The heating of suprathermal ions above thunderstorm cells

Journal Article · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL02242· OSTI ID:5754980

Bell, T F; Helliwell, R A; Inan, U S; Lauben, D S ^[1]

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1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

The authors estimate proton heating rates in the ionosphere above thunderstorm cells due to electromagnetic waves generated by these cells. Their model is that electron whistler waves are generated by lightning, and propagate into the ionosphere. There they are able to mode convert to proton whistler and lower hybrid waves on plasma density fluctuations. The proton whistler waves then preheat the protons to energies where they can absorb energy from the lower hybrid waves. The model predicts heating rates such that low altitude spacecraft should be able to observe the flux of these heated protons.

• OSTI ID: 5754980
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Vol. 20:18; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
IONOSPHERE
PLASMA WAVES
PROTONS
LOWER HYBRID HEATING
LIGHTNING
WHISTLERS
BARYONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
NOISE
NUCLEONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA HEATING
RADIATIONS
RADIO NOISE
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
661320* - Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)