1439 Particle Simulation of Sprite Discharge in Upper Atmosphere

The paper presents a particle simulation method to study the sprite discharge in upper atmosphere. The particle simulation is used in combination with the quasi-electrostatic field calculation. The microscopic particle dynamics such as various collisions between electrons and neutral particles, involving elastic, excitation, ionization, attachment, and photoionization, are considered. The simulation results reveal the temporal evolution of particle dynamics and optical emissions during sprite discharges, providing the important theoretical basis for the study of sprite discharges.