Springer Atmospheric Sciences Boris M. Smirnov Microphysics of Atmospheric Phenomena Springer Atmospheric Sciences More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10176 Boris M. Smirnov Microphysics of Atmospheric Phenomena 123 Boris M.Smirnov Institute for High Temperatures Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russia ISSN 2194-5217 ISSN 2194-5225 (electronic) SpringerAtmospheric Sciences ISBN978-3-319-30812-8 ISBN978-3-319-30813-5 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-30813-5 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016940329 ©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2017 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpart of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission orinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilar methodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped. 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Printedonacid-freepaper ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbySpringerNature TheregisteredcompanyisSpringerInternationalPublishingAGSwitzerland Preface Thegoalofthisbookistogiveareliabledescriptionofvariousglobalatmospheric properties and some phenomena including photoprocesses, processes of atmo- spheric electricity with participation of aerosols, the atmospheric chemistry with processes involving ions, oxygen atoms, excited atomic particles and ozone molecules, as well as processes in an ionospheric plasma. In the course of this consideration, we are based on observational data, existing atmospheric concepts, and measured rate constants of elementary processes in atmospheric air. Fundamentals of global atmospheric phenomena are based on the standard atmo- sphere model with averaged atmospheric parameters over the globe and time, the globalelectriccircuit,theenergeticbalanceoftheEarth,andotherglobalconcepts. As a result, one can give a qualitative description of atmospheric phenomena and estimatetheirparameters.Thisanalysisisbasedonprocessesinvolvingelementary atmospheric particles and gives a simple and reliable understanding of the Earth processes and phenomena. In addition, this analysis allows one to glance at future trendsoftopicalatmosphericproblems,suchasozoneproblemandclimatechange. Moscow, Russia Boris M. Smirnov v Contents 1 Introduction... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 4 Part I Fundamentals of Atmosphere and Atmospheric Processes 2 Properties of Neutral Atmosphere .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 9 2.1 Standard Atmosphere .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 9 2.2 Air Transport in the Atmosphere ... .... .... .... ..... .... 13 2.3 Atmospheric Water. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 18 2.4 Carbon Dioxide in the Earth’s Atmosphere ... .... ..... .... 22 2.5 Energetics of Earth and Atmospheric Processes .... ..... .... 27 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 31 3 Charged Particles in Atmosphere... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 35 3.1 Ionosphere ... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 35 3.2 Mobility of Atmospheric Ions.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 37 3.3 Formation of Molecular Ions in Earth’s Atmosphere ..... .... 38 3.4 Complex Ions in Atmosphere.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 41 3.5 Processes of Aerosol Charging. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 44 3.6 Atmospheric Ionization by Cosmic Rays . .... .... ..... .... 49 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 53 4 Electric Processes in Atmosphere... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 59 4.1 Peculiarities of Atmospheric Electricity .. .... .... ..... .... 59 4.2 Lightning .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 66 4.3 Ionization Wave in Air... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 71 4.4 Propagation of Strong Electric Current Through Soil..... .... 80 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 82 vii viii Contents Part II Elementary and Transport Atmospheric Processes 5 Electron Processes in Atmospheric Air .. .... .... .... ..... .... 89 5.1 Three-Body Electron Attachment to Oxygen Molecule.... .... 89 5.2 Dissociative Electron Attachment to Oxygen Molecule ... .... 93 5.3 Dissociative Recombination of Electrons and Molecular Ions. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 102 5.4 Electron Equilibrium in Hot Air.... .... .... .... ..... .... 106 5.5 Leader Propagation as Preionization Process in Electrical Breakdown .. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 108 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 113 6 Ion Processes in Atmospheric Air .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 115 6.1 Evolution of Molecular Ions in Troposphere .. .... ..... .... 115 6.2 Recombination of Positive and Negative Ions in Gases ... .... 119 6.3 Chemistry of Atmospheric Ions .... .... .... .... ..... .... 122 6.4 Ions in the Upper Atmosphere . .... .... .... .... ..... .... 125 6.5 Ionization of Air by Cosmic Rays .. .... .... .... ..... .... 130 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 140 7 Processes in Dissociated Air... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 143 7.1 Propagation of Electric Current Through Conductivity Lightning Channel . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 143 7.2 Conductivity of Dissociated Air.... .... .... .... ..... .... 145 7.3 Energy Balance for Conductive Lightning Channel . ..... .... 149 7.4 Atomic Oxygen and Ozone in the Upper Atmosphere .... .... 151 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 157 8 Atmospheric Processes Involving Aerosols ... .... .... ..... .... 159 8.1 Aerosol Association in Earth’s Atmosphere ... .... ..... .... 159 8.2 Coalescence in Aerosol Plasma .... .... .... .... ..... .... 165 8.3 Equilibrium Between Molecular Ions and Charged Aerosols. .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 170 8.4 Aerosols in Atmospheric Electricity . .... .... .... ..... .... 176 8.5 Charge Separation in Clouds .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 178 8.6 Mixing of Cloud Aerosols with Streams of Wet Air and Rain.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 180 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 187 Part III Radiative Processes in the Earth Atmosphere 9 Photoionization of Atmospheric Processes.... .... .... ..... .... 191 9.1 Photoionization in Upper Atmosphere ... .... .... ..... .... 191 9.2 Absorption of Solar Radiation in Atmosphere . .... ..... .... 194 9.3 Excited Atoms and Molecules in Atmospheric Air.. ..... .... 196 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 203 Contents ix 10 Infrared Atmospheric Emission .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 205 10.1 Emission of a Flat Layer . .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 205 10.2 Atmospheric Optical Thickness .... .... .... .... ..... .... 208 10.3 Atmospheric Absorption Coefficient Due to CO Molecules.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 213 2 10.4 Greenhouse Effect Due to Atmospheric CO .. .... ..... .... 218 2 10.5 Thermal Radiation of Atmospheric CO Molecules 2 Towards the Earth . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 225 10.6 Climate Change Due to Greenhouse Effect.... .... ..... .... 228 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 232 11 Local Atmospheric Photoprocesses.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 235 11.1 Radiation of Lightning Channel .... .... .... .... ..... .... 235 11.2 Reflection of Electromagnetic Waves from Ionosphere.... .... 237 11.3 Photoprocesses in Ionization Wave.. .... .... .... ..... .... 241 11.4 Luminous Phenomena in Upper Atmosphere .. .... ..... .... 243 References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 244 12 Conclusion.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 247 Reference . .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 249 Appendix A: Appendices .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 251 Index .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 267 Chapter 1 Introduction The goal of this book is the analysis of some aspects of atmospheric physics and chemistryonthebasisofelementaryprocessesintheEarth’satmosphere,aswellas global atmospheric properties and phenomena that are based on these processes. This book has common features with [1] for the kinetics of excited air. Here we consider mostly other aspects of this general problem including radiative and aerosolprocesses,andalsorespectiveatmosphericphenomena.Inconsiderationof atmosphericphenomena,wearegroundedonobservationalandmeasureddatausing simplereliableconceptsandmodels.Takingelementaryprocessesinexcitedairas a basis, we use appropriate global models and concepts including the global cir- cuit model [2] for electric processes in the atmosphere and the model of standard atmosphere [3–6]; that is, we use an average of atmospheric parameters over the globe. This allows us to obtain detailed information about atmospheric properties or phenomena in a simple form. Following is a list of such problems to deepen understandingonthebasisofthisanalysis. 1.Collisionsofneutralaerosolsindifferentaggregatestatesleadstotheircharging, andthesubsequentfallofpositiveandnegativeaerosolswithdifferentfallingveloc- ities leads to charge separation in the atmosphere and the creation of atmospheric electricfieldsasasourceofatmosphericelectricalphenomena.Chargedaerosolscon- stitutecumulusclouds,andduetoacharge,growthofaerosolsincumulusclouds proceedswithalowerratecomparedwiththatforneutralaerosols.Thenfromrates ofthecoagulationprocessandthelifetimeofacumulusclouditfollowsthatatypical chargeofaerosolsincumuluscloudsincludesZ =25−30electroncharges.Ioniza- tion of atmospheric air is realized by seconadary Mev-energy particles which are formedinnuclearrectionsinvolvingGev-energyprotonsorneutrons. 2.Noteasignificantroleofcosmicraysinatmosphericprocesses.Atmospheric ionizationbycosmicraysisimportantforaerosoldischargingandcreatingaplasma thatdoesnotallowforcloudstoexpandinasurroundingspace.Inaddition,showers ofcosmicraysinitiatethebeginningoflightninginathunderstorm. 3.Theatmosphericopticaldepthuforinfraredradiationisapproximatelyequal tou=2.7,asfollowsfromtheanalysisoftheenergeticbalanceoftheEarthandits atmosphere.Thegreenhouseatmosphericeffectisdeterminedmostlybyatmospheric ©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2017 1 B.M.Smirnov,MicrophysicsofAtmosphericPhenomena, SpringerAtmosphericSciences,DOI10.1007/978-3-319-30813-5_1