Using Saha‐Boltzmann Plot to Diagnose Lightning Return Stroke Channel Temperature

Liu, Guorong; Pan, Yuan; An, Tao; Sun, Duixiong; Cen, Jianyong; Wang, Xuejuan

doi:10.1029/2018jd028620

Cited by 17 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Previously, it was shown that the total spectral intensity of the ionization lines of nitrogen and oxygen in the visible and near infrared (400-1,000 nm) during the return stroke of natural lightning was well correlated with the change in amplitude of the electric field (Wang et al, 2016). In a later study, it was shown that the temperature of the return stroke channel can be calculated from the spectral emission intensities of the ionization lines of NI and NII in the visible to the near infrared range (444-868 nm) using a form of the Saha-Bolzmann method (Liu et al, 2019). Thus, it seems reasonable that the optical intensity of the generated spark can also be correlated with its electric field and therefore LFI is equivalent to its current as previously demonstrated by Wang et al (1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

Silverman

Price

Asfur

2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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In our previous studies we showed that the intensity of lightning discharged into the oceans may be influenced by the salinity and pH of the receiving sea surface water . These conclusions were based on laboratory generated electrical sparks that were discharged into the experimental solutions as detailed in the methods section below. Based on these experiments it was shown that the lightning flash intensity (LFI) in our experimental setup, is positively correlated with the concentration of salts in solution and negatively correlated with its pH. Thus, it was unexpected, when measurements of LFI under similar experimental conditions in Red Sea seawater with a salinity of ∼40.7 PSU were ∼30% lower than the LFI in Mediterranean seawater with a salinity of ∼39 PSU (Figure 1) (1 PSU = 1 practical salinity unit, which is roughly equivalent to 1 gr salt per 1 kg seawater). Where, the salinities correspond to conductivities of ca. 60 and 56 mS cm −1 (adjusted to 25°C) for Red Sea and Mediterranean seawater, respectively. Therefore, according to Asfur, Price et al. (2020) it was expected that the LFI would be more intense for Red Sea seawater. In addition, the pHs of the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea seawaters were 8.027 and 8.138 (adjusted to 25°C), respectively, and therefore according to Asfur, Silverman, and Price (2020) it was also expected that the LFI would be more intense for Red Sea seawater as well. One of the possible chemical properties of seawater that could explain this unexpected behavior with respect to LFI is its total alkalinity (TA).

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

Silverman

Price

Asfur

2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…We use the LFI (integrated optical emission spectra) of the generated spark, which in essence is due to the ionization of the gases in the path of the spark. In natural lightning it was shown that the emission spectra are well correlated with the temperature of the return stroke 24 and the electric field 25 . Thus, it seems reasonable that the optical intensity of the generated spark can also be correlated with its electric field and therefore LFI is equivalent to its current as previously demonstrated by Wang et al .…”

Section: Experimental Design and Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ocean acidification may be increasing the intensity of lightning over the oceans

Asfur

Silverman

Price

2020

Sci Rep

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The anthropogenic increase in atmospheric CO2 is not only considered to drive global warming, but also ocean acidification. Previous studies have shown that acidification will affect many aspects of biogenic carbon uptake and release in the surface water of the oceans. In this report we present a potential novel impact of acidification on the flash intensity of lightning discharged into the oceans. Our experimental results show that a decrease in ocean pH corresponding to the predicted increase in atmospheric CO2 according to the IPCC RCP 8.5 worst case emission scenario, may increase the intensity of lightning discharged into seawater by approximately 30 ± 7% by the end of the twenty-first century relative to 2000.

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“…Uman and Orville (1965) as well as Griem (1964) have reported that the channel satisfies the LTE condition. Under the LTE condition, the Boltzmann Plot method can be used to calculate the channel temperature (Liu et al., 2019).

\ln (\frac{I λ}{g A}) = - \frac{1}{k T} E + c

where c is a constant, and I is the intensity of the spectral line, and G, A and E are the statistical weights, transition probability and excitation energy, respectively.…”

Section: Theoretical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Temperature Calculationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Atmospheric Attenuation on the Lightning Spectrum

Wan

Pan

et al. 2021

JGR Atmospheres

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Spectrum carries important information reflecting atomic and molecular processes inside a light source. Accurate spectral diagnosis is vital in revealing the microscopic physical mechanism of the lightning discharge process. Spectral correction was applied considering the influence of atmospheric attenuation, grating efficiency, and camera response on the observed spectrum, thereby solving the problems of atmospheric attenuation in long‐distance lightning spectrum observations. Based on the restored spectrum, the temperature of the lightning return stroke channel was calculated by the ionic and atomic lines respectively. The result showed that corrected temperature at the initial stage of the return stroke, calculated by the ionic line, could reach up to 40,000 K, which was about 10,000 K higher than the values directly obtained from the observed spectrum. Atmospheric attenuation of the atomic spectral line in the near‐infrared band is relatively weak; therefore, atmospheric attenuation was inferred to have a relatively less effect on the channel temperature that was calculated by the atomic spectral lines. This work provided the attenuation ratio of the characteristic lines in lightning spectra with distance, and can used for more precisely quantitative investigation on the physical characteristics of the lightning process. It also has application value for improving the spectral diagnostic techniques on celestial body and other natural luminous process.

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Using Saha‐Boltzmann Plot to Diagnose Lightning Return Stroke Channel Temperature

Cited by 17 publications

References 18 publications

The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

Ocean acidification may be increasing the intensity of lightning over the oceans

Effects of Atmospheric Attenuation on the Lightning Spectrum

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