Atmospheric Electricity and Effects on Cloud Microphysics

研究人员将研究一种可能通过过冷液滴的接触成核来增加大气冰形成速度的机制。这一机制涉及云顶带电液滴蒸发产生的带电接触核与云顶带电过冷水滴之间的电动力。充电是由于全球电路中垂直的晴天气流在云边界处的电导率梯度造成的。这一机制可能是大气中冰的一个重要来源。如果这一机制被证明是冰的来源，它可能会调解太阳过程与地球天气和气候之间的物理联系。各种统计研究都表明了这种联系，但因果联系的识别已被证明是难以捉摸的。主要工作是计算该机制的细节，并将该机制纳入全球电力模型。该模型将允许对气象影响进行评估。

The investigators will examine a mechanism that may increase the rate of atmospheric ice formation through contact nucleation of supercooled droplets. The mechanism involves electrical forces between charged contact nuclei resulting from the evaporation of charged droplets at cloud tops and charged, supercooled water droplets at cloud tops. Charging results from conductivity gradients at cloud boundaries due to vertical fair weather currents in the global electric circuit. This mechanism may be a significant source of ice in the atmosphere. If the mechanism is proven to be a source of ice it may mediate physical connections between solar processes and terrestrial weather and climate. Such connections are suggested by various statistical studies, but identification of a causal link has proved to be elusive. The main effort is to calculate details of the mechanism, and to incorporate the mechanism into a model of global electricity. This model will permit an assessment of meteorological effects.