示颗粒降水对大气和气候的原因和影响，从而直接研究这一联系。这项提议包括研究生培训和一些早期和中期职业研究人员的参与，他们将从新的方向上的合作中受益。此外，该小组计划举办一个简短的虚拟系列研讨会，向整个社区宣传，以阐明这一科学主题，突出这项工作的跨学科性质，并讨论新的发现。高能粒子降水（EPP）是地球空间中无数不同过程的原因和结果。它是发生在整个内磁层的损耗机制的结果，有助于捕获辐射带和环电流粒子群的全球动力学。它也是对地球上层和中层大气产生几种影响的原因，因为沉积到这些区域的能量造成了化学成分的变化。因此，EPP是一个跨越空间科学和地球科学之间传统定义的边界的过程，并且对这两个系统都有广泛的影响。该研究项目旨在推进我们对EPP对耦合磁层-大气系统的驱动和影响的知识前沿。总而言之，本项目旨在通过地面和天基观测量化磁层粒子数量的损失，并利用该信息利用全大气模型评估降水对地球大气的影响。这种方法将使我们能够在空间科学和大气科学领域的背景下推进对这一过程的理解。该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知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Energetic precipitation that rains down on the atmosphere from space is known to cause a whole host of space weather effects, including damage to low-Earth orbiting spacecraft, location signal disruptions, and danger to trans-polar aircraft and passengers. Additionally, the atmospheric effects of nitric oxides from particle precipitation play a role in our understanding of weather and climate - a topic that is particularly relevant right now. The linkage between space and climate is not well-known. This study aims to investigate this link directly by analyzing data from spacecraft, ground-based instrumentation, and using atmospheric modeling to uncover the cause and effect of particle precipitation on the atmosphere and climate. This proposal involves graduate student training and participation by several early- and mid-career researchers who will benefit from the collaboration in a new direction. Furthermore, the team plans to host a short, virtual seminar series to be advertised to the full community that will illuminate this science topic, highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the work, and discuss new findings.Energetic particle precipitation (EPP) is both a cause and a consequence of a myriad different processes throughout geospace. It is the result of loss mechanisms that occur throughout the inner magnetosphere, contributing to global dynamics of the trapped radiation belt and ring current particle populations. It is also the cause of several effects on the Earth's upper and middle atmosphere, as the energy deposited to these regions create changes in chemical constituents. As such, EPP is a process that crosses the traditionally-defined boundaries between space science and earth science, and has wide-ranging implications on both systems. The research project aims to advance the frontiers of our knowledge on the drivers and effects of EPP on the coupled magnetosphere-atmosphere system. In summary, this project is to quantify the loss that occurs in the magnetospheric particle population through ground- and space-based observations and use that information to assess the effects of that precipitation on the Earth's atmosphere using whole atmosphere modeling. This approach will allow us to advance understanding of this process within the context of the space science and atmospheric science fields.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.