Plasma Parameters Research Articles

Enhanced degradation of aqueous caffeine via cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge plasma: Efficacy and toxicity insights

An environmentally friendly approach for caffeine degradation was explored in this study utilizing cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (CDBD) plasma. The current-voltage characteristics and the plasma parameters of the CDBD, such as the electron temperature, electron density, density of nitrogen excited states, vibrational temperature, and rotational temperature, were assessed through electrical and optical characterization respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to evaluate the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in the plasma-treated air. The physicochemical properties of deionized water (DW) were measured. To gain a deeper insight into the role of RONS in caffeine degradation, their concentrations in DW were analyzed. Furthermore, the effects of initial concentration, sample volume, and pH on caffeine degradation were investigated. The highest degradation of caffeine was 94% at initial concentration of 50 mg L−1, sample volume 50 mL and in neutral pH. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was then used to propose the degradation pathway for caffeine. The major reactive species involved in caffeine degradation was ozone. Finally, the phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity of caffeine were assessed before and after plasma treatment with plasma-treated caffeine (PTC) showing minimal toxicity to both plants and cells.

Deep Phenotyping of Pulmonary Edema and Pulmonary Vascular Permeability in COVID-19 ARDS.

Background Clinical monitoring of pulmonary edema due to vascular hyperpermeability in ARDS poses significant clinical challenges. Presently, no biological or radiological markers are available for quantifying pulmonary edema. Our aim was to phenotype pulmonary edema and pulmonary vascular permeability in patients with COVID-19 ARDS. Methods Transpulmonary thermodilution measurements were conducted in 65 COVID-19 ARDS patients on the day of intubation to determine extravascular lung water index (EVLWi) and pulmonary vascular permeability index (PVPi). In parallel, ventilatory parameters, clinical outcomes, the volume of lung opacity measured by chest CT, and plasma proteomics (358 unique proteins) were compared between tertiles based on the EVLWi and PVPi. Regression models were used to associate EVLWi and PVPi with plasma, radiological, and clinical parameters. Computational pathway analysis was performed on significant plasma proteins in the regression models. Results Patients with the highest EVLWi values at intubation exhibited poorer oxygenation parameters and more days on the ventilator. Extravascular lung water strongly correlated with the total volume of opacity observed on CT(r=0.72), while the PVPi had weaker associations with clinical and radiological parameters. Plasma protein concentrations demonstrated a stronger correlation with PVPi than with EVLWi. The highest tertile of PVPi was associated with proteins linked to the acute phase response (cytokine and chemokine signaling) and extracellular matrix turnover. Conclusions In the clinical setting of COVID-19 ARDS, pulmonary edema (EVLWi) can be accurately quantified through chest CT and parallels deterioration in ventilatory parameters and clinical outcomes. Vascular permeability (PVPi) is strongly reflected by inflammatory plasma proteins.

Gravitational lensing around a dual-charged stringy black hole in plasma background

One of the strongest tools to verify the predictions of general relativity (GR) has been the gravitational lensing around various compact objects. Using a dual charged stringy black hole produced from dilaton-Maxwell gravity, we investigate the impact of the plasma parameter on gravitational lensing and black hole shadow in this study. Detailed investigations are performed to mark the impact of the homogeneous and non-homogeneous plasma environment on the electric and magnetic charge parameters of stringy black hole. In order to compare the results, we have also considered the vacuum scenario of the dual charged stringy black hole. Our results show that the effect of homogeneous plasma environment is much stronger in comparison to vacuum for the case of electrically charged stringy black hole. However, in the case of magnetically charged stringy black hole, the deflection angle gets decreased in presence of the homogeneous plasma medium. It has been observed that the radius of the shadow increases in a non-homogeneous plasma environment for electrically charged stringy black hole, whereas it decreases for magnetically charged stringy black hole in presence of the same plasma environment. This study aims to investigate how different plasma environments influence these fascinating astrophysical phenomena.

Potential Impacts of Dried Green Coleus forskolin Leaves on Thermo-tolerance Parameters, Blood and Plasma Profiles in Anesthetized Mice

Background: Transient negative side effects of hypothermia, hyperglycemiaand bradycardia due to general anesthesia using diazepam and xylazine drugs has been reported in mice. Methods: Twenty albino male mice of 31.52±0.25 g body weight were classified into two groups; control group (G1) fed basal control diet versus C. forskolin group fed basal control diet containing C. forskolin leaves (G2; 1.5%) for four weeks. The mice were general anesthetized using xylazine and diazepam (XD) drugs (13.3 mg/kg BW diazepam and 26.6 mg/kg BW xylazine). Changes of rectal temperature (°C), glucose (mg/dl), pulse rate (pulse/min.) and partial pressure of oxygen (SPO2) were recorded at 0.0, 0.5h, 1.0h, 2.0h, 3.0h, 5.0h and 7.0h over general anesthesia. In addition, blood samples were collected and were subjected to blood and plasma analyses. Result: The results indicated that dietary C. forskolin caused significant decrease (P less than 0.05) in glucose values in addition to significant increase (P less than 0.05) in rectal temperature, pulse rate and SPO2 during the period hypothermia, hyperglycemiaand bradycardia over general anesthesia. In addition, values of blood (RBCs, WBCs, PCV and Hb) and plasma parameters (TP, BUN, creatinine, AST and ALT, LDH) were normal due to C. forskolin supplementation compared to control diet. It could be concluded that 1.5% C. forskolin supplementation modulates thermo-tolerance responses, blood glucose indices, blood and plasma metabolites over general anesthesia.

Diagnostics of tin droplet-based laser produced plasma by triple Langmuir probe

Laser produced plasma extreme ultraviolet light source, as the exposure light source for next-generation lithography, faces urgent challenges due to its low conversion efficiency and significant debris contamination. Using a triple Langmuir probe, we conducted a study on the parameters and kinetic characteristics of tin droplet-based laser produced plasma that serves as extreme ultraviolet light source. In this paper, we report a design of triple Langmuir probe circuit based on the BWL (Bulk Wirewound Low-value) sampling resistor, which ensures that high-frequency signals remain undistorted during acquisition. Utilizing the “shadowgraph” method, we calculated the average deflection angles of droplet debris jets under different alignment conditions. Combining the diagnostic results from the probe, we found that the alignment accuracy between the laser and droplet directly influences the parameters of plasma. The parameters and kinetic characteristics of plasma were also diagnosed and analyzed at different angles and distances by moving the probe. Employing the triple Langmuir probe, measurements and analyses of laser produced plasma parameters and kinetic characteristics were achieved, providing a convenient method for diagnosing extreme ultraviolet lithography light sources. This work also offers an effective basis for optimizing the light sources.

Real-time equilibrium reconstruction by multi-task learning neural network based on HL-3 tokamak

Abstract A neural network model, EFITNN, has been developed capable of real-time magnetic equilibrium reconstruction based on HL-3 tokamak magnetic measurement signals. The model processes inputs from 68 channels of magnetic measurement data gathered from 1159 HL-3 experimental discharges, including plasmas current, loop voltage, and the poloidal magnetic fields measured by probes. The outputs of the model feature eight key plasmas parameters, alongside high-resolution ( 129 × 129 ) reconstructions of the toroidal current density J P and poloidal magnetic flux distributions Ψ rz . Moreover, the network’s architecture employs a multi-task learning structure, which enables the sharing of weights and mutual correction among different outputs, and leads to increase the model’s accuracy by up to 32%. The performance of EFITNN demonstrates remarkable consistency with the offline EFIT, achieving average R 2 = 0.941, 0.997 and 0.959 for eight plasmas parameters, Ψ rz and J P , respectively. The model’s robust generalization capabilities are particularly evident in its successful predictions of quasi-snowflake (QSF) divertor configurations and its adept handling of data from shot numbers or plasmas current intervals not previously encountered during training. Compared to numerical methods, EFITNN significantly enhances computational efficiency with average computation time ranging from 0.08 ms to 0.45 ms, indicating its potential utility in real-time isoflux control and plasmas profile management.

Sample Thickness and Edge Proximity Influence Spatial Behavior of Filaments and Treatment Uniformity of RF Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

AbstractThe ability of atmospheric pressure plasma jets to treat complex non-planar surfaces is often cited as their advantage over other atmospheric plasmas. However, the effect of complex surfaces on plasma parameters and treatment efficiency has seldom been studied. Herein, we investigate the interaction of the atmospheric pressure plasma slit jet (PSJ) with block polypropylene samples of different thicknesses (5 and 30 mm) moving at two different speeds. Even though the distance between the slit outlet and the sample surface was kept constant, the treatment efficiency of PSJ ignited in the Ar and $$\hbox {Ar/O}_2$$ Ar/O 2 gas feeds varied with the sample thickness due to the plasma parameters such as filament count and speed being affected by the different distances of the ground (the closer the ground is, the higher the discharge electric field). On the other hand, the $$\hbox {Ar/N}_2$$ Ar/N 2 PSJ diffuse plasma plumes were less affected by the changes in the electric field, and the treatment efficiency was the same for both sample thicknesses. Additionally, we observed a difference in the efficiency and uniformity of the PSJ treatment of the edges and the central areas in some working conditions. The treatment efficiency near the edges depended on the duration of the filament contact, i. e., how long the local electric field trapped the filaments. Conversely, the treatment uniformity near the edges and in the central areas was different if the number of filaments changed rapidly as the discharge moved on and off the sample (the 5 mm samples treated by easily sustained Ar PSJ).

Heating characteristic of electron Bernstein wave using high-field side X-mode injection in QUEST

Abstract A comparative investigation was conducted to assess the impact of high-field side (HFS) extraordinary (X) mode (HFS X) injection and low-field side (LFS) ordinary (O) mode (LFS O) injection of 8.2 GHz radio frequency (RF) power in the Q-shu University experimental steady-state spherical tokamak. In the case of the HFS X injection, the ratio of electron plasma frequency and RF frequency f pe / f RF was 1.3, indicating an overdense plasma, whereas in the LFS O injection, this ratio was 0.9. Distinctive features emerged in the electron temperature and density profiles between the two injection scenarios. In the HFS X injection, the profiles peaked between the fundamental electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) layer and the upper hybrid resonance layer. Conversely, in the LFS O injection, the peaks were situated near the 1st ECR layer. This implies effective excitation of the electron Bernstein wave (EBW) in the case of the HFS X injection, with the wave power being absorbed through the doppler-shifted ECR of the EBW. Density and temperature oscillations were observed only in the start-up phase of the HFS X injection, which may correlate with the presence of the left-hand cutoff of the X-mode. These findings will be contributed to understand the distinctive characteristics associated with plasma heating through EBW excitation in the HFS X injection.

Helium retention feature in the boron deposited layer on tungsten substrate by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and machine learning approach

ITER is designed for a burning plasma operation in which Tungsten (W) tiles are used as the first wall and diverter materials. Studying He dynamics in B-coated W wall is essential to understanding the effect of boronized plasma-facing components in fusion reactors, as these post-conditioning materials significantly influence helium retention and release. Plasma-wall interactions (PWI) are an important issue in ITER fusion reactors. PWI would lead to wall erosion and impurity redeposition. As a product of the D-T burning plasma, helium (He) ash would be retained or co-deposited on plasma-facing components (PFCs), affecting the stable operation of burning plasma. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is proposed as a promising in-situ diagnostic approach for monitoring D/T and He retention and impurity deposition on PFCs of tokamak devices. In this study, the LIBS technique was used to investigate the helium retention feature in the boron (B) layer on tungsten substrate in 10−5 mbar. Five He-retention samples on the boron deposition layer on tungsten substrates were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method at different ambient pressures in our lab. The investigations indicate that the atomic spectral line of helium (He-I 587.56 nm) was observed in the spectra of the first three laser shots. The depth profiles of He, B, and W in the boron-deposited layer on tungsten substrate were performed by LIBS to determine the co-deposition layer thickness. The concentration of He in the co-deposition layer samples measured by TDS is 7 × 1020 He/m2. The plasma parameters, such as plasma electron temperature and electron number density, were calculated to validate the local thermodynamic equilibrium. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are used to classify the co-deposits and substrates. The first three principal components (PC1, PC2 & PC3) of the unsupervised ML algorithm (PCA) give a classification accuracy of 91.7 %. The supervised ML algorithm neural network achieved training and testing accuracy of 100 % and 96.7 %, respectively.

On the possibility of studying the effect of magnetic reconnection in a laboratory astrophysical experiment using X-ray emission L-spectra of multiply charged ions

The paper considers the application of X-ray spectroscopy with high spatial resolution for investigation of magnetic reconnection in laboratory astrophysical experiments carried out on laser facilities of nano- and pico-second duration at moderate laser intensity on the target 1018 W/cm2. A brief overview of commonly used experimental schemes is given. We present atomic kinetic calculations for the spectra from the L-shells of Ne- and F-like iron ions (Fe, Z = 26), which demonstrate the high sensitivity of the spectra to changes in plasma parameters. An analysis of the range of applicability of various diagnostic approaches to assessing the electron temperature and laser plasma density is carried out. It is shown that transition lines in Ne-like ions are a universal tool for measuring plasma parameters, both in the region of laser interaction with the target and in the reconnection zone.

Concentrations of ceftazidime and avibactam in bile fluid-a prospective phase IIb study.

The rise in carbapenem-resistant bacteria and the limited number of effective antibiotics pose a major health-care threat. The combination of ceftazidime (CAZ) and avibactam (AVI) represents an approved treatment option for carbapenem-resistant intra-abdominal infections. However, data on the pharmacokinetic profile of AVI in the hepatobiliary compartment is lacking. To provide clinical in vivo data on the concentration of AVI in bile fluid as a surrogate for hepatobiliary excretion. A single dose of 2000/500 mg CAZ/AVI was administered prolonged over 2 h to 10 patients prior to abdominal surgery, with bile samples available in nine patients in this phase IIb study (DRKS-ID: DRKS00023533). Antibiotic concentrations in plasma (0-8 h), bile (after resection) and pharmacodynamic parameters were determined. The mean concentration across individuals in bile was 33.5 mg/L (±20.5 mg/L) for CAZ and 7.1 mg/L (±3.5 mg/L) for AVI, resulting in bile/plasma ratios of 0.58 (±0.26) and 0.61 (±0.18). The Cmax in plasma was 87.2 mg/L (±25.0 mg/L) for CAZ and 18.6 mg/L (±6.29 mg/L) for AVI, with AUC0-∞ values of 351 h·mg/L (±104 h·mg/L) and 72.1 h·mg/L (±32.1 h·mg/L), respectively. Plasma concentrations of both CAZ and AVI remained more than 50% of the dosing interval above the minimum inhibitory concentrations (T>MIC > 50%; MICCAZ = 8 mg/L, MICAVI = 1 mg/L) in all patients. No antibiotic-associated side effects were reported during the 30-day follow-up. The concentrations of CAZ and AVI in bile suggest their potential as a valuable therapeutic option for multi-resistant biliary infections.

Effect of feeding two types of concentrates in morning and evening meals and two types of fat supplement on diurnal patterns of plasma parameters in lactation dairy cows

The diurnal patterns of feed intake and TMR composition influence blood parameters in dairy cows; however, the effect of feeding TMR with different compositions in the morning and evening meals is not well characterized. In a completely random design, forty Holstein cows (110 ± 30 days postpartum) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, with 10 cows per treatment. The treatments were as follows: a base diet containing 50 % cereal starch from barley grain and 50 % cereal starch from corn grain in the morning and evening meal + either prilled fatty acids supplement (EqP) or calcium salts of fatty acids supplement (EqCS); a base diet containing 25 % cereal starch from barley grain, 75 % cereal starch from corn grain in the morning meal, and 75 % cereal starch from barley grain and 25 % cereal starch from corn grain in the evening meal + either prilled fatty acids supplement (DiP) or calcium salts of fatty acids supplement (DiCS). Dry matter intake was affected by treatments (P ˂ 0.01). The highest intake was observed for EqP, EqCS, DiP,and DiCS. 3.5 % fat-corrected milk and milk fat percentage was significantly higher for EqP than other treatments (P ˂ 0.01), but other milk components were not significantly different among treatments (P ˃ 0.05). A significant difference was observed for glucose, cholesterol, TG, AST, and insulin concentration among treatments (P ˂ 0.01). The concentrations of all plasma parameters (glucose, cholesterol, TG, BUN, AST, insulin, and NEFA) significantly changed over 24-h period (P ˂ 0.01). Plasma concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, TG, BUN, AST, insulin, and NEFA displayed a treatment-by-time interaction (P ˂ 0.01). In general, changes in the cereal starch ratio (corn and barley) in TMR in each meal during a day affect the 24-h concentration of plasma parameters, but there was no strong evidence of leverage for cows’ metabolism.

Association Between Zinc Ion Concentrations in Seminal Plasma and Sperm Quality: A Chinese Cross-Sectional Study.

This study investigates the impacts of zinc ion concentration in in seminal plasma and the total amount of Zn2+ per ejaculation on sperm quality evaluation parameters. In addition, we assessed the reliability of using zinc content in seminal plasma to evaluate sperm quality. We analyzed semen from 964 men and found that men over 40years old had significantly lower concentrations of Zn2+ in ejaculated semen compared to other age groups (p < 0.05), with no significant difference in Zn2+ concentrations among other age groups (p > 0.05). The total amount of Zn2+ in one ejaculation did not show a statistical difference between the normal semen and the abnormal semen groups (p > 0.05). Statistical differences were observed in sperm kinetic parameters and DNA fragmentation index between the normal Zn2+ total amount group and the abnormal group (p < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in morphological parameters (p > 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between Zn2+ concentrations in seminal plasma, age, and sperm fructose and a positive correlation between semen volume, abstinence time, sperm concentration, neutral α-glycosidase, and citric acid content (p < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that Zn2+ concentrations had poor accuracy and specificity in assessing sperm quality (p > 0.05). Although there is a partial correlation between Zn2+ concentrations in seminal plasma and certain semen quality parameters, relying solely on Zn2+ concentrations to evaluate sperm quality lacks accuracy and specificity.

Pulsed laser deposition of MoS2 thin films at different mean kinetic plasma energies

In recent years, molybdenum disulfide has become a material of great interest for research for electronic and optoelectronic applications due to its 2-dimensional graphene-like structure and its bandgap within the visible spectrum. In this work, thin films of MoS2 were grown using pulsed laser deposition on glass substrates at room temperature and at deposition pressure of 2 × 10−5 Torr. We ablated a MoS2 target obtained by compressing high-purity powders, with a Nd-YAG pulsed laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm, 6 ns pulse width, and 10 Hz repetition rate. Laser produced plasmas were diagnosed by means of the time-of-flight technique using a Langmuir planar probe, from which mean kinetic energy and density of ions were estimated. Experimental control is more reliable using plasma parameters rather than fluence. The crystalline properties of the deposits were characterized using Raman spectroscopy and X-Ray diffraction; their chemical analysis was carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; their thickness and morphology were characterized using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Results are discussed as a function of mean kinetic energy variations. It was observed that as the mean kinetic energy of the plasma decreased, the crystallinity improved and the crystal size increased.

Physicochemical properties of the confined hydrogen atom under dense semiclassical hydrogen plasma

Some fundamental quantities governing the physicochemical properties of the spherically confined (contained in a spherical box) hydrogen atom embedded in dense semiclassical hydrogen plasma have been investigated. These quantities specifically include the energy levels, wavefunctions, 2k-pole oscillator strength, 2k-pole polarizability, hyperfine spitting, effective pressure on the boundary of the confining surface. The effect of plasma is described by a pseudopotential which takes care of the collective effect and the quantum mechanical effects at short distances of the plasma particles by means of two adjustable parameters, namely, the screening parameter and the de Broglie wavelength. Energy eigenvalues of the atom for various box sizes and for different values of the plasma parameters are computed accurately within a variational framework by employing a large wavefunction which automatically takes care of the requisite boundary conditions. Convergence of the computed results is corroborated by increasing the number of terms in the wavefunction. Particular attention is paid on determining the critical size box for which all the bound states of the atom cease to exist. Based on the computed energies and the corresponding eigenfunctions, mean values of various powers of the radial coordinate, oscillator strengths, polarizability of various order, hyperfine splitting, and the effective pressure on the boundary have been evaluated. A comprehensive study is made on the changes of those quantities for varying box size and plasma parameters. Efforts are made to distinguish the changes arising out of the spatial confinement and the plasma confinement.

Reduction of the Downward Energy Flux of Nonthermal Electrons in the Solar Flare Corona due to Cospatial Return-current Losses

High-energy electrons carry much of a solar flare’s energy. Therefore, understanding changes in electron beam distributions during their propagation is crucial. A key focus of this paper is how the cospatial return current reduces the energy flux carried by these accelerated electrons. We systematically compute this reduction for various beam and plasma parameters relevant to solar flares. Our 1D model accounts for collisions between beam and plasma electrons, return-current electric-field deceleration, thermalization in a warm target approximation, and runaway electron contributions. The results focus on the classical (Spitzer) regime, offering a valuable benchmark for energy flux reduction and its extent. Return-current losses are only negligible for the lowest nonthermal fluxes. We calculate the conditions for return-current losses to become significant and estimate the extent of the modification to the beam’s energy flux density. We also calculate two additional conditions that occur for higher injected fluxes: (1) where runaway electrons become significant, and (2) where current-driven instabilities might become significant, requiring a model that self-consistently accounts for them. Condition 2 is relaxed and the energy flux losses are reduced in the presence of runaway electrons. All results are dependent on beam and cospatial plasma parameters. We also examine the importance of the reflection of beam electrons by the return-current electric field. We show that the interpretation of a number of flares needs to be reviewed to account for the effects of return currents.

Optical and spectral techniques for studying high-voltage laser-triggered switch

In the present paper we have performed sets of experiments to study laser triggering high voltage switch. In this study, instead of electrical diagnostics, optical technique was utilized to characterize the discharge process. A Q-switched nanosecond Nd:YAG laser was used for triggering the switch. Dynamics of discharge, and the time delay of laser produced pre-plasma was monitored by fast photo diode signal which was connected to a fast oscilloscope. The spectrum of discharge emission was also recorded by photo spectrometer from which plasma parameters i.e. electron temperature, and density were estimated.

On acoustic solitary waves in a multispecies degenerate relativistic magnetized plasma using physics informed neural networks

In this paper, we investigate the nonlinear electrostatic wave propagation in a two-dimensional magnetized plasma. The plasma consists of electron and positron components with relativistic degeneracy and stationary ions for neutralizing its background. Using the basic equations for this type of plasma in combination with the reductive perturbation method, we derived the Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation using the Lorentz transformation stretching method (LT). For the first time, we compared the results of the Galilean transformation stretching method (GT) and the LT method to investigate the effect of plasma parameters, such as the relativistic degeneracy parameter of electron particles (re0), the density ratio of ion to electrons (δ), and the normalized electron cyclotron (Ωe), on the amplitude and width of the wave solutions. The plasma parameters used in this research are representative of compact astrophysical objects. Numerical results showed that the amplitude of wave solutions obtained by the LT method is smaller than the GT method, but the width is greater. We provide a physical explanation for these differences. Furthermore, we present a physics-informed neural network (PINN) approach to directly recover the intrinsic nonlinear dynamics from spatiotemporal data. The PINN model uses a deep neural network constrained by the governing equations to learn the optimal parameters, with the aim of enhancing the predictive capabilities of the system. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the propagation of nonlinear waves in white dwarfs, where relativistic effects are significant. These findings could substantially advance the development of emerging machine learning applications in astrophysics.

Current, core channel radius, and related parameters of channel plasma in artificially triggered lightning

Based on plasma physics methods, the relationship among the channel current (i), core channel radius (rcc), and other related parameters including electrical conductivity (σ), thermal conductivity (λe), and thermal diffusion coefficient (DeT) was investigated and strong interdependence was found among these parameters. Then, these dependent relationships together with the measured electron temperature (Te) and electron density (ne), derived from spectral diagnostics, were applied to determine the measured results on the i, rcc, σ, λe, and DeT of channel plasma in artificially triggered lightning along with their measured accuracies. Good accordance can be found with the aid of comparisons with other measurements of the artificially triggered lightning [L. Cai et al., J. Electrost. 109, 103537 (2021)].

SOTHE: SOlar-terrestrial habitability explorer

Among more than 5000 exoplanets discovered up to now, around 60 are believed to be potentially habitable. The Sun-Earth system provides a unique example based on which detailed insights into the properties, formation, evolution, and thus habitability of exoplanets could be gained. However, simultaneous observation of the Sun as a star and the Earth as an exoplanet has been rare. In this paper, we introduce the SOlar-Terrestrial Habitability Explorer (SOTHE) to be deployed to the Sun-Earth L1 point. SOTHE will carry a science payload comprising four instruments to obtain the integrated spectra of the whole solar disk and the whole sunlit Earth at the same time, together with images of the Earth at 11 unique passbands from UV to NIR and the local plasma and magnetic field parameters at the L1 point. The core scientific goal of SOTHE is to understand key characteristics related to the habitability of the Sun-Earth system and provide a unique baseline for exploring habitable exoplanets, especially Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars.