Microphysics of Atmospheric Phenomena.

<P> </P><P>THIS BOOK INVESTIGATES ELEMENTARY PROCESSES IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE INVOLVING PHOTONS,&NBSP;ELECTRONS, IONS, RADICALS, AND AEROSOLS. IT IS BASED ON GLOBAL ATMOSPHERIC MODELS SUCH AS THE&NBSP;STANDARD ATMOSPHERIC MODEL WITH AVERAGED ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS ACROSS THE GLOBE AND&NBSP;OVER TIME, THE EARTH’S ENERGETIC BALANCE, AND THE GLOBAL ELECTRIC CIRCUIT THAT ALLOWS TO ANALYZE&NBSP;FUNDAMENTAL ATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIES TO BE ANALYZED. RATE CONSTANTS OF ELEMENTARY PROCESSES&NBSP;IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE, TOGETHER WITH MEASURED ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS AND EXISTING&NBSP;CONCEPTS OF ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA, ARE USED IN THE ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL AND LOCAL ATMOSPHERIC&NBSP;PROCESSES. ATMOSPHERIC PHOTOPROCESSES RESULT FROM THE INTERACTION OF SOLAR RADIATION WITH&NBSP;THE ATMOSPHERE AND PROCESSES INVOLVING IONS, OXYGEN ATOMS, EXCITED ATOMIC PARTICLES AND&NBSP;OZONE MOLECULES. ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY AS A SECONDARY PHENOMENON TO ATMOSPHERIC WATER&NBSP;CIRCULATION RESULTS IN A CHAIN OF PROCESSES THAT BEGINS WITH COLLISIONS OF WATER AEROSOLS IN&NBSP;DIFFERENT AGGREGATE STATES. COSMIC RAYS ARE OF IMPORTANCE FOR ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY, AS&NBSP;THEY CREATE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IONS IN THE AIR. AIR BREAKDOWN IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD OF&NBSP;CLOUDS IN THE FORM OF LIGHTNING MAY DEVELOP UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF COSMIC RAY-CREATED SEED&NBSP;ELECTRONS, WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR ELECTRON MULTIPLICATION IN IONIZATION WAVE-STREAMERS. THE&NBSP;UPPER ATMOSPHERE (IONOSPHERE) IS FORMED UNDER SOLAR RADIATION IN A VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET&NBSP;SPECTRUM, AND ABSORPTION OF THIS RADIATION LEADS TO AIR PHOTOIONIZATION. THE GREENHOUSE&NBSP;EFFECT IS DETERMINED BY ATMOSPHERIC WATER, WHEREAS TRANSITIONS BETWEEN A WATER VAPOR AND&NBSP;AEROSOLS MAY LEAD TO A CHANGE IN ATMOSPHERIC OPTICAL DEPTH. CARBON DIOXIDE CONTRIBUTES&NBSP;IN SMALL PORTIONS TO THE ATMOSPHERIC GREENHOUSE EFFECT. COSMIC RAYS ARE OF IMPORTANCE