Validation of SSUSI-derived auroral electron densities: Comparisons to EISCAT data. (arXiv:2103.08254v2 [physics.ao-ph] UPDATED)
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/physics/1/au:+Bender_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Stefan Bender</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/physics/1/au:+Espy_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">Patrick J. Espy</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/physics/1/au:+Paxton_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Larry J. Paxton</a>
The coupling of the atmosphere to the space environment has become recognized
as an important driver of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. In order to
quantify the effects of particle precipitation on the atmosphere, reliable
global energy inputs on spatial scales commensurate with particle precipitation
variations are required. To that end, we have validated auroral electron
densities derived from the SSUSI data products for average electron energy and
electron energy flux by comparing them to EISCAT electron density profiles.
This comparison shows that SSUSI FUV observations can be used to provide
ionization rate and electron density profiles throughout the auroral region.
The SSUSI on board the DMSP Block 5D3 satellites provide nearly hourly, 3000 km
wide, 10 km x 10 km UV snapshots of auroral emissions. Here we use the
SSUSI-derived energies and fluxes as input to standard parametrizations in
order to obtain electron-density profiles in the E region (90–150 km), which
are then compared to EISCAT ground-based electron density measurements. We
compare the data from DMSP F17 and F18 to the Troms{o} UHF radar profiles. We
find that differentiating between the magnetic local time (MLT) morning
(03:00–11:00 MLT) and evening (15:00–23:00 MLT) provides the best fit to the
ground-based data. The data agree well in the MLT morning sector using a
Maxwellian electron spectrum, while in the evening sector using a Gaussian
spectrum and accounting for backscattered electrons achieved optimum agreement
with EISCAT. Depending on the satellite and MLT, the median of the differences
varies between 0% and 20% above 105 km (F17) and $pm$15% above 100 km (F18).
Because of the large density gradient below those altitudes, the relative
differences get larger, albeit without a substantially increasing absolute
difference, with virtually no statistically significant differences at the
1-sigma level.
The coupling of the atmosphere to the space environment has become recognized
as an important driver of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. In order to
quantify the effects of particle precipitation on the atmosphere, reliable
global energy inputs on spatial scales commensurate with particle precipitation
variations are required. To that end, we have validated auroral electron
densities derived from the SSUSI data products for average electron energy and
electron energy flux by comparing them to EISCAT electron density profiles.
This comparison shows that SSUSI FUV observations can be used to provide
ionization rate and electron density profiles throughout the auroral region.
The SSUSI on board the DMSP Block 5D3 satellites provide nearly hourly, 3000 km
wide, 10 km x 10 km UV snapshots of auroral emissions. Here we use the
SSUSI-derived energies and fluxes as input to standard parametrizations in
order to obtain electron-density profiles in the E region (90–150 km), which
are then compared to EISCAT ground-based electron density measurements. We
compare the data from DMSP F17 and F18 to the Troms{o} UHF radar profiles. We
find that differentiating between the magnetic local time (MLT) morning
(03:00–11:00 MLT) and evening (15:00–23:00 MLT) provides the best fit to the
ground-based data. The data agree well in the MLT morning sector using a
Maxwellian electron spectrum, while in the evening sector using a Gaussian
spectrum and accounting for backscattered electrons achieved optimum agreement
with EISCAT. Depending on the satellite and MLT, the median of the differences
varies between 0% and 20% above 105 km (F17) and $pm$15% above 100 km (F18).
Because of the large density gradient below those altitudes, the relative
differences get larger, albeit without a substantially increasing absolute
difference, with virtually no statistically significant differences at the
1-sigma level.
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