Electron heating and airglow emission due to lightning effects on the ionosphere

Abstract

This study is the first attempt to consider lightning effects on the F2 region. Although pulsed electric fields parallel to the geomagnetic field have been observed by every rocket flight over active thunderstorms at thermospheric heights, their existence remains controversial. Predicting the disturbance of ionospheric parameters induced by these electric fields may lead to verifying them using ground‐based ionospheric observations. This study is also important for understanding the kinetics of ionospheric plasma disturbed by pulsed parallel electric fields. These fields can accelerate electrons from pulse to pulse. If the pause between flashes is longer than τen, electrons are scattered by elastic collisions with neutrals and transformed into thermal electrons with a corresponding electron temperature enhancement. Inelastic collisions of electrons with neutrals will become more important with increased energy and, subsequently, the electron energy distribution (EED) can differ from a Maxwellian distribution. The vibrational excitation of N2 is extremely important as a source of inelastic collisions for energy ≥2 eV. This vibrational barrier can influence the EED. An electron kinetics model induced by pulsed parallel electric fields in ionospheric plasma is developed here. The accelerated and heated electrons can excite airglow in the F2 region. Excitation of red line emissions is most effective. Red line intensities during thunderstorms are predicted to be much higher than the background intensity. Our model also predicts a significant increase in electron temperature in the F2 region during a strong thunderstorm. Opportunities for observing the ionospheric effects of parallel electric fields induced by lightning are discussed.