Model of infrared emission from sprites

✍ Scribed by G.M. Milikh; D.A. Usikov; J.A. Valdivia

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 764 KB
• Volume: 60
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1364-6826
• DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6826(98)80009-6

✦ Synopsis

A model of the 3[15 mm infrared emission due to red sprites is presented[ The model considers the generation of nitrogen {vibrons| due to the collisions of the nitrogen molecules with the electrons energized by the electric _eld from lightning\ followed by the transition of the nitrogen vibrons to the CO 1 "990# vibrational level\ with a lifetime much shorter than that of nitrogen[ The infrared photons of wavelength l 3[15 mm radiated by the CO 1 "990# propagate through the optically thick atmosphere ^therefore\ this emission could best be observed from space[ The model computes the infrared radiance of sprites\ as well as the energy collected by a state!of!the!art space infrared detector\ and estimates the signal to background ratio[ Þ 0887 Elsevier Science Ltd[ All rights reserved[