A detailed model study of stratospheric small ion density and conductivity

Abstract

The electrical conductivity of the stratosphere depends on the mobility and density of small ions which are altered in the presence of aerosols due to aerosol-ion attachment losses. The charge aerosol ion-small ion and the charged aerosol-aerosol recombination coefficients (<img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>_s and <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>_a) are computed from an ion-aerosol model which also computes the individual ionic conductivities and hence the two polar conductivities. It is seen that <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>_s and <img src='/image/spc_char/alpha.gif' border=0>_a depend on the aerosol size distribution and thus it is important that the model computed recombination coefficients are to be used in the model studies of stratospheric conductivity for background or enhanced aerosol environment.