Quantifying energetic particle precipitation into the atmosphere

该提案将结合兰卡斯特大学和英国南极调查局提供的专业知识和数据集，回答一系列有关大气中带电粒子沉淀对大气化学的重要性的重要问题。这将通过建立链条中的关键环节来推进关于太阳活动如何影响对流层和平流层变化的争论。两个半球间地面仪器网络将用于提供高能电子降水的估计。兰卡斯特是全球辐射计阵列 (GLORIA) 的 PI 研究所，BAS 是南极-北极辐射带动态沉积甚低频大气研究联盟 (AARDDVARK) 的联合 PI 研究所。该项目旨在提供进入大气的高能电子通量的全球图片，以回答关键问题：高能电子沉淀对大气化学和动力学有何意义？ 该提案的主要目的是利用riometer（相对电离层不透明度计）和VLF（甚低频）无线电波观测以及磁层中电子分布的高级建模，以确定大气层和特别是极地地区高能电子沉淀的特征。这些仪器对不同的电子能量做出响应，通过将观测结果与磁层中电子的适当模型相结合，可以估计电子降水事件的位置、能谱和通量，特别是在极地地区，以及对平流层和中间层的大气化学有影响的能量。该数据产品将特别用于耦合气候模型，作为表示地磁活动与大气之间耦合的输入，而不是广泛的地磁指数（例如 Ap 或 Kp）。尽管主要目标是产生电子通量谱，但这可以轻松转换为离子对生产率甚至氮氧化物剖面，以满足模型输入要求。该数据产品将用于离子和中性化学模型，以确定相应的氮氧化物产生水平。我们将用它来回答以下关键问题： 1. 亚暴和暴风雨期间氮氧化物分布如何变化？ 2. 半球之间氮氧化物的产生有何不同？我们将确定太阳风对大气化学的驱动作用，而不是太阳辐照度。 GLORIA 和 AARDDVARK 的跨半球性质意味着我们将能够同时确定两个极地地区的氮氧化物产量，并确定不同季节的差异和相似之处。这些重要问题涉及高层大气中大气化学的重要性以及它如何受到地磁活动的影响。因此，我们将能够回答高能电子沉淀对大气化学和动力学的意义是什么？

This proposal will combine the expertise and data sets provided by Lancaster University and the British Antarctic Survey to answer a series of important questions regarding the significance of charged particle precipitation into the atmosphere on atmospheric chemistry. This will advance the debate on how solar activity affects tropospheric and stratospheric variability by establishing a key link in the chain. Two inter-hemispheric, ground-based networks of instruments will be used to provide estimates of energetic electron precipitation. Lancaster is the PI institute for the Global Riometer Array (GLORIA) and BAS is the co-PI institute of the Antarctic-Arctic Radiation-belt Dynamic Deposition VLF Atmospheric Research Konsortia (AARDDVARK). This project aims to provide a global picture of the fluxes of energetic electrons entering the atmosphere in order to answer the key question: what is the significance of energetic electron precipitation to atmospheric chemistry and dynamics? The primary aim of this proposal will be to utilise the riometer (relative ionospheric opacity meter) and VLF (very low frequency) radio wave observations together with advanced modelling of the electron distributions in the magnetosphere, in order to determine the characteristics of energetic electron precipitation in the atmosphere and the polar regions in particular. These instruments respond to different electron energies and by combining the observations with suitable modelling of the electrons in the magnetosphere it is possible to make estimates of the location, energy spectrum and flux of electron precipitation events, particularly in the polar regions, and at energies that have implications for atmospheric chemistry in the stratosphere and mesosphere. The data product will be of particular use for coupled-climate models as an input to represent the coupling between geomagnetic activity and the atmosphere, instead of broad geomagnetic indexes such as Ap or Kp. Although the key aim is to produce electron flux spectra, this can be easily converted into ion-pair production rates or even NOx profiles to suit the model input requirements. This data product will be employed in an ion and neutral chemistry model to determine the corresponding level of NOx production. We will use this to answer the following key questions: 1. How does the NOx profile vary during substorms and storms? 2. How does NOx production vary between hemispheres? We will determine the role of solar wind driving of atmospheric chemistry rather than solar irradiance. The inter-hemispheric nature of GLORIA and AARDDVARK means that we will be able to determine NOx production in both polar regions simultaneously and determine differences and similarities from season to season. These are important questions concerning the importance of atmospheric chemistry in the upper atmosphere and how it is influenced by geomagnetic activity. We will therefore be able to answer what is the significance of energetic electron precipitation to atmospheric chemistry and dynamics?