Atmospheric Ionization by Solar Particles Detected by Nitrate Measurements in Antarctic Snow. FY91 AASERT.

• Main Authors: Vitt, Francis M., Jackman, Charles H.
• Other Authors: KANSAS UNIV LAWRENCE DEPT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1995
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; Astrophysics; Inorganic Chemistry; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *PARTICLES; *SNOW; *IONIZATION; *SOLAR ACTIVITY; *ANTARCTIC REGIONS; *EARTH ATMOSPHERE; *NITRATES; MESOSPHERE; POLAR REGIONS; MEASUREMENT; MODELS; PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS; OXIDATION; TRANSPORT; HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION; SOLAR CYCLE; NITROUS OXIDE; TEMPERATE REGIONS; LATITUDE; GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS; SOLAR COSMIC RAYS; SOLAR DISTURBANCES; SPE(SOLAR PROTON EVENTS); MIDDLE ATMOSPHERE; ODD NITROGEN; SOLAR PROTON EVENTS; PE61102F; WUAFOSR3484S4; Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA308179; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA308179

The odd nitrogen source strengths associated with solar proton events (SPEs), galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), and the oxidation of nitrous oxide in the Earth's middle atmosphere from 1974 through 1993 have been compared globally, at middle and lower latitudes (< 50 deg), and polar regions (> 50 deg) with a two-dimensional (2-D) photochemical transport model. As discovered previously, the oxidation of nitrous oxide dominates the global odd nitrogen source while GCRs and SPEs are significant at polar latitudes. The horizontal transport of odd nitrogen, produced by the oxidation of nitrous oxide at latitudes < 50 deg, was found to be the dominant source of odd nitrogen in the polar regions with GCRs contributing substantially during the entire solar cycle. The source of odd nitrogen from SPEs was more sporadic; however, contributions during several years (mostly near solar maximum) were significant in the polar middle atmosphere. p4