the relationship of cosmic rays to the environment erwin o. flückiger physikalisches institut...
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The Relationship of Cosmic Rays
to the Environment
Erwin O. FlückigerPhysikalisches Institut
University of Bern
ECRS 2008 – Košice – 11 September 2008
Nuclear Interactions
* Particle Fluxes, Spectra
* Cosmogenic Isotopes
Ionisation
* Ionisation Rate* Ion Concentration* Global Electric Circuit - Commmunication - E-Fields, Lightnings, Thunderclouds - Air Conductivity - Hurricanes* Catalytic Reactions - Ozone - Nitrates * Weather and Climate - Mesosphere – lower Thermosphere Dynamics - Temperature - Rain - Lightning - CR and Clouds
Radiation Effects
Epidemic Flu
Genetic Mutations
CR as Diagnostic Tool
Review Papers
e.g.
Bazilevskaya, G.A, M.B. Krainev, and V.S. Makhmutov, Effects of cosmic rays on the Earth‘s environment, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 62, 1577–1586, 2000
Stozhkov, Y.I., The role of cosmic rays in atmospheric processes, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part Phys. 29, 913-923, 2003
Laurent Desorgher 4
Simulation of the Cascades in the AtmosherePLANETOCOSMICS GEANT4 Application
Interaction of cosmic rays with Planet Atmospheres and Soils
http://cosray.unibe.ch/~laurent/planetocosmics http://cosray.unibe.ch/~laurent/magnetocosmics
Atmospheric cascade initiated by a 1 GeV proton
Cosmic Rays in the Earth‘s Atmosphere
Neutrons are still a problem!
Cosmic Ray Contribution to Radiation Dose
Rule of Thumb ~ 5 μSv / hr
Radiation Exposure at Aircraft Altitude
LIULIN measurements of GLE 60 during PRG-JFK flight
Beck et al., 2006
The 13 December 2006 Solar Particle EventRadiation Exposure at Aircraft Altitude
Flückiger et al., ICRC 2007 Workshop
The 13 December 2006 Solar Particle EventRadiation Exposure at Aircraft Altitude
Flückiger et al., ICRC 2007 Workshop
Ion Production in the Earth‘s Atmosphere
Electromagnetic Radiation
UV & X-ray
GCRMagnetospheric
Particles
Radioactive Constituents Lightning
SCRGeomagnetic
Storms
At altitudes of ~3 to 35 km, cosmic rays are practically the only ionisation source
Ion Production and Ion Concentration
in the Earth‘s Atmosphere
Ion production rate q q = I ρ σ / M
where I = I (h, Rc, Φ) cosmic ray flux
ρ air density
σ effective ionisation cross section
2 x 10-18 cm2 at h ≤ 20 km
M average mass of air atom
Ion concentration n q = α n2 α 3D recombination coefficient
Stozhkov, 2003 q(h) = β(h) n(h)
β(h) linear recombination coefficient
Bazilevskaya et al., 2007
Ionization by GCR
Monthly averaged fluxes of ionizing particles in the atmosphere over Murmanskregion as measured by an omnidirectional Geiger counter
Ionization by GCR & SCR
Desorgher et al., AOGS 2004
Bern Model: http://cosray.unibe.ch/~laurent/planetocosmics
Global Electric Circuit
adapted from Stozhkov, 2003
Q ≈ - 600 000 C
E ≈ - 130 V/m
Ja ≈ 10-12 A m-2
Total atmospheric current ~ 1800 A
Troposphere
Stratosphere
ΔV ≈ 108 -109 V
The thunderclouds are the generators of the global electric circuit
quiet perturbed Atmosphere
Stozhkov, 2003
CR & Atmospheric Current
Yearly averages of atmospheric electric current J (Roble 1985) and cosmic ray flux I at h 20 km in the polar region
Stozhkov, 2003
Yearly number of lightning L detected in the USA in 1989-1998 (black points; Orville & Huffines, 1999) and ion production rate q in the air
column (h = 2 – 10 km) at middle latitudes (open points).
CR & Lightning
CR & Precipitation
Stozhkov, 2003
Changes in the daily precipitation level D [%], relative to the mean value during one month before (days -30 to -1) and one month after (days 1 to 30) the event
Left: Forbush decrease - Right: GLE
Fd GLE
Ozone, Nitrates and Temperature
Rohen et al., 2005
Scenario of large solar proton event
• energetic protons ionize major atmospheric constituents → transformation to intermediate water clusters → further clustering and dissociative recombination → production of H and OH („odd hydrogen“ ).
• NO is the result of dissociation of N2 and a series of recombination reactions
involving nitrogen and its ions.
• Enhanced production of „odd nitrogen“ (complex of nitrate radicals designated by the symbol NOy).
• Ozone destruction: 2 Cycles
HOx (H, OH, HO2) above 50 km
Ozone depletion through HOx follows the time profile of the ionization nearly
instantaneously
NOx (NO, NO2) below 50 km
NOx induced ozone depletion has a long time constant
• Temperature drop
Ozone Destruction
OH + O → H + O2 NO2 + O → NO + O2
H + O3 → OH + O2 NO + O3 → NO2 + O2
Net O + O3 → O2 + O2 O + O3 → O2 + O2
mainly above 50 km mainly below 50 km follows the time profile of the long time constant ionization nearly instantaneously
HNOHNO3 3 ((a good proxy for NOy): 15-31/01/200515-31/01/2005
Contours of averaged HNO3
(volume mixing ratio) values during the second part of January 2005). Selected location: ~ 75°-82°N.
The HNO3 increase can be
the result of:
- the OH and NO2 raise
during SEP events;
- through the reaction of water
cluster ions with NO3 .
ICRC 2007, Paper 1009, Storini & Damiani
Funke et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys. 8, 3805-3815, 2008
October / November 2003SCR Induced N2O Variations
Data from MIPAS instrument (limb emission Fourier transform spectrometer) onboard ENVISAT satellite:
Northern Polar Hemisphere (40°N - 90°N) distributions of N2O (in ppbv, parts per billion
by volume) for days from 26 October to 11 November 2003 at an altitude of 58 km. Nighttime data only. Contours are zonally smoothed within 700 km.
Funke et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys. 8, 3805-3815, 2008
October / November 2003SCR Induced N2O Variations
Time series of N2O abundance (in ppbv) after the solar proton events of October–November 2003 for the Northern Hemisphere polar cap (70°–90°N) during nighttime conditions. Left: MIPAS measurements. Right: Simulations by the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model
SCR Induced OH, NO, and O3 VariationsModel Calculations for October 1989 at 70°N, 30°E
Ondrášková & Krivolutsky, J. Atm. & Solar-Terrestrial Physics 67, 211-218, 2005
Ionisationrate[cm-3s-1]
Midday OH changes [%]
Midday NO changes [%]
Midday O3 changes [%]
SCR & Sulfate/Nitrate Aerosol20 January 2005 GLE
Sites from the TOMS aerosol index data set
Evidence for an increase in the concentration of sulfate or nitrate aerosol on the second day after the GLE in the south magnetic pole region with the maximum penetration of solar cosmic rays.
Aerosol optical depth index (AI)
TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer)
Mirinova et al., 2008
Ozone depletion rates above 60°N geomagnetic latitude (solid line), model results (stars) and GOES-11 15–40 MeV proton flux (blue points). The altitude is 54.4 km and the observation and model data are daily and zonally averaged. The reference period is 20–24 October, 2003.
SCR Induced Ozone Change
Rohen et al., JGR 110, A09S39, 2005
SCR Induced Ozone Change
Change of ozone concentration at 49 km altitude in the NH and SH in a global view. Changes are shown for different time periods in each hemisphere, respectively. The reference period is 20–24 October 2003. Evidently the ozone depletion is confined to the geographic and geomagnetic poles. Rohen et al., JGR 110, A09S39,
2005
Pancheva et al., J. Atm. & Solar-Terrestrial Physics 69, 1075-1094, 2007
October / November 2003
GOES-11
Andenes~ 90 km
ΔT > 25K
SCR Induced Temperature Change
GLE induced Nitrate in Ice CoresScenario according to CR community
Enhanced production of „odd nitrogen“ during large solar proton event
Some of the HNO3 is transported to the troposphere, where it is precipitated within short time (~ 1yr) downward to the surface
→ deposition in polar ice
Atmospheric chemists and physicist do not (yet) believe this last point!
However: Contemporary state-of-the-art measurements of the denitrification of the polar atmosphere find significant nitric acid trihydrate particles (called NAT
rocks) in the polar stratospheric clouds.
ICRC 2007, Paper 725, Kepko et al.
Observations of Impulsive Nitrate Enhancements Associated With Ground-Level Cosmic Ray Events 1-4 (1942-1949)
The Carrington Event Carrington [1860] and Hodgson [1860] independently observed a white light flare on September 1, 1859, which was accompanied by a large geomagnetic crochet.
omnidirectional fluence (>30 MeV): 18.8 x 109 cm-2
McCracken et al.,JGR,106(A10), 21’585–21’598, 2001
Identification of Super GLEs in Ice
70
Impulsive Nitrate Events (30 MeV Proton Fluence >2 x 109 cm-2)
between 1561–1950
McCracken et al., JGR 106(A10), 21’585–21’598, 2001
Different CommunitiesCosmic Rays
Cosmic Ray Detectors(ground based and in space)
Ionisation Models
- Oulu Model (Usoskin)- Bern Model (Desorgher)- Sofia Model (Velinov)- BOB2 Model (Kallenrode)- …..
Environmental ResearchAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Cutting edge sensors onboard satellites
- MIPAS (HNO3 NO2)- GOMOS (NO2)- HALOE (NH, NOx Ozone)- POAM - SAGE - OSIRIS- ….
Multi-Satellite Data Analysis
Atmospheric Models
WACCM3 Whole Atmosphere Community Climate ModelCMAM Canadian Middle Atmosphere ModelTIME-GCM Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model GCM General Circulation Model and 3D chemical global transport-photochemical middle atmosphere model SLIMCATTransport and full chemistry, coupling between chemistry, transport and circulation …..
Дубна
Atmospheric front approaching Moscow region
26/06/05 08:22
Cosmic Rays as Diagnostic Tools
ICRC 2007, Paper 296, Timashkov et al.
Analysis of muon flux variations during the hurricane in Dubna (June 26, 2005)
ICRC 2007, Paper 296, Timashkov et al.
SummaryThe relations between galactic / solar cosmic rays and our environment are manifold:
• via nuclear reactions → Cosmic ray shower→ Radiation effects → Production of cosmogenic isotopes
• via ionisation → Global electric circuit→ Nitrate enhancement → Ozone depletion→ Temperature changes → ???
• via using CR as diagnostic tools
Cosmic ray community must become more active and bring in expertise
The environmental science community is working extensively on the effects of SPEs on atmospheric chemistry and physics, using state of the art satellite instruments and complex models
Inter- / Transdisciplinary Resarch