Articles | Volume 34, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-34-573-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-34-573-2016
ANGEO Communicates
 | 
23 Jun 2016
ANGEO Communicates |  | 23 Jun 2016

Secondary electron emission from meteoric smoke particles inside the polar ionosphere

Carsten Baumann, Markus Rapp, and Antti Kero

Abstract. The charging by secondary electron emission (SEE) from particles is known as a significant charging process in astrophysical plasmas. This work aims at evaluating the significance of SEE for charging of meteoric smoke particles (MSPs) in the Earth's polar atmosphere. Here, the atmosphere is subject to a bombardment of energetic electrons from the magnetosphere (and partly the sun). We employ the SEE formalism to MSPs in the upper mesosphere using electron precipitation fluxes for three different precipitation strengths. In addition, we address the possible effect of tertiary electron emission (TEE) from MSPs induced by atmospheric secondary electrons for one precipitation case. The SEE and TEE rates from MSPs of different sizes are compared to plasma attachment and photodetachment and photoionization rates of MSPs. The needed concentration of electrons and ions have been modeled with the Sodankylä Ion and Neutral Chemistry (SIC) model with included electron precipitation spectra as an additional ionization source. We find that secondary electron emission from MSPs is not a relevant charging mechanism for MSPs. The electron attachment to MSPs and photodetachment of negatively charged MSPs are the most important processes also during energetic electron precipitation.

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Short summary
Meteor smoke particles (MSPs), originating from evaporated meteoric matter at 60–110 km altitude, are present in the whole atmosphere including polar regions. As electron precipitation is present at high latitudes, these MSPs are bombarded by energetic electrons. The energetic electrons can enter the MSPs and excite secondary electrons. That can lead to a change of the charge state of these MSPs. The study finds that other charging processes, e.g., electron attachment, are more important.