Main Features of Quasi-Electrostatic Fields in Atmospheric Regions due to Lightning Discharge

Statistics – Computation

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

The most important features of the strong quasi-electrostatic fields, generated in the region ionosphereground after a single lightning discharge, due to succeeding redistribution of capacitive spatial charges, are studied in this work. The investigation of these fields is of great importance, particularly since they are considered to be responsible for generation of red sprites in the mesosphere and lower ionosphere over thunderstorms. As experimental measurements show, these quasi-electrostatic fields can cause, more often than sprites, electron heating and conductivity modifications in the mesosphere and ionosphere as well. The temporal behavior and relaxation time of the quasi-electrostatic fields, as well as their spatial extent and orientation are studied. For this purpose an analytical model based on the Maxwell equations under conditions of curl-free electric field is proposed. Such conditions are fulfilled short (less than a millisecond) after beginning of a lightning discharge and last until another discharge. Isotropic conductivity in the region of interest is assumed. Computations are made for the time-course of the quasi-electrostatic fields up to the lower ionosphere. The dynamics of spatial charges in this region, responsible for the quasi-electrostatic fields, is analyzed also. The quasi-electrostatic fields at an altitude observed reach their maximum at a time close to the local relaxation time. Up to the ionosphere this maximum is of an order of V/m per 1 Coulomb of a charge transported by lightning. The field decreases immediately after reaching its maximum in the mesosphere; however, at stratospheric and tropospheric altitudes its maximum forms a plateau, which becomes wider at lower heights. The relaxation of the quasi-electrostatic field at altitudes above 40 km is essentially slower than the local relaxation time of an electrical charge.

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