Interaction with the Lower Ionosphere of Electromagnetic Pulses from Lightning

该计划提出了一个为期三年的理论研究工作，研究由闪电放电引起的强短持续时间电磁脉冲与中间层和下电离层的非线性电动力学耦合。他将开发一个三维模型，描述在对流层闪电放电释放的电磁能量刺激下D区电子密度、化学和光发射的变化。预期结果包括：(1)确定受干扰电离层区域的三维构型，其中温度、气辉、电子密度和化学过程发生了显著变化；(2)确定电离层下部雷电产生的电磁能量的比例及其主要能量汇；(3)确定所产生的干扰与雷击放电类型的关系；(4)建立了气辉增强光谱测量的理论框架，可用于远程诊断环境电子密度分布；(5)全球尺度上雷电电磁脉冲对高层大气热化学平衡的影响评价。

The PI proposes a three-year effort for a theoretical investigation of the nonlinear electrodynamic coupling to the mesosphere and the lower ionosphere of intense short duration electromagnetic pulses originating in lightning discharges. He will develop a three- dimensional model describing the changes in the electron density, chemistry, and optical emissions in the D region stimulated by electromagnetic energy released in tropospheric lightning discharges. Expected results include (1) determination of the 3-D configurations of the disturbed ionospheric regions within which significant changes occur in temperature, airglow, electron density, and chemical processes; (2) determination of the fraction of electromagnetic energy from lightning deposited in the lower ionosphere and the dominant sinks of such energy; (3) determination of the dependence of the resulting disturbances on the type of lightning discharges; (4) development of the theoretiaal framework upon which spectroscopic measurements of the airglow enhancements can be based to remotely diagnose the ambient electron density profiles; and (5) assessment of the effects of the lightning electromagnetic pulses on the thermal and chemical balance of the upper atmosphere on a global scale.