Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Planetary Atmospheric Electricity

  • Published:
Space Science Reviews Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Electrification is a fundamental process in planetary atmospheres, found widely in the solar system. It is most evident through lightning discharges, which can influence an atmosphere’s chemical composition, but electrification also affects the physical behaviour of aerosols and cloud droplets that determine an atmosphere’s radiative balance. In the terrestrial atmosphere, lightning has been implicated in the origin of life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • K.L. Aplin, Composition and measurement of charged atmospheric clusters. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9397-1

  • K.L. Aplin, R.G. Harrison, M.J. Rycroft, Investigation of Earth’s atmospheric electricity: a role model for planetary studies. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9372-x

  • F. Arnold, Atmospheric ions and aerosol formation. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9390-8

  • G.A. Bazilevskaya, I.G. Usoskin, E. Flückiger et al., Cosmic ray induced ion production in terrestrial and planetary atmospheres. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9339-y

  • T. Bosinger, S.L. Shalimov, On ULF signatures of lightning discharges. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9333-4

  • W.M. Farrell, M.D. Desch, J. Geophys. Res. E4, 7591–7595 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Fischer, D.A. Gurnett, W.S. Kurth et al., Atmospheric electricity at Saturn. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9370-z

  • A. Graps, G. Jones, A. Jubasz et al., Charging of planetary rings. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9362-z

  • D.A. Gurnett, P. Zarka, R. Manning et al., Nature 409, 313–315 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • W.B. Harland, J.L.F. Hacker, Adv. Sci. 22, 663–671 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • R.G. Harrison, H. Tammet, Ions in the terrestrial atmosphere and other solar system atmospheres. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9356-x

  • M.R. James, L. Wilson, S.J. Lane et al., Electrical charging of volcanic plumes. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9362-z

  • J. Kazil, R.G. Harrison, E.R. Lovejoy, Tropospheric new particle formation and the role of ions. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9388-2

  • V.A. Krasnopolsky, Planet. Space Sci. 54(13–14), 1352–1359 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • F. Leblanc, K.L. Aplin, Y. Yair et al., Planetary Atmospheric Electricity. Space Sciences Series of ISSI, vol. 30 (2008)

  • F. Lefeuvre, E. Blanc, R. Roussel-Dupré et al., Taranis—a microsatellite project dedicated to the physics of TLEs and TGFs. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9414-4

  • R. Lorenz, Atmospheric electricity hazards. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9364-x

  • S.L. Miller, Science 117, 528 (1953). doi:10.1126/science.117.3046.528

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Molina-Cuberos, J.J. Lopez-Moreno, F. Arnold, Meteoritic ions in planetary atmospheres. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9340-5

  • N. Renno, J. Kok, Electric activity and dust lifting on Earth, Mars and beyond. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9377-5

  • R. Roussel-Dupré, J.J. Colman, E. Symbolisty et al., Physical processes related to discharges in planetary atmospheres. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9385-5

  • C.T. Russell, T.L. Zhang, M. Delva et al., Nature 450, 661–662 (2007). doi:10.1038/nature05930

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • M.J. Rycroft, R.G. Harrison, K.A. Nicoll et al., Physical processes related to discharges in planetary atmospheres. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9368-6

  • C. Saunders, Charge separation mechanisms in clouds. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9345-0

  • F. Simoes, M. Rycroft, N. Renno et al., Schumann resonances as a means of investigating the electromagnetic environment in the solar system. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9398-0

  • Y. Takahashi, J. Yoshida, Y. Yair et al., Lightning detection by LAC onboard the Japanese Venus Climate Orbiter Planet-C. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue) doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9400-x

  • S. Tripathi, M. Michael, R.G. Harrison, Profiles of ion and aerosol interactions in planetary atmospheres. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9367-7

  • Y. Yair, G. Fischer, F. Simoes et al., Updated review of planetary atmospheric electricity. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9349-9

  • P. Zarka, W. Farrell, G. Fischer et al., Ground-based and space-based radio observations of planetary lightning. Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue). doi:10.1007/s11214-008-9366-8

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading, UK

    R. G. Harrison

  2. Space Science and Technology Department, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon, UK

    K. L. Aplin

  3. Service d’Aeronomie du CNRS, Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, 34131, Trieste, Italy

    F. Leblanc

  4. Department of Life and Natural Sciences, Open University of Israel, Ra’anana, 43107, Israel

    Y. Yair

Authors
  1. R. G. Harrison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. L. Aplin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. Leblanc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Y. Yair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. G. Harrison.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harrison, R.G., Aplin, K.L., Leblanc, F. et al. Planetary Atmospheric Electricity. Space Sci Rev 137, 5–10 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-008-9419-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-008-9419-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation