Modeling of the solar wind originated energy input for the study of effects on the terrestrial thermosphere and ionosphere-introduction

• Published in: Physics and chemistry of the earth. Part C, Solar-terrestrial and planetary science Vol. 25; no. 5-6; pp. 483 - 487
• Main Authors: Winningham, J.D., Frahm, R.A., Crowley, G., Ridley, A.J., Sharber, J.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2000
• ISSN: 1464-1917
• DOI: 10.1016/S1464-1917(00)00062-3

The development of a particle climatology for the purpose of studying solar particle fluxes and their effect on the terrestrial atmospheric system has been adopted as an activity of the International Solar Cycle Study, Working Group 1, Panel 2. The activity has been incorporated as a component of the Thermospheric-Ionospheric Geospheric Research (TIGER) Program. This climatology is an empirical model of particle input providing average spectral characteristics, precipitating particle fluxes, and ionization rate profiles as functions of latitude, local time, and activity level. It is being built upon a model already being developed with particle data from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). This paper provides an introduction to our development of the particle climatology, which is described in more detail in the following paper. We review particle input models currently used to study the effects of particle energy input on the thermosphere-ionosphere system. We describe the objective of the climatology development, the optimal low-altitude database to be used, and the selection of indices to be incorporated into the model.