Title :
Modeling changes of the ionospheric potential due to lightning and sprites
Author :
Rycroft, M.J. ; Odzimek, A.
Author_Institution :
CAESAR Consultancy, Cambridge, UK
Abstract :
An analog electrical engineering model of the global atmospheric electric circuit has been constructed with thunderstorms and electrified rain clouds as generators. This has been used to estimate changes to the ionospheric potential (~ 250kV) due to lightning and sprites. It has been found that this change is: (i) +3.7V for a negative cloud-to-ground (CG) discharge having a typical return stroke current of 30 kA, (ii) -43V for a typical positive CG discharge with a 2kA continuing current lasting 90 ms, (iii) -2.3V for an intra-cloud discharge, and (iv) -1.0V for a sprite.
Keywords :
clouds; ionospheric disturbances; ionospheric techniques; lightning; sprites; storms; analog electrical engineering model; current 2 kA; current 30 kA; electrified rain clouds; global atmospheric electric circuit; intra-cloud discharge; ionospheric potential change modeling; lightning; negative cloud-to-ground discharge; positive CG discharge; sprites; thunderstorms; voltage -1.0 V; voltage -2.3 V; voltage 3.7 V; Atmospheric modeling; Clouds; Discharges; Integrated circuit modeling; Ionosphere; Lightning; Sprites (computer); global circuit model; ionospheric potential; lightning discharges; sprites;
Conference_Titel :
General Assembly and Scientific Symposium, 2011 XXXth URSI
Conference_Location :
Istanbul
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-5117-3
DOI :
10.1109/URSIGASS.2011.6050943
