Propagation of an electron beam in atmosphere at altitudes from 15 to 100 km: Numerical experiment

The propagation of a relativistic electron momentum in the atmosphere is in vestigated. The motion of electrons under the effect of the geomagnetic and electric force fields, scattering, ionization, the formation of secondary electrons, the perturbation of the atmospheric conductivity, and the distri bution of electric field are numerically simulated. The previous conclusion by Neubert et al. [1] is substantiated, according to which the inclusion o f the vertical geomagnetic field reduces by almost two orders of magnitude the radial collision blurring of the electron beam and increases accordingl y the density of energy release and ionization during the injection from an altitude of 60 km downward. The results are given of simulation of the bea m injection at an altitude of 60 km downward or horizontally in the presenc e of a horizontal or vertical geomagnetic field, as well as of the injectio n from an altitude of 15 km upward along a quasi-stationary thunderstorm el ectric field of 5 kV/m beyond the clouds, whose magnitude and polarity corr espond to the field jumps that are observed in nature. Based on the calcula tion results, the degree of ionization, conductivity, and the relaxation ti me of these parameters in the electron beam trace are estimated. The estima tes show that, in the vicinity of the beam trace, because of its polarizati on, there is a possibility of ten- and hundredfold investigation of the ele ctric field, of discharges in the atmosphere, or of the attainment of the r unaway threshold for background relativistic electrons. The possibility is discussed of application of a light electron accelerator for the initiation of observable optical atmospheric phenomena such as blue jets, blue starte rs, and red sprites.