Collaborative Research: Energetic Particle Precipitation from the Magnetosphere and Effects on Ozone Dynamics in the Mesosphere and Stratosphere

The awards to the Space Science Institute and to the University of Colorado in this collaborative project would measure and study the effects of energetic particle precipitation into the high latitude atmosphere. The project seeks to increase the understanding of how electrons and ions from the Earth's magnetosphere are scattered and subsequently are lost to the atmosphere.

This topic is the subject of numerous studies involving satellite data, ground-based instrumentation, and complex theoretical models. The awards would support research aimed at investigating the causes of such energetic particle precipitation (EPP) in the magnetosphere, and also to study the consequences of such precipitation in the lower atmosphere.

Specifically, the duration of the awards over three years would: use in-situ satellite data to determine when precipitation from the magnetosphere is likely to be occurring. The award would use satellite and balloon-based observations of the polar stratosphere and mesosphere to quantify the effects of the precipitation in the stratosphere and mesosphere on a case-by-case basis and also by using statistical analysis.

These results would support the conduct of a dedicated experimental campaign of balloon-based ozone measurements in Finland to search for direct or indirect changes in the stratosphere during periods when precipitation is likely to be occurring. The research would also apply a complex theoretical model to reveal the physical/chemical causes of the precipitation to quantify the dominant physical and chemical processes responsible for such changes.

The research would involve students at all levels of the project to contribute to the training of the next generation of scientists. The undergraduate and graduate students would gain experience of participating in a major international project, including an experimental campaign in which they would hold significant responsibilities. The project is relevant to all four Key Science Goals (KSGs) of the National Research Council Decadal Survey 2013, particularly KSG1 - Determine the origins of the Sun’s activity and predict the variations in the space environment and KSG2 - Determine the dynamics and coupling of Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere and their response to solar and terrestrial inputs

The scientific rationale for the proposal is summarized in terms of two scientific objectives:

(1) Determine and quantify when and where precipitation of high-energy electrons/ions from the magnetosphere is known to be occurring. this would be followed up by an effort to quantify the resulting changes in ozone in the polar stratosphere and mesosphere, and

(2) Determine the physical and chemical pathways by which the precipitation effects are manifested via satellite observations, theoretical modeling, and in-situ observations.

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.