Universal spectra of electric field pulsations in the atmosphere

Abstract

[1] Short-term ( f ' 10 À3 -1 Hz) electric field pulsations in the surface atmospheric layer have been measured during 1999 -2001 under the fair-weather and fog conditions. At the frequencies of 10 À2 -1 Hz these pulsations have a power-law spectrum with the spectral index varying in the range from À1.23 to À3.36 while the most probable values of the index fall into the range from À2.25 to À3.0, unlike the temperature fluctuation spectra which obey in the inertial subrange the Kolmogorov power law with the spectral index close to À5/3. Under the fog conditions the intensity of electric-field pulsations increases by about an order of magnitude compared to the fair-weather conditions. The relation of spectral characteristics to the formation of aeroelectric structures (AESs) is evident; the spectral index distribution during AES flyby has two maxima. Analysis of the mechanisms explains the relationship between electricfield spectra and the neutral-gas turbulence and AES formation.

Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX): towards a holistic understanding of the feedbacks and interactions in the land–atmosphere–ocean–society continuum in the northern Eurasian region

“…Convection in the PBL leads to the formation of aero-electric structures, manifested in ground-based measurements as short-period electric-field pulsations with periods from several seconds to several hundreds of seconds (Anisimov et al, 1999(Anisimov et al, , 2002. The sizes of such structures are determined by the characteristic variation scales of aerodynamic and electrodynamics parameters of the atmosphere, including the PBL and surface-layer height as well as by the inhomogeneities in the ground (water) surface.…”

Aeroelectric structures and turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer

“…The sensor was installed at a height of 1.5 m. The threshold sensitivity of the sensor was about 0.1 V m −1 . The dynamic range of the measurements has not been less than 80 dB (Anisimov et al, 2002. Values of the electric field were reduced to the surface value by a reduction coefficient that was equal to 0.3.…”

“…Structure function application to EF research was introduced by Anisimov et al (1994). Anisimov et al (1999Anisimov et al ( , 2002 have analyzed structure functions of electric field pulsations under different meteorological conditions, focusing mostly on unstable fair weather and fog conditions, when the most intense AES are formed. In the present paper the most attention is paid to the stable conditions.…”

“…It was found, in particular, that the PBL is marked by the presence of so-called aeroelectric structures (AES) that appeared in the short-period (10 −3 ÷ 1 Hz) pulsations of the electric field. AES represent dynamical space-charge inhomogeneities in the boundary layer, indicated in the coherent perturbations of the electric field (Anisimov et al, , 2002. The analysis allowed quantitative estimations of spatial scales 500-10 3 m and temporal scales for these structural elements.…”

ULF electromagnetic noise due to random variations of background atmospheric current and conductivity

“…[5] Note that the moving of thundery front in cyclone/ anticyclone and natural disasters such as large-scale hurricanes are also accompanied by a variety of electromagnetic phenomena [Burke et al, 1992] including the low-frequency electromagnetic noise. Anisimov et al [2002] have recently reported that at the frequencies of 0.01-1 Hz the spectral density, y (E) , of the electric field pulsations in the surface atmospheric layer obeys the power law y (E) / f…”