Empirical modeling of particle precipitation and the study of effects on the terrestrial thermosphere and ionosphere

Abstract In order to study the effects of particles of solar origin on the atmospheric system, the construction of a particle climatology has been adopted as an activity of the International Solar Cycle Study, Working Group-1, Panel-2. The activity is incorporated within the Thermosphere Ionosphere 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). In this paper we describe the development of the UARS particle climatology and show how it is being extended to improve spatial and temporal coverage. We discuss the use of the climatology in global circulation and assimilative modeling and provide the status of its use such models in Thermosphere-Ionosphere modeling to date.