GUVI Observations of Solar EUV and Geomagnetic Storm Control of the Ionosphere and Thermosphere

The mid-latitude thermosphere and ionosphere are influenced by both the equatorial processes and the polar inputs. With the current baseline configuration of Living With a Star satellites combined with a geosynchronous imager we have a powerful tool for examining the processes at work in the IT. In this talk we will describe how we can prepare for the era of the IT Storm probes and what we will be able to investigate. We are able to delineate science questions and suggest satellite configurations based on our experience with the TIMED GUVI instrument and the work we've carried out using IMAGE, Polar, DMSP, and ROCSat data. One of the most important lessons to be learned is that, while the science return will be greater if the IT probes and the Geospace imageer fly contemporaneously, we can still increase our knowledge of the physics and climatology of the IT system at all latitudes when we finally see the Storm Probes fly. The Storm Probes will fly in a data and model rich environment. We will discuss the tools available for integrating data and models and where the gaps lie in the current implementation. To ground this in reality we will show examples of data and model comparisons and indicate where the missing inputs are and what we can do to improve our understanding of the physics of the IT region. These data will include observations of the IT during quiet and disturbed times as well as during and after solar flares.