Effective energy loss per electron-ion pair in proton aurora

Abstract. Effective energy loss per electron-ion pair produced, <xi>(E₀), as a function of a particle's initial energy has been obtained for proton transport in the atmosphere. The influence of some transport parameters on the shape of <xi>(E₀) has been studied. Comparisons with the case of electron transport and with other results were made. It has been shown that: 1. for E₀>1 keV, <xi>(E₀) varies within the range 30-36 eV; 2. as E₀ increases the value of <xi>(E₀) tries to attain an asymptotic value that is the same as for electrons (≈35 eV); 3. <xi>(E₀) strongly depends on the average energy of secondary electrons, but the energy distribution of secondary electrons is not as important. The range of possible changes in <xi>(E₀) associated with discrepancies in cross sections has been obtained.