CEDAR: Sprites as a Manifestation of Intense Electrodynamic Coupling of the Lower Atmosphere with the Ionosphere

一项为期三年的工作旨在从理论上研究与雷暴(精灵)上空的晴空中壮观的发光有关的击穿电离区的能量学和潜在的全球效应。这项研究的目的是确定从闪电产生的准静电场到大气分子的旋转、振动、电子和化学能的时间动力学，从而导致光学(紫外线到红外)发射，并估计这种沉积的能量对全球尺度D区的热和化学平衡的影响。最近的实验和理论发现表明，要进一步发展对能量学和精灵现象的现象学的理解，就需要包括高能逃逸电子对雷暴上方电击穿的动力学和光学性质的非局域和非稳态效应。PIS将开发一个全面的二维蒙特卡罗粒子模型，以处理超热失控电子对不同高度范围内电击穿发展的影响。为了回答突出的科学问题，并将模型结果与SPRITE观测进行比较，PI将把他们的SPRITE模型与现有的最先进的D区域化学、辐射传输和红外辐射模型联系起来。

ATM-9908766Inan, UmranA three year effort is proposed to theoretically investigate the energetics and potential global effects of the breakdown ionization regions associated with spectacular luminous glows occurring in clear air above thunderstorms (sprites).The purpose of the proposed research is to determine the temporal dynamics of energy transfer from lightning generated quasi-electrostatic fields into rotational, vibrational, electronic, and chemical energy of atmospheric molecules, resulting in optical (ultraviolet to infrared) emission, and to estimate the consequences of this deposited energy on the thermal and chemical balance of the D-region on a global scale. Recent experimental and theoretical findings indicate that the further development of understanding of energetics and phenomenology of sprite phenomena requires the inclusion of non-local and non-stationary effects of energetics runaway electrons on the dynamics and optical properties of the electrical breakdown above thunderstorms. The PIs will develop a comprehensive two-dimensional Monte Carlo particle model to treat effects of suprathermal runaway electrons on the development of the electrical breakdown in different altitude ranges. To answer outstanding scientific questions and to compare the model results with sprite observations the PIs will link their sprite models with available state-of-the-art D region chemistry, radiative transfer and infrared radiation models.