Non-Maxwellian velocity distribution functions associated with steep temperature gradients in the solar transition region. Paper 2: The effect of non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions on ionization equilibrium calculations for carbon, nitrogen and oxygen

Non-Maxwellian electron velocity distribution functions, previously computed for Dupree's model of the solar transition region are used to calculate ionization rates for ions of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. Ionization equilibrium populations for these ions are then computed and compared with similar calculations assuming Maxwellian distribution functions for the electrons. The results show that the ion populations change (compared to the values computed with a Maxwellian) in some cases by several orders of magnitude depending on the ion and its temperature of formation

Non-Maxwellian velocity distribution functions associated with steep temperature gradients in the solar transition region. Paper 1: Estimate of the electron velocity distribution functions

It was shown that, in the presence of the steep temperature gradients characteristic of EUV models of the solar transition region, the electron and proton velocity distribution functions are non-Maxwellian and are characterized by high energy tails. The magnitude of these tails are estimated for a model of the transition region and the heat flux is calculated at a maximum of 30 percent greater than predicted by collision-dominated theory

HYDROFLASH: A 2-D Nuclear EMP Code Founded on Finite Volume Techniques

The basic mechanisms that govern the generation of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) following a nuclear detonation in the atmosphere, including heights of burst (HOB) relevant to surface bursts (0 km), near surface bursts (0-2 km), air bursts (2-20 km) and high-altitude bursts (> 20 km), are reviewed. Previous computational codes developed to treat the source region and predict the EMP are discussed. A new 2-D hydrodynamic code (HYDROFLASH) that solves the fluid equations for electron and ion transport in the atmosphere and the coupled Maxwell equations using algorithms extracted from the Conservation Law (CLAW) package for solving multi-dimensional hyperbolic equations with finite volume techniques has been formulated. Simulations include the ground, atmospheric gradient, and an azimuthal applied magnetic field as a first approximation to the geomagnetic field. HYDROFLASH takes advantage of multiprocessor systems by using domain decomposition together with the Message Passing Interface (MPI) protocol for parallel processing. A detailed description of the model is presented along with computational results for a generic 10 kiloton (kT) burst detonated at 0 and 10 km altitude

Nonlinear whistler wave scattering in space plasmas

In this paper the evolution of nonlinear scattering of whistler mode waves by kinetic Alfven waves (KAW) in time and two spatial dimensions is studied analytically. The authors suggest this nonlinear process as a mechanism of kinetic Alfven wave generation in space plasmas. This mechanism can explain the dependence of Alfven wave generation on whistler waves observed in magnetospheric and ionospheric plasmas. The observational data show a dependence for the generation of long periodic pulsations Pc5 on whistler wave excitation in the auroral and subauroral zone of the magnetosphere. This dependence was first observed by Ondoh T.I. For 79 cases of VLF wave excitation registered by Ondoh at College Observatory (L=64.6 N), 52 of them were followed by Pc5 geomagnetic pulsation generation. Similar results were obtained at the Loparskaia Observatory (L=64 N) for auroral and subauroral zone of the magnetosphere. Thus, in 95% of the cases when VLF wave excitation occurred the generation of long periodic geomagnetic pulsations Pc5 were observed. The observations also show that geomagnetic pulsations Pc5 are excited simultaneously or insignificantly later than VLF waves. In fact these two phenomena are associated genetically: the excitation of VLF waves leads to the generation of geomagnetic pulsations Pc5. The observations show intensive generation of geomagnetic pulsations during thunderstorms. Using an electromagnetic noise monitoring system covering the ULF range (0.01-10 Hz) A.S. Fraser-Smith observed intensive ULF electromagnetic wave during a large thunderstorm near the San-Francisco Bay area on September 23, 1990. According to this data the most significant amplification in ULF wave activity was observed for waves with a frequency of 0.01 Hz and it is entirely possible that stronger enhancements would have been measured at lower frequencies

HF echoes from ionization potentially produced by high-altitude discharges

In this paper the authors report on recent radar measurements taken during the month of October 1994 with the LDG HF radar in the Ivory Coast, Africa as part of the International Equatorial Electrojet Year. The purpose of this experimental effort in part was to study the effects of thunderstorms on the ionosphere. At the same time, the authors decided to carry out a set of experiments of an exploratory nature to look for echoes that could potentially arise from ionization produced in the mesosphere. The two leading candidates for producing transient ionization in the mesosphere are meteors and high-altitude discharges. Each is discussed in the context of these measurements

New mechanism for lightning initiation

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). To distinguish radio-frequency (rf) signals generated by lightning from the electromagnetic pulse produced by a nuclear explosion, it is necessary to understand the fundamental nature of thunderstorm discharges. The recent debate surrounding the origin of transionospheric pulse pairs (TIPPs) detected by the BLACKBEARD experiment aboard the ALEXIS satellite illustrates this point. We have argued that TIPP events could originate from the upward propagating discharges recently identified by optical images taken from the ground, from airplanes, and from the space shuttle. In addition, the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) measurements of x-ray bursts originating from thunderstorms are almost certainly associated with these upward propagating discharges. When taken together, these three measurements point directly to the runaway electron mechanism as the source of the upward discharges. The primary goal of this research effort was to identify the specific role played by the runaway-air-breakdown mechanism in the general area of thunderstorm electricity and in so doing develop lightning models that predict the optical, rf, and x-ray emissions that are observable from space

Generation of elves by sprites and jets

Recent years of observations of the upper atmosphere and the lower ionosphere brought a fascinating collection of new phenomena including optical, radio, and gamma-ray emissions originating in the 20 to 90 km altitude range. Up to now, the most diverse phenomenology has emerged from the optical observations which have led to the identification of red sprites, blue jets, blue starts, and elves. Most of the studies have concentrated on relating such phenomena in the upper atmosphere to regular lightning discharges in the troposphere. The sprite/jet discharge itself can be caused by the runaway air breakdown, or regular air breakdown. The standard theory for optical airglow transients in the lower ionosphere above the thunderstorms also known as elves suggests that they are produced during interaction of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) from lightning with the lower ionosphere. Heating of the ambient electrons by the EMP in the D region can result in excitation of optical emissions once the optical excitation thresholds are reached. In this paper the authors suggest that in addition to this mechanism elves can be caused by an EMP generated by sprites and jets

High altitude atmospheric discharges according to the runaway air breakdown mechanism

High altitude optical transients - red sprites, blue jets, and elves - are modeled in the context of the relativistic electron runaway air breakdown mechanism. These emissions are usually associated with large mesoscale convective systems (hereafter MCS). In thunderstorms cloud electrification proceeds over a time scale long enough to permit the conducting atmosphere above the cloud to polarize and short out the thunderstorm electric field. When a lightning strike rapidly neutralizes a cloud charge layer runaway driving fields can develop in the stratosphere and mesosphere. According to present simulations of the full runaway process the variety of observed optical emissions are due to the nature of the normal lightning event in the MCS that kick starts the runaway avalanche. In this paper the authors describe some details of the model, present the results of the evolution of the primary electron population, and summarize the initial conditions necessary for different types of discharges. Two companion papers present (a) the predicted optical, gamma ray, and radio emissions caused by these electrical discharges, and (b) the time evolution of the secondary electron population and its implications in terms of observables

Optical, radio and x-ray radiation of red sprites produced by runaway air breakdown

The authors use the runaway air breakdown model of upward discharges to calculate optical, radio, and X-ray radiation generated by red sprites. Red sprites are high altitude (up to 90 km) lightning discharges. Aircraft based observations show that sprites are predominantly red in color at altitudes above {approximately}55 km with faint blue tendrils, which extend downward to an altitude of 40 km; the duration of a single sprite is less than 17 ms, their maximum brightness is about 600 kR, and estimated total optical energy is about 1--5 kJ per event. The ground based observations show similar results, and provide some additional information on spatial and temporal structure of sprites, and on sprite locations. One difference between aircraft and ground-based observations is that blue tendrils are rarely observed from the ground. Sprites usually occur above the anvils of large mesoscale convective systems and correlate with strong positive cloud to ground discharge. Upward discharges are the most probable source of X-ray emission observed above large thunderstorm complexes by the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory. To escape the atmosphere these {gamma}-rays must originate above 25 km altitude. Red sprites are usually observed at altitudes higher than 50 km, and are therefore a likely source of this x-ray emission

Alignment of leading-edge and peak-picking time of arrival methods to obtain accurate source locations

The location of a radiating source can be determined by time-tagging the arrival of the radiated signal at a network of spatially distributed sensors. The accuracy of this approach depends strongly on the particular time-tagging algorithm employed at each of the sensors. If different techniques are used across the network, then the time tags must be referenced to a common fiducial for maximum location accuracy. In this report we derive the time corrections needed to temporally align leading-edge, time-tagging techniques with peak-picking algorithms. We focus on broadband radio frequency (RF) sources, an ionospheric propagation channel, and narrowband receivers, but the final results can be generalized to apply to any source, propagation environment, and sensor. Our analytic results are checked against numerical simulations for a number of representative cases and agree with the specific leading-edge algorithm studied independently by Kim and Eng (1995) and Pongratz (2005 and 2007)