The impacts of transient gradients in eclipse occultation on the whole atmosphere and photoelectron spectra during the 2023 and 2024 American Solar Eclipses
Abstract
Solar eclipses present a stunning celestial spectacle that captivates the attention of people worldwide. But these periodic and predictable events are much more than just a visual treat - they offer a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of the chemical and dynamic processes in the ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) system. We use the October 2023 and April 2024 eclipses as case studies to reveal the physical processes causing a significant increase in the thermospheric O-N2 ratio measured by GOLD, and transients in the energetic particle background telemetry onboard DMSP satellites. We hypothesized that one of the controlling factors causing these unexplained measurements is photoelectrons. The specific objective is to quantify the impacts of transient EUV changes, caused by the covering and uncovering of solar active regions, on the IT during the 14 October 2023 and 8 April 2024. We will especially focus on under-investigated responses caused directly by the nonuniformly varying EUV and, and due to secondary processes caused by photoelectron production and transport.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502410013
Entities
People
- Phillip Chamberlin
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Regents of the University of Colorado
- United States Air Force