Energetic particle influence on the Earth's atmosphere

This manuscript gives an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the effects of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) onto the whole atmosphere, from the lower thermosphere/mesosphere through the stratosphere and troposphere, to the surface. The paper summarizes the different sources and energies of particles, principally galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar energetic particles (SEPs) and energetic electron precipitation (EEP). All the proposed mechanisms by which EPP can affect the atmosphere are discussed, including chemical changes in the upper atmosphere and lower thermosphere, chemistry-dynamics feedbacks, the global electric circuit and cloud formation. The role of energetic particles in Earth’s atmosphere is a multi-disciplinary problem that requires expertise from a range of scientific backgrounds. To assist with this synergy, summary tables are provided, which are intended to evaluate the level of current knowledge of the effects of energetic particles on processes in the entire atmosphere

Alternating bursts of low energy ions and electrons near the substorm onset

The substorm associated behavior of the low energy particles (30 eV–28.5 keV) near the earthward edge of the plasma sheet is examined using data from CRRES during the late growth and early expansion phases of a substorm on 12 March 1991 and their significance for the substorm onset mechanism is discussed. In this substorm, the CRRES was located on <i>L</i> ~6.3 and ~20° westward of the substorm onset and observed the sequence of the alternating bursts of the low energy ions and electrons. The bursts of the 0.633–9.6 keV ions occurred 1–2 min before the (7.31–21.7 keV) electron bursts. The first ion burst happened 2min before the substorm onset, at the moment of weak brightening of the most equatorial pre-breakup arc near the latitude ~62°. The alternation of the ion and electron bursts may be a signature of a drift-Alfvén ballooning instability on the inner edge of the plasma sheet near substorm onset

Electron radiation belt dynamics during magnetic storms and in quiet time

The paper discusses the outer electron belt dynamics, adiabatic and nonadiabatic mechanisms of increases and losses of energetic electrons. Under undisturbed conditions, the outer electron belt gradually empties: in the inner magnetosphere due to electron losses in the atmosphere and in the quasi-trapping region due to losses at the magnetopause because drift shells of electrons are not closed there. The latter process does not occur in normal years due to the masking replenishment by freshly accelerated particles, but in years of extremely low activity it leads to a significant decrease in the electron population of the belt. During the magnetic storm main phase, the first reason for the decrease in the electron flux intensity is the adiabatic cooling associated with conservation of adiabatic invariants and complemented by injection of electrons into the atmosphere and their losses at the magnetopause. Electron flux increases involve EB electron injection by the induction electric field of substorm activation and by the large-scale solar wind electric field, with pitch energy diffusion along with adiabatic heating in the recovery phase. The rate of electron flux recovery after a storm is determined by the ratio of nonadiabatic increases and losses; hence the electron flux represents a continuous series from low to very high values. The combination of these processes determines the individual character of radiation belt development during each magnetic storm and the behavior of the belt in the quiet time

Studies of substorm on March 12, 1991: 2. Auroral electrons. Acceleration, injection, and dynamics

In the first part of this study of the substorm of March 12, 1991, the space-time structure of substrorm disturbance and dynamics of auroral ions were considered. This second part presents an analysis of measurements of auroral electrons onboard the CRRES satellite. It is demonstrated that enhancements of the electron flux (injections) during large-scale and local dipolarizations of the magnetic field are determined by a combination of field-aligned, induction, and betatron mechanisms of acceleration with an effect of displacement of the drift shells of particles. The relative contributions of these mechanisms in relation to the energy of auroral electrons are determined

Studies of the substorm on March 12, 1991: 1. Structure of substorm activity and auroral ions

The substorm on March 12, 1991 is studied using the data of ground-based network of magnetometers, all-sky cameras and TV recordings of aurora, and measurements of particle fluxes and magnetic field onboard a satellite in the equatorial plane. The structure of substorm activity and the dynamics of auroral ions of the central plasma sheet (CPS) and energetic quasi-trapped ions related to the substorm are considered in the first part. It is shown that several sharp changes in the fluxes and pitch-angle distribution of the ions which form the substorm ion injection precede a dipolarization of the magnetic field and increases of energetic electrons, and coincide with the activation of aurora registered 20 degrees eastward from the satellite. A conclusion is drawn about different mechanisms of the substorm acceleration (injection) of electrons and ions