Magneto-photophoresis and mesospheric particles

Autor(en)

Hans Rohatschek, Helmuth Horvath

Abstrakt

So far, levitation of solid particles in the atmosphere by photophoretic forces has been attributed exclusively to gravito-photophoresis. In this paper attention is drawn to magneto-photophoresis, a motion of ferromagnetic particles related to a magnetic field during their irradiation by light. In regions showing an approximately vertically directed magnetic field, magneto-photophoretic levitation is likewise possible. Laboratory experiments with particles produced by an arc discharge in air between iron electrodes have quantitatively shown magneto-photophoretic levitation. Using these results, we show that magneto-photophoresis can be an essential factor for the formation and persistence of particle layers. Under conditions of illumination by the sun, magneto-photophoretic levitation takes place with particles having sizes around and below 0.1 mu m whereas gravito-photophoresis occurs for particle sizes around 1 mu m.

Organisation(en)

Aerosolphysik und Umweltphysik

Externe Organisation(en)

Johannes Kepler Universität Linz

Journal

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Band

115

Anzahl der Seiten

6

ISSN

2169-897X

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD014667

Publikationsdatum

12-2010

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

106006 Biophysik, 105904 Umweltforschung

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/1bb9657b-553d-4c6e-b458-546a0c969874