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Energetic Charged Particles Above Thunderclouds

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Published
  • Martin Fuellekrug
  • Declan Diver
  • Jean-Louis Pincon
  • Alan D. R. Phelps
  • Anne Bourdon
  • Christiane Helling
  • Elisabeth Blanc
  • Farideh Honary
  • R. Giles Harrison
  • Jean-Andre Sauvaud
  • Jean-Baptiste Renard
  • Mark Lester
  • Michael Rycroft
  • Michael Kosch
  • Richard B. Horne
  • Serge Soula
  • Stephane Gaffet
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>10/11/2013
<mark>Journal</mark>Surveys in Geophysics
Issue number1
Volume34
Number of pages41
Pages (from-to)1-41
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date10/11/12
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

The French government has committed to launch the satellite TARANIS to study transient coupling processes between the Earth's atmosphere and near-Earth space. The prime objective of TARANIS is to detect energetic charged particles and hard radiation emanating from thunderclouds. The British Nobel prize winner C.T.R. Wilson predicted lightning discharges from the top of thunderclouds into space almost a century ago. However, new experiments have only recently confirmed energetic discharge processes which transfer energy from the top of thunderclouds into the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space; they are now denoted as transient luminous events, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and relativistic electron beams. This meeting report builds on the current state of scientific knowledge on the physics of plasmas in the laboratory and naturally occurring plasmas in the Earth's atmosphere to propose areas of future research. The report specifically reflects presentations delivered by the members of a novel Franco-British collaboration during a meeting at the French Embassy in London held in November 2011. The scientific subjects of the report tackle ionization processes leading to electrical discharge processes, observations of transient luminous events, electromagnetic emissions, energetic charged particles and their impact on the Earth's atmosphere. The importance of future research in this area for science and society, and towards spacecraft protection, is emphasized.