Microphysics of Atmospheric Phenomena

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This book explores fundamental processes in the Earth’s atmosphere involving photons, electrons, ions, radicals, and aerosols, utilizing global atmospheric models like the standard atmospheric model. It analyzes rate constants of atmospheric processes alongside measured parameters and existing concepts to understand both global and local phenomena. Atmospheric photoprocesses arise from solar radiation interacting with the atmosphere and involve ions, oxygen atoms, excited particles, and ozone molecules. Atmospheric electricity, a byproduct of water circulation, triggers a series of events starting with collisions of water aerosols in various states. Cosmic rays play a crucial role in atmospheric electricity by generating positive and negative ions, which can lead to air breakdown in electric fields, resulting in lightning through cosmic ray-generated seed electrons that facilitate electron multiplication. The ionosphere, formed under solar radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet spectrum, experiences photoionization due to this radiation. The greenhouse effect is primarily influenced by atmospheric water, with transitions between water vapor and aerosols affecting optical depth, while carbon dioxide has a minor contribution. Cosmic rays also influence atmospheric discharge, lightning, and the initial stages of aerosol growth. The book offers a qualitative overview of atmospheric properties and phenomena grounded in elementary proc