12th Conference on Middle Atmosphere

Wednesday, 6 November 2002
April 18-24, 2002: PEM observations of atmospheric energy input and ionization rates determined from precipitating charged particles
Rudy A. Frahm, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX; and G. Crowley, J. D. Winningham, J. R. Sharber, and L. J. Paxton
During the period between April 18 to April 24 of 2002, a campaign emphasizing conjunctions between the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Particle Environment Monitor (PEM) and the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) was conducted which emphasized auroral zone precipitation. The goal of the investigation is to identify geographic locations of common measurement and then to determine the atmospheric response to particle input at these locations from both instruments. Correlations between PEM and GUVI measurements of the atmospheric response will help to validate measurements made by the GUVI. Here, the atmospheric response will be described from the point of view of the PEM instrument. Early PEM measurements show that the auroral zone intensifies from electron precipitation early in the data collection period. Toward the end of the period of data collection, proton precipitation becomes significant. From the particle precipitation measured by PEM, estimates of the altitude-dependent ionization rate profiles due to charged particle ionization will be determined.

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