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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 34, L08804, doi:10.1029/2006GL029051, 2007

Possible persistent ionization caused by giant blue jets

Nikolai G. Lehtinen

Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA


Umran S. Inan

Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA


Abstract

We consider the possible production of persistent ionization at low altitudes (h ≤ 70 km) by giant blue jets (GBJ), using a new five constituent model of stratospheric/lower-ionospheric chemistry. Results indicate substantial ionization at h < 50 km, which exhibits an initially rapid (few seconds) recovery due to electron attachment, followed by a long enduring recovery (>10 minutes) determined by the time scale of mutual neutralization of negative and positive ions. Such recovery signatures may be observable in subionospheric VLF data in the form of Early/fast events with long lasting recoveries. Analysis also indicates that electrons may sometimes be quickly (≲1 ms) removed by the dissociative attachment mechanism in the presence of a high electric field, while the negative and positive ions remain and persist for extended periods of time. In such cases, the initial rapid recovery may not be observable in VLF data due to its typical time resolution of ∼10 to 20 ms. In stratosphere (h ≲ 50 km) the ionization recovery is found to not be accurately described by a four-constituent model proposed by Glukhov et al., (1992) , hereinafter referred to as GPI, necessitating a fifth constituent, namely the heavy negative ions with high electron affinity (N x −).

Received 13 December 2006; accepted 26 February 2007; published 18 April 2007.

Keywords: giant blue jets; persistent ionization.

Index Terms: 0335 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Ion chemistry of the atmosphere (2419, 2427); 2423 Ionosphere: Ionization processes (7823); 2435 Ionosphere: Ionospheric disturbances; 3304 Atmospheric Processes: Atmospheric electricity.

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Citation: Lehtinen, N. G., and U. S. Inan (2007), Possible persistent ionization caused by giant blue jets, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L08804, doi:10.1029/2006GL029051.