Planetary atmospheric electricity

Journal article

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. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Authors: Harrison, R; Aplin, K; Leblanc, F; Yair, Y

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
• Volume: 137
• Issue: 1-4
• Pages: 5-10
• Publication date: 2008-06-01
• DOI: 10.1007/s11214-008-9419-z
• EISSN: 1572-9672
• ISSN: 0038-6308
• Language: English
• Keywords: comparative planetology; electromagnetic radiation; lightning; charge; electrostatic discharge; primordial atmosphere; cosmic rays