Cloud electrification is one of the oldest unresolved puzzles in the atmospheric sciences. Though many mechanisms for charge separation in clouds have been proposed, a quantitative understanding of their respective co...Cloud electrification is one of the oldest unresolved puzzles in the atmospheric sciences. Though many mechanisms for charge separation in clouds have been proposed, a quantitative understanding of their respective contribution in a given meteorological situation is lacking. Here we suggest and analyze a hitherto little discussed process. A qualitative picture at the molecular level of the charge separation mechanism of lightning in a thundercloud is proposed. It is based on two key physical/chemical natural phenomena, namely, internal charge separation of the atmospheric impurities/aerosols inside an atmospheric water cluster/droplet/ice particle and the existence of liquid water layers on rimers (graupels and hailstones) forming a layer of dipoles with H<sup>+</sup> pointing out from the air-water interface. Charge separation is achieved through strong collisions among ice particles and water droplets with the rimers in the turbulence of the thundercloud. This work would have significant contribution to cloud electrification and lightning formation.展开更多
Methanol was irradiated by 80 fs laser pulse, intensity range of 1013-1014 W/cm2. A TOF-mass spectrometer was coupled to the laser system and used to detect the ions produced. The parent ions CH3OH+ appeared firstly a...Methanol was irradiated by 80 fs laser pulse, intensity range of 1013-1014 W/cm2. A TOF-mass spectrometer was coupled to the laser system and used to detect the ions produced. The parent ions CH3OH+ appeared firstly at the laser intensity of 1.4 ×1013 W/cm2. While the laser intensity was gradually increased, the parent ions were dissociated and the primary ions CH2OH+ were given as verified from the irradiation of deuterated methanol (CH3OD) showing the C-H bond cracking firstly. While the laser intensity was further increased to 2.0 ×1013 W/cm2, the C-O bonds of the parent ions also broke to give CH3+. When the laser intensity was higher, smaller fragment ions like CH+, C+, OH+ and O+ also appeared. Among the fragment ions, only H+ ion yield had anisotropic angular distribution dependence on the laser polarization vector in the dissociation of methanol. All the experimental observations show that the dissociation of methanol proceeds through stepwise mechanism but not Coulomb explosion.展开更多
文摘Cloud electrification is one of the oldest unresolved puzzles in the atmospheric sciences. Though many mechanisms for charge separation in clouds have been proposed, a quantitative understanding of their respective contribution in a given meteorological situation is lacking. Here we suggest and analyze a hitherto little discussed process. A qualitative picture at the molecular level of the charge separation mechanism of lightning in a thundercloud is proposed. It is based on two key physical/chemical natural phenomena, namely, internal charge separation of the atmospheric impurities/aerosols inside an atmospheric water cluster/droplet/ice particle and the existence of liquid water layers on rimers (graupels and hailstones) forming a layer of dipoles with H<sup>+</sup> pointing out from the air-water interface. Charge separation is achieved through strong collisions among ice particles and water droplets with the rimers in the turbulence of the thundercloud. This work would have significant contribution to cloud electrification and lightning formation.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 29973052) the Ministry of Science & Technology of China.
文摘Methanol was irradiated by 80 fs laser pulse, intensity range of 1013-1014 W/cm2. A TOF-mass spectrometer was coupled to the laser system and used to detect the ions produced. The parent ions CH3OH+ appeared firstly at the laser intensity of 1.4 ×1013 W/cm2. While the laser intensity was gradually increased, the parent ions were dissociated and the primary ions CH2OH+ were given as verified from the irradiation of deuterated methanol (CH3OD) showing the C-H bond cracking firstly. While the laser intensity was further increased to 2.0 ×1013 W/cm2, the C-O bonds of the parent ions also broke to give CH3+. When the laser intensity was higher, smaller fragment ions like CH+, C+, OH+ and O+ also appeared. Among the fragment ions, only H+ ion yield had anisotropic angular distribution dependence on the laser polarization vector in the dissociation of methanol. All the experimental observations show that the dissociation of methanol proceeds through stepwise mechanism but not Coulomb explosion.
