NO{sub x} production from lightning

This proposal requests funds to construct a theoretical model for the production of NO{sub x} from lightning. NO{sub x} production can cause changes in the atmospheric ozone distribution which are biologically harmful. Lightning will also result in the production and/or destruction of other gases which can be used as observational tracers of the lightning process. These tracers can be used to provide an observational calibration of the production mechanism. A new and very interesting aspect of this work is to provide modeling support for the conjecture that the lightning process will destroy CFC compounds in the disturbed air for long periods of time and this would provide a very good observational tracer. The ultimate product of this effort would be an accurate prediction of the amount of NO{sub x} produced per unit energy of the lightning. Use will be made of LLNL developed 1-D radiation-hydrodynamic models to predict the temporal and spatial behavior of the temperature and density in the air in the vicinity of the lightning channel as a function of altitude. A chemical kinetics model will be used to predict the time variation of the trace gas species in the disturbed air parcels as a function of the temperature and density profiles calculated by the hydrodynamics model