Physics
Scientific paper
Jul 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008jgre..11307010m&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 113, Issue E7, CiteID E07010
Physics
7
Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Atmospheres (0343, 1060), Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars, Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Dust, Atmospheric Processes: Atmospheric Electricity, Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies: Radiation And Chemistry
Scientific paper
Understanding aerosol charging and atmospheric conductivity are necessary in describing the global electric circuit, the aerosol coagulation rate, aerosol-cloud interaction and their subsequent affect on the climate. The importance of aerosol charging for the conductivity variations of the lower Martian atmosphere during both day and night is calculated. Galactic cosmic rays are the dominant ionizing agent in the lower atmosphere, producing molecular ions and ion clusters. During the nighttime these ion clusters get attached to the aerosols and charging occurs. Solar UV photons are an additional ionizing agent during the day-time. Only solar photons of energy less than 6 eV reach the surface of Mars as those with energies greater than 6 eV are absorbed by atmospheric molecules before they reach the lower atmosphere. Those photons which do reach the lower atmosphere ionize the aerosols as the ionization potential of most of the aerosols is less than 6 eV and produce electrons. Aerosols become charged by the attachment of ions and electrons during the day-time. The ion-aerosol and electron-aerosol attachment coefficients, as well as the ion-ion and ion-electron recombination rates are calculated. The charge distribution of aerosols is obtained by the simultaneous solution of the ion-aerosol charge balance equations. Both the steady state and time dependent concentration of charged aerosols are calculated. More than 60% of the ions and 95% of the electrons get attached to the aerosols. There are more negatively charged aerosols in steady state due to the presence of highly mobile electrons during the day-time. The presence of electrons increases the conductivity during the day time. The day-time results are compared with the nighttime results.
Michael Morris
Mishra Sunil Kumar
Tripathi Sachchida Nand
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