Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical study of the auroral particle transport in the polar upper atmosphere

  • Published:
Science in China Series E: Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Starting from the Boltzmann equation and with some reasonable assumptions, a one-dimensional transport equation of charged energetic particles is derived by taking account of major interactions with neutral species in the upper atmosphere, including the processes of elastic scattering, the excitation, the ionization and the secondary electron production. The transport equation is numerically solved, for a simplified atmosphere consisting only of nitrogen molecules (N2), to obtain the variations of incident electron fluxes as a function of altitude, energy and pitch angle. The model results can describe fairly the transport characteristics of precipitating auroral electron spectra in the polar upper atmosphere; meanwhile the N2 ionization rates calculated from the modeled differential flux spectra also exhibit good agreements with existing empirical models in terms of several key parameters. Taking the energy flux spectra of precipitating electrons observed by FAST satellite flying over EISCAT site on May 15, 1997 as model inputs, the model-calculated ionization rate profile of neutral atmosphere consists reasonably with that reconstructed from electron density measurements by the radar.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anger C D, Babey S K, Cogger L L, et al. An ultraviolet auroral imager for the Viking spacecraft. Geophys Res Lett, 1987, 14: 387–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Torr M R, Torr D G, Zukic M, et al. A far ultraviolet imager for the international solar-terrestrial physics mission. Space Sci Rev, 1995, 71: 329–383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mende S, Heetderks B H, Frey H U, et al. Far ultraviolet imaging from the IMAGE spacecraft. Space Sci Rev, 2000, 91: 243–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Rees M H. Auroral ionization and excitation by incident energetic electrons. Planet Space Sci, 1963, 11: 1209–1218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Rees M H. On the interaction of auroral protons with the earth’s atmosphere. Planet Space Sci, 1982, 30: 463–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Nagy A F, Banks P M. Photoelectron fluxes in ionosphere. J Geophys Res, 1970, 75: 6260–6270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Banks P M, Nagy A F. Concerning influence of elastic scattering upon photoelectron transport and escape. J Geophys Res, 1970, 75: 1902–6270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Banks P M, Chappell C R, Nagy A F. New model for interaction of auroral electrons with atmosphere-spectral degradation, backscatter, optical emission, and ionization. J Geophys Res, 1974, 79: 1459–1470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Strickland D J, Book D L, Coffey T P, et al. Transport-equation techniques for deposition of auroral electrons. J Geophys Res, 1976, 81: 2755–2764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Basu B, Jasperse J R, Strickland D J, et al. Transport-theoretic model for the electron-proton-hydrogen atom aurora. J Geophys Res, 1993, 98: 21517–21532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Strickland D J, Daniell R E, Jasperse J R, et al. Transport-theoretic model for the electron-proton-hydrogen atom aurora. J Geophys Res, 1993, 98: 21533–21548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Porter H S, Varosi F, Mayr H G. Iterative solution of the multistream electron-transport equation. J Geophys Res, 1987, 92: 5933–5959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Lummerzheim D, Lilensten J. Electron-transport and energy degradation in the ionosphere-evaluation of the numerical-solution, comparison with laboratory experiments and auroral observations. Ann Geophys, 1994, 12: 1039–1051

    Google Scholar 

  14. Berger M J, Seltzer S M, Maeda K. Energy deposition by auroral electrons in atmosphere. J Atmos Terr Phys, 1970, 32: 1015–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Porter H S, Green A E S. Comparison of Monte-Carlo and continuous slowing-down approximation treatments of 1-kev proton energy deposition in N2. J Appl Phys, 1975, 46: 5030–5038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kozelov B V. Influence of the dipolar magnetic field on transport of proton-H atom fluxes in the atmosphere. Ann Geophys, 1993, 11: 697–704

    Google Scholar 

  17. Solomon S C. Auroral particle transport using Monte Carlo and hybrid methods. J Geophys Res, 2001, 106: 107–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Rees M H, Lummerzheim D, Roble R G, et al. Auroral energy deposition rate, characteristic electron-energy, and ionospheric parameters derived from Dynamics Explorer 1 images. J Geophys Res, 1988, 93: 12841–12860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Germany G A, Torr M R, Richards P G. Use of FUV auroral emissions as diagnostic indicator. J Geophys Res, 1994, 99: 383–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Germany G A, Parks G K, Brittnacher M, et al. Remote determination of auroral energy characteristics during substorm activity. Geophys Res Lett, 1997, 24: 995–998

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Germany G A, Richards P G, Torr M R, et al. Determination of ionospheric conductivities from FUV auroral emission. J Geophys Res, 1994, 99: 23297–23305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Richards P G, Torr D G. Auroral modeling of the 3371 A emission rate: dependence on characteristics electron energy. J Geophys Res, 1990, 95: 10337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Meurant M, Gerard J C, Hubert B, et al. Characterization and dynamics of the auroral electron precipitation during substorms deduced from IMAGE-FUV. J Geophys Res, 2003, 108: 1247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Zong Q G, Fu S Y, Pu Z Y. Auroral particle precipitation and its spectra transport in the atmosphere in Antarctic region. Chin J Polar Res (in Chinese), 1999, 11: 203–220

    Google Scholar 

  25. Chandrasekhar S. Radiative Transfer. New York: Dover, 1951

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hildebrand F B. Methods of Applied Mathematics. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1958

    Google Scholar 

  27. Swartz W E. Optimization of energetic electron-energy degradation calculations. J Geophys Res, 1985, 90: 6587–6593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Rees M H. Physics and Chemistry of the Upper Atmosphere. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  29. Osepian A, Kirkwood S. High-energy electron flux derived from EISCAT electron density profiles. J Atmos Sol-Terr Phys, 1996, 58: 479–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Brekke A, Hall C. Auroral ionospheric conductances during disturbed conditions. Ann Geophys, 1989, 7: 269–280

    Google Scholar 

  31. Kirwood S, Osepian A. Quantitave studies of energy particle precipitation using incoherent scatter radar. J Geomag Geoelectr, 1995, 47: 783–799

    Google Scholar 

  32. Cai H T, Ma S Y. Initial study of inversion method for estimating energy spectra of auroral precipitating particle from ground-based IS radar observations (in Chinese). Chin J Geophys, 2007, 50(1): 10–17

    Google Scholar 

  33. Richards P G, Toor D G. An investigation of the consistency of the ionospheric measurements of the photoelectron flux and solar EUV flux. J Geophys Res, 1984, 84: 5626–5635

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China

    HongTao Cai & ShuYing Ma

  2. Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment and Geodesy, Ministry of Education of PRC, Wuhan, 430079, China

    HongTao Cai & ShuYing Ma

  3. School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    ZuYin Pu

Authors
  1. HongTao Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. ShuYing Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. ZuYin Pu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to ShuYing Ma.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40404015, 40390150), the Ministry of Science and Technology of PRC (Grant No. 2006BAB18B06) and Key Lab of Geospace Environment and Geodesy, Ministry of Education of PRC

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cai, H., Ma, S. & Pu, Z. Numerical study of the auroral particle transport in the polar upper atmosphere. Sci. China Ser. E-Technol. Sci. 51, 1759–1771 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-008-0216-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-008-0216-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation