American Geophysical Union (AGU) Chapman Conference on Effects of Thunderstorms and Lightning in the Upper Atmosphere; University Park, Pennsylvania; May 10-14, 2009

该项目将部分支持查普曼会议，该会议将于2009年5月10日至14日在宾夕法尼亚州大学公园举行，主题为“高层大气中雷暴和闪电的影响”。雷暴期间的瞬态光学闪光是在1989年首次发现的。从这个偶然的发现中，一个新的研究领域出现了，它同时涵盖了气象学和闪电、等离子体和气体放电物理学、大气化学、电离层物理学和高能粒子物理学。在1989年最初的地面发现之后，研究迅速扩大到包括从地面、飞机、气球、航天飞机、卫星和国际空间站进行的广泛光学观测。大约在同一时间，一颗地球轨道卫星观测到一些雷暴系统发出的能量大于1兆电子伏特的瞬态伽马射线闪光。随后的观测将能量范围推至20兆电子伏以上，并表明相关的雷暴倾向于热带或低纬度系统。这些研究以及在这些领域开展的大量后续研究表明，在大雷暴系统上方的高层大气中，大规模瞬态电击穿是一个相当普遍的特征。查普曼会议的重点是雷暴和闪电对高层大气的影响，并将涵盖广泛的主题，包括精灵相关闪电的气象学；气体分解和排放过程；电磁效应;与闪电和地面伽马射线闪光有关的高能过程和辐射；光化学、动力学和传输机制；以及瞬态发光事件的观测、理论和建模，包括使用光学、红外、UV、FUV和次声技术的现场和卫星实验，以及对新技术、趋势和实验的描述和讨论。会议将有8个口头会议，4个海报会议，所有海报在会议期间展出，预计将有120至150名与会者，其中包括30至40名学生和青年科学家。基于会议报告的论文将发表在《地球物理研究杂志：空间物理学》的专刊上。所要求的资金主要用于支持研究生和年轻科学家的出席。

This project will partly support a Chapman Conference being held in University Park, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to 14, 2009 on the subject of ''Effects of Thunderstorms and Lightning in the Upper Atmosphere''. Transient optical flashes during thunderstorms were first discovered in 1989. From this chance discovery, a new research field emerged which simultaneously encompasses meteorology and lightning, plasma and gas discharge physics, atmospheric chemistry, ionospheric physics, and energetic particle physics. Following the initial ground-based discovery in 1989, research quickly expanded to include extensive optical observations from the ground, from aircraft, balloons, the Space Shuttle, satellites and from the International Space Station. At about the same time, an Earth-orbiting satellite observed transient gamma ray flashes of energy greater than 1 MeV emitted from some thunderstorm systems. Subsequent observations pushed the energy range to beyond 20 MeV and showed that the associated thunderstorms tended to be tropical or low latitude systems. These studies and an extensive body of follow-on research in each of these areas have revealed that large scale transient electrical breakdown is a fairly ubiquitous feature of the upper atmosphere above large thunderstorm systems. The Chapman Conference focues on the effects of thunderstorms and lightning on the upper atmosphere and will cover a wide range of topics, including meteorology of sprite-associated lightning; gas breakdown and discharge processes; electromagnetic effects; energetic processes and radiation associated with lightning and terrestrial gamma ray flashes; photochemical, kinetic, and transport mechanisms; and observations, theory, and modeling of transient luminous events, including field and satellite experiments using optical, infrared, UV, FUV, and infrasound techniques, as well as descriptions and discussions of new techniques, trends, and experiments. The meeting will have eight oral sessions, four poster sessions, with all posters on display for the duration of the conference, and anticipates hosting 120 to 150 participants, including 30 to 40 students and young scientists. Papers based on the presentations at the meeting will be published in a special section of the Journal of Geophysical Research, Space Physics. The funds requested are largely to support the attendance of graduate students and young scientists.