Leipzig 2002 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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EP: Extraterrestrische Physik
EP 2: Extraterrestrik-Poster
EP 2.5: Poster
Montag, 18. März 2002, 13:30–14:30, Galerie 1
The influence of large energetic particle events on upper atmospheric composition — •Miriam von König1, John Burrows1, Martyn Chipperfield2, Charles Jackman3, May-Britt Kallenrode4, Klaus Künzi1, and Edwina Wolff4 — 1Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Kufsteiner Strasse, 28359 Bremen, Germany — 2School of the Environment, University of Leeds, United Kingdom — 3NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA — 4University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
Ionisation due to extraterrestrial charged particle precipitation leads to the formation of NOx and HOx in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Both NOx and HOx formation will alter the composition of the upper atmosphere significantly, as both are involved in katalytic ozone destruction cycles. While HOx is extremely short-lived in the upper stratosphere and consequently, will affect the atmospheric composition only during particle precipitation events, NOx is believed to exist for months after big particle events, and thus could be transported down into the lower stratosphere during polar winter. Where and how far extraterrestrial charged particles can penetrate into the atmosphere however is determined by the strengths and form of the Earth geomagnetic field. We use a 2 D chemistry, transport and radiation model to investigate how different possible scenarios of the Earth magnetic field will affect the upper atmosphere NOx and HOx budget, and consequently, stratospheric and mesospheric ozone.