Charged meteoric particles as ice nuclei in the mesosphere: Part 2 A feasibility study

• Published in: Journal of atmospheric and solar-terrestrial physics Vol. 71; no. 12; pp. 1236 - 1244
• Main Authors: MEGNER, L, GUMBEL, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 01.08.2009
• Subjects: Atmosfärs- och hydrosfärsvetenskap; atmosfärvetenskap; Atmosphere and hydrosphere sciences; Atmospheric Sciences; Charging processes; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Geovetenskap; Mesosphere; Meteoric smoke; NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP; NLC ice nucleation; Physics of the ionosphere; Physics of the magnetosphere; efficiency; Recombination; Ice nucleus; Charging processes; Keyword; Model study; ice; Mesosphere; Condensation nucleus; Meteoric smoke; NLC ice nucleation; nucleation; feasibility studies; Noctilucent cloud; Charged particle; growth; Feasibility; Particle transport; Polar region; uncertainties
• ISSN: 1364-6826; 1879-1824; 1879-1824
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2009.05.002

Recondensed meteoric material, so-called meteoric smoke, has long been considered the main candidate for condensation nuclei for mesospheric ice formation. Recently however, model studies have shown that meteoric smoke particles are transported away from the polar region, where ice phenomena such as noctilucent clouds occur, before they can grow large enough to serve as ice condensation nuclei. In the accompanying paper it is argued that charging of the meteoric smoke particles may solve this dilemma by significantly altering the efficiency of the particles as condensation nuclei. In the present paper, the feasibility of this idea is investigated more quantitatively, by analysing the time scales of processes such as charging, recombination, and particle growth. Despite large uncertainties, especially in the charging efficiency of the smallest smoke particles, we show that reasonable assumptions yield number densities of charged condensation nuclei that are consistent with what is expected for mesospheric ice phenomena.