Solar magnetic flux influences on the dynamics of the winter middle atmosphere

A number of observational studies have reported a connection between variou s lower atmospheric parameters and a range of geomagnetic and solar coronal indices. The bulk of the Sun's magnetised plasma energy is absorbed in the high-latitude upper atmosphere, far removed from the troposphere and the s tratosphere, so a physical mechanism which accounts for these correlations has proved elusive. In this paper, a mechanistic three-dimensional model of the atmosphere between 10 and 130 km has been developed to demonstrate tha t high energy particles from the solar wind can perturb the winter stratosp here significantly. Planetary waves provide an effective means of coupling solar-induced changes in the thermosphere down to the stratosphere. A quali tatively similar response to forcing by increasing solar ultraviolet radiat ion was obtained even though there was no in situ forcing in the stratosphe re.