Sprites on other planets

Details Sprites on other planets Sprites on other planets

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmae43a0253y&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #AE43A-0253

Statistics

Methodology

[0343] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Planetary Atmospheres, [3304] Atmospheric Processes / Atmospheric Electricity, [3324] Atmospheric Processes / Lightning, [3367] Atmospheric Processes / Theoretical Modeling

Scientific paper

Lightning discharges have been observed or inferred in several planets in the solar system, and so it seems reasonable to expect that like on Earth, some form of accompanying transient luminous events (TLEs, e.g. sprites, halos, elves) will occur in the atmospheres of these planets. We present simple calculations of the necessary lightning induced charge-moment changes and possible atmospheric heights for the occurrence of sprites on Venus, Mars, Titan and the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. The types of thunderstorms and the postulated locations of charge centers are based on published spacecraft data and cloud models. We calculated the values of the conventional breakdown field over a wide range of pressures and temperatures in each planet's atmosphere, based on the parameters for each composition given by Sentman (2004). Assuming that sprites occur below the base of the ionosphere and above the upper-most planetary cloud layer, we show that for reasonable amounts of charge, sprites can be formed in Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, but not in Mars or Titan. For Venus, an intracloud flash with a charge-moment change of 500 C km occurring between the two lower cloud layers (presumably separated by 5 km), a sprite can be triggered approximately at an altitude 90 km above ground, ~20 km above the tops of the upper most cloud layer. For Jupiter, the results suggest that for a charge of 1000C located 30 km below the 1-bar pressure level, a sprite can be ignited at an altitude approximately 100 km above the top visible ammonia cloud layer. The observation methodology for sprites on other planets by orbiting spacecraft is limb observations above the nocturnal hemisphere (Venus, Jupiter) or even nadir view when the lightning light is obscured in the deep atmosphere (Venus, Saturn). The emission lines for planetary sprites were studied in laboratory experiments with appropriate gas mixtures, and are presented in a separate talk.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Sprites on other planets does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Sprites on other planets, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sprites on other planets will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1776426