Autonomous observations of energetic particle effects on the Antarctic atmosphere

最近的研究表明，高能粒子在极地进入地球大气层，可导致冬季极地地区表面温度发生5-10 K的变化。这被认为是高能粒子在高空（50-90公里）进入地球大气层后引起化学变化的结果，影响了整个大气层的辐射平衡。然而，颗粒的确切性质是未知的，并且对表面温度变化的影响的进一步分析/确认受到这种知识差距的限制。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，才有可能在一定程度上确定地研究这些颗粒在推动大气化学变化方面的影响。能够将我们的实验地点设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-使我们能够确定辐射带粒子对大气的最大影响; 2）高能粒子沉淀对我们将进行的实验无线电波观测的影响在厚冰盖地区得到增强-这种情况只发生在南极半岛以南，在需要进行最佳观测的地球磁场纬度上; 3）南极半岛以南地区是外辐射带粒子降水的主要地区，这是因为附近的南大西洋地磁异常的影响，它将高能粒子从轨道上撞到了大气层中。项目合作伙伴收集、分析和解释的数据将使我们能够模拟高能粒子沉淀造成的南极大气化学变化。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国际努力的一部分，以了解气候变化和高层大气的联系（例如NERC科学主题，太阳-地球系统计划的气候和天气，第二阶段，以及国际与星星生活计划- ILWS）。我们的建议也是及时的，因为在我们的建议的生命周期内，由美国航天局资助的X射线气球以及美国航天局和加空局的新辐射带卫星将进行广泛的辅助测量，所有这些都得到ILWS方案的支持。该提案与气球/卫星使命科学小组之间的广泛合作已经启动，并将在整个项目周期内继续进行。

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.