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UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2024-11-22 1:26 |
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2015 Meeting
Section: Atmosphere and Earth Science; Environment Protection
Title:
Examination of solar wind modulation of lightning in Romania
Authors:
Daniel CARBUNARU, Sorin BURCEA
Affiliation:
National Meteorological Administration, Soseaua Bucuresti -Ploiesti 97, Bucharest, Romania
E-mail
daniel.carbunaru@meteoromania.ro
Keywords:
solar wind, lighting, heliospheric magnetic field, protons flux
Abstract:
Although many scientific studies have been performed to highlight and model the physical processes liable with the electric charge of thunderstorm, these processes have not yet been clearly understood. One of the main problem remains the moment of initiation of the electrical discharge which lead to redistribution of electrical charges inside or outside thunderstorms because the maximum intensity of the electric field achieved during the evolution of a convective phenomenon is too low in order to break the air insulation. Lately, some studies have shown that electrical activity of convective storms may be modulated by factors outside the earth's atmosphere like solar wind and heliospheric magnetic field. In the present study, considering the high speed solar wind streams at Earth (sudden changes in the Vy component of solar wind, more than 75 km -1 in 5 hours) and heliospheric magnetic field components both in GSE coordinate system, it has been shown that there is a cloud-to-ground lightning modulation imposed by these external factors during 2003–2008, in Romania area. Thus lighting rate per day, number of lighting days and lighting energy appear to be modulated by protons density, protons energy flux and magnetic field sectors (toward the sun or away from the sun) in the vicinity of the Earth. Energetic particles form solar wind may be the answer regarding electric breakdown in the early stage of thunderstorm lightning.
References:
C J Scott et al 2014 Evidence for solar wind modulation of lightning Environ. Res. Lett. 9 055004
M J Owens et al 2014 Modulation of UK lightning by heliospheric magnetic field polarity Environ. Res. Lett. 9 11500
M J Rycroft 2014 Thunder and lightning—what determines where and when thunderstorms occur? Environ. Res. Lett. 9 121001
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