On the NOx generation in corona, streamer and low-pressure electrical discharges*

Abstract

An assessment of the global distribution of nitrogen oxides (NOx) is required for a satisfactory description of tropospheric chemistry and in the evaluation of the global impact of increasing anthropogenic emissions of NOx [1]. In the mathematical models utilized for this purpose, it is necessary to have the natural as well as man-made sources of NOx in the atmosphere as inputs. Thunderstorms are a main natural source of NOx in the atmosphere and it may be the dominant source of NOx in the troposphere in equatorial and tropical South Pacific [2].