List of Topics

ATMO/ECE 489/589
Outline of Topics
(there may be changes in the order in which this material is presented, see also the comments at the bottom of this outline)

1. Introduction

1.1 Brief historical overview
1.2 Review of classical electricity and magnetism

Coulomb's law, electric field, electrostatic potential, Gauss' Law, Poisson's equation, Laplace's equation
Method of images, boundary value problems
Current density, electrical mobility, atmospheric conductivity

2. Fair Weather Electricity

2.1 Electrical structure of the atmosphere

Global electric "circuit"
Fair weather electric fields
Air-earth currents
Conductivity profiles

2.2 Sources of atmospheric ions

Natural radioactivity
Cosmic rays

2.3 Small ion mobilities, ion balance equations, ion-aerosol attachment

3. Cloud Electricity

3.1 Microphysical structure of thunderstorm clouds
3.2 Thunderstorm electrification

Basic charging requirements
Ion capture and induction mechanisms
Electrical properties of water and ice
Thermoelectric and contact mechanisms
Ice-graupel collisions - laboratory data
Observations in clouds

3.3 Thunderstorm electric fields

Measurements
Screening layers
Charge structure of thunderclouds

3.4 The thunderstorm as a current source

4. Lightning

4.1 Basic lightning phenomenology

Area densities and strike probabililties
Cloud-to-ground flashes
Preliminary breakdown
Stepped leader
Return strokes
Dart Leader
J and K processes
Intracloud discharges

4.2 Positive Lightning, Upward lightning and Triggered lightning
4.3 Characteristics of lightning currents
4.4 Electric and magnetic fields produced by lightning

Time domain antenna theory
Radio frequency emissions

4.5 Physical characteristics of lightning channels

Dimensions
Thermodynamic properties
Energy balance

4.6 Thunder
4.7 Propagation, sferics, and atmospheric radio noise
4.8 Methods of detecting and locating lightning

Gated, wideband sensors (MDF and TOA)
RF techniques (Time of Arrival and Interferometry)
Satellite lightning sensors

4.9 Electrical transients at high altitudes, "sprites and elves"

5. Lightning Protection and Lightning Safety

5.1 Mechanisms of lightning damage
5.2 Principles of lightning protection

Grounding, bonding, and shielding
Transient protectors
Shielding topology

5.3 Methods of protection against lightning

Buildings
Hazardous structures
Telecommunications and data systems
Electric-power transmission/distribution systems
Aircraft and avionics systems

5.4 Lightning safety recommendations

This course is based largely on a course developed and taught by Dr. E. Philip Krider for many years at the University of Arizona. Click here for a longer more extensive list of topics used by Dr. Krider when he taught the course.

This course will probably be very similar to the course taught in Spring 2013. You can view the notes for most of the lectures from that class here. An online version of the class is also available here.