Autonomous observations of energetic particle effects on the Antarctic atmosphere

最近的研究表明，在两极进入地球大气层的高能粒子可以导致极地地区冬季地表温度变化5-10K。这被认为是高海拔(50-90公里)高能粒子驱动地球大气发生化学变化的结果，影响了整个大气的辐射平衡。然而，粒子的确切性质尚不清楚，对表面温度变异性的影响的进一步分析/确认受到这一知识差距的限制。我们建议通过在南极半岛南部部署低功率窄带无线电接收器来填补这一知识空白，以便监测来自地球周围辐射带的高能粒子降水。只有到那时，研究颗粒物在推动大气化学变化方面的影响才可能有任何程度的确定性。能够将我们的实验放在南极是至关重要的，因为：1)为这个项目选择的地点的地磁纬度与外辐射带中心发生的过程有关--使我们能够确定对大气的最大辐射带粒子影响；2)高能粒子降水对我们将进行的实验无线电波观测的影响在厚厚的冰盖地区得到增强--这种情况只发生在南极半岛南部的地磁纬度，这是进行最佳观测所需的；3)由于受到附近南大西洋磁异常的影响，高能粒子脱离轨道进入大气层，南极半岛以南地区将是外辐射带粒子降水的主要发生区域。根据这项提议，项目合作伙伴收集、分析和解释的数据将使我们能够模拟南极大气中高能粒子沉淀引起的化学变化。因此，我们将能够确定复杂的辐射带过程对全球大气的影响。我们对极地表面温度影响的调查是了解气候变异性及其与高层大气联系的国际努力的一部分(例如，NERC科学主题、日地系统气候和天气方案、第二阶段和国际与星共处方案-ILWs)。我们的建议也是及时的，因为在我们建议的有效期内，将通过由美国宇航局资助的X射线气球，以及由美国宇航局和美国航天局新的辐射带卫星进行的广泛的支持性测量，所有这些都得到ILWs方案的支持。这一提议与气球/卫星飞行任务科学小组之间的广泛合作已经启动，并将在整个项目生命周期内继续下去。

Recent research has suggested that energetic particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at the poles can lead to 5-10 K changes in the surface tempertaures in polar regions during the wintertime. This is thought to be as a result of chemical changes driven by energetic particles enering the Earth's atmosphere at high altitudes (50-90 km) affecting the radiation balance of the atmosphere as a whole. However the exact nature of the particles is unknown, and further analysis/confirmation of the effect on surface temperature variability is limited by this knowledge gap. We propose to fill this knowledge gap by deploying low-powered narrow band radio receivers south of the Antarctic Peninsula in order to monitor energetic particle precipitation coming from the radiation belts that surround the Earth. Only then will the study of the impact of the particles in driving atmospheric chemical changes be possible with any degree of certainty. Being able to site our experiments in the Antarctic is critical because: 1) the geomagnetic latitudes of the sites chosen for this project are associated with processes occuring at the heart of the outer radiation belt - allowing us to determine the maximum radiation belt particle influence on the atmosphere; 2) the effect of energetic particle precipitation on the experimental radiowave observations that we will make is enhanced over thick ice-sheet regions - this condition only occurs south of the Antarctic Peninsula at the geomagentic latitudes that are needed to make the best observations; 3) the region south of the Antarctic Peninsula is where most of the particle precipitation from the outer radiation belt will occur, because of the influence of the nearby South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly in knocking the energetic particles out of their orbits and into the atmosphere. The data collected, analysed and interpreted by the project partners brought together by this proposal, will allow us to model the chemical changes in the Antarctic atmosphere due to energetic particle precipitation. As a result we will be able to determine the impact of complex radiation belt processes on the global atmosphere. Our Investigation of the effects on polar surface temperatures is part of international efforts to understand climate variability and the links to the upper atmosphere (e.g. the NERC Science Themes, the Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System programme, phase II, and the International Living with a Star programme - ILWS) . Our proposal is also timely in that there will be extensive supporting measurements made during the lifetime of our proposal by x-ray balloons funded by NASA, and by new NASA and CSA radiation belt satellites, all supported by the ILWS programme. Extensive collaboration between this proposal and the balloon/satellite mission scientific teams has been initiated and will continue throughout the project lifetime.