The transmission to space of the light produced by lightning in the clouds of Venus
Abstract
A Monte Carlo program by Thomason and Krider has been adapted to the Venus cloud geometry and optical properties. If lightning flashes occur within or just below the clouds, the fraction of photons of visible light escaping to space is 0.1-0.4, depending on the location of the flash. For flashes near the surface, only one blue photon in 10 4 was found to escape; about 5% of the red ones are transmitted. Failure of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter to unambiguously detect optical lightning signals from space is not due to attenuation by the atmosphere and clouds. In any case, lightning is not acceptable as an explanation for ashen light.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- October 1982
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(82)90176-2
- Bibcode:
- 1982Icar...52..166W
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Attenuation;
- Light Transmission;
- Lightning;
- Monte Carlo Method;
- Venus Atmosphere;
- Venus Clouds;
- Electromagnetic Absorption;
- Light Scattering;
- Optical Properties;
- Photon Density;
- Pioneer Venus Spacecraft;
- VENUS;
- TRANSMISSION;
- LIGHT(VISIBLE RADIATION);
- LIGHTNING;
- PARAMETERS;
- CLOUDS;
- SOURCE;
- MONTE CARLO TECHNIQUES;
- GEOMETRY;
- OPTICAL PROPERTIES;
- PHOTONS;
- MODELS;
- DATA;
- ATMOSPHERE;
- BANDS;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration; Venus, Earth Science