Destruction of SF6 and CF4 by Atmospheric Streamers

Sulfur hexaflouride (SF6) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) are inert gases in the atmosphere that can absorb infrared radiation and affect the climate. They have lifetimes up to 1278 years for SF6 and 50000 years for CF4. The International Panel on Climate Change lists the two as part of the most influential long-lived, well-mixed greenhouse gases. In this study, we question whether atmospheric electricity significantly influences the atmospheric concentrations of these molecules. We aim to estimate SF6 and CF4 decomposition by transient luminous events such as sprite streamers, which occupy large volumes in the middle atmosphere. To accomplish this, we simulate positive streamers in synthetic air that contains a small concentration of the two gases. From our simulations, we also want to identify relations between streamer properties and the amounts of SF6 and CF4 destroyed, which can be used to estimate the rates of chemical processes in observed streamer events.