Articles | Volume 44, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-209-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-209-2026
Regular paper
 | 
16 Mar 2026
Regular paper |  | 16 Mar 2026

The impact of electron precipitation on Earth's thermospheric NO production and the drag of LEO satellites

Manuel Scherf, Sandro Krauss, Grigory Tsurikov, Andreas Strasser, Valery Shematovich, Dmitry Bisikalo, Helmut Lammer, Manuel Güdel, and Christian Möstl

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Cited articles

Bailey, S. M., Barth, C. A., and Solomon, S. C.: A model of nitric oxide in the lower thermosphere, J. Geophys. Res.-Space, 107, 1205, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JA000258, 2002. a, b, c, d
Barth, C. A.: Nitric oxide in the lower thermosphere, Planet. Space Sci., 40, 315–336, https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(92)90067-X, 1992. a, b, c, d
Barth, C. A., Bailey, S. M., and Solomon, S. C.: Solar-terrestrial coupling: Solar soft X-rays and thermospheric nitric oxide, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 1251–1254, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GL900237, 1999. a, b
Barth, C. A., Mankoff, K. D., Bailey, S. M., and Solomon, S. C.: Global observations of nitric oxide in the thermosphere, J. Geophys. Res.-Space, 108, 1027, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JA009458, 2003. a, b, c, d, e, f
Barth, C. A., Baker, D. N., and Bailey, S. M.: Seasonal variation of auroral electron precipitation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L04809, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL018892, 2004. a, b
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Short summary
We model the structure of the thermosphere for two space weather events that affected satellite orbits. Based on the Sun's irradiation, we simulate atmospheric density profiles and feed them into a model that calculates the influence of precipitating electrons on nitrogen oxide production in the atmosphere. Our results underscore the importance of considering both solar irradiance and particle precipitation to understand and predict space weather effects on the atmosphere and satellite orbits.
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