ATMO/ECE 489/589 Spring 2007 - Outline of Possible Topics

1. Introduction

1.1 Historical overview

1.2 Review of classical electricity and magnetism

Coulombs law and Maxwells equations

Boundary value problems

Electrical units

2. Fair Weather Electricity

2.1 Sources of atmospheric ions

Natural radioactivity

Radon & Thoron - Radon Hazard

Cosmic rays

Point discharge

2.2 Chemistry of the primary ions

2.3 Small ion mobilities

2.4 Ion-ion recombination

2.5 Characteristics of the atmospheric aerosol

2.6 Ion-aerosol attachment

2.7 Electrical structure of the troposphere

Ion balance equations

Conductivity profiles

Fair weather electric fields

Air-earth currents

Global electric circuit

Solar-terrestrial interactions

2.8 Applications

3. Cloud Electricity

3.1 Microstructure of clouds

3.2 Ion-droplet diffusion

3.3 Electrical structure of non-thundery clouds

3.4 Development and evolution of thunderstorms

3.5 Thunderstorm electric fields

Measurements

Screening layers

Effects on cloud microphysics

Charge structure of thunderclouds

3.6 The thunderstorm as a current source

Spatial characteristics

Temporal development

3.7 Thundercloud electrification

Basic charging requirements

- Ion capture and induction mechanisms

Electrical properties of water and ice

Thermoelectric and contact mechanisms

Ice-graupel collisions - laboratory data

Observations in clouds

Large scale charge separation

3.8 Lightning initiation

Gas breakdown phenomena

- Behavior of water drops in electric fields

Models of lightning initiation

4. Lightning

4.1 Basic lightning phenomenology

Area densities & strike probabilities

Cloud-to-Ground flashes

Preliminary breakdown

Stepped-leader

Return strokes

Dart leader

J- and K-processes

Intracloud discharges

4.2 Triggered Lightning

4.3 Characteristics of lightning currents

4.4 Physical characteristics of lightning channels

Dimensions

Thermodynamic properties

Energy balance

4.5 Thunder

4.6 Chemistry of lightning processes

4.7 Electric and magnetic fields produced by lightning

Time-domain antenna theory

Radio frequency emissions

4.8 Propagation, sferics, and atmospheric radio noise

4.9 Methods of detecting and locating lightning

Gated, wideband sensors (MDF & TOA)

RF Techniques - time of arrival and interferometry

Satellite lightning sensors

4.10 Electrical transients at high altitudes, Sprites, Elves, Etc.

4.11 Global lightning activity

5. Lightning Protection and Lightning Safety

5.1 Mechanisms of lightning damage

5.2 Principles of lightning protection

Grounding, bonding and shielding

Transient protectors

Shielding topology

5.3 Methods of protection against lightning

Buildings

Hazardous structures

Telecommunications and data systems

Electric-power transmission/distribution systems

Aircraft and avionics systems

5.4 Lightning test equipment, methods and standards

5.5 Lightning safety recommendations

6.0 Possible Additional Topics

Ions and health

Stratospheric electricity

The ionosphere

The magnetosphere

Auroral phenomena

Whistlers

Electricity in planetary atmospheres

Ball lightning