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[1] A model of field-aligned currents is derived from highprecision magnetic field measurements from the Ørsted and Magsat satellites, being parameterized by the interplanetary magnetic field strength and direction for summer, winter and equinox. The high-precision data allow the model to be determined directly by a simple 2-D curl technique combined with fitting of spherical harmonic functions. New elements of the model are: (a) the FAC patterns are determined separately for both polar regions, resolving the seasonal dependence of interhemispheric asymmetries, (b) the IMF $ 0, ground-state patterns are also resolved; these elements are obtained for the first time. From the model, the total upward/downward currents have been determined for various IMF conditions. The ratio of the summer/winter currents is $1.35 and the equinox currents $1. The model allows FAC mapping for IMF |B| 12 nT, except during magnetic storms and substorms.

The paper reviews recent advances in studies of electric discharges in the stratosphere and mesosphere above thunderstorms, and their effects on the atmosphere. The primary focus is on the sprite discharge occurring in the mesosphere, which is the most commonly observed high altitude discharge by imaging cameras from the ground, but effects on the upper atmosphere by electromagnetic radiation from lightning are also considered. During the past few years, co-ordinated observations over Southern Europe have been made of a wide range of parameters related to sprites and their causative thunderstorms. Observations have been complemented by the modelling of processes ranging from the electric discharge to perturbations of trace gas concentrations in the upper atmosphere. Observations point to significant energy deposition by sprites in the neutral atmosphere as observed by infrasound waves detected at up to 1000 km distance, whereas elves and lightning have been shown significantly to affect ionization and heating of the lower ionosphere/mesosphere. Studies of the thunderstorm systems powering high altitude discharges show the important role of intracloud (IC) lightning in sprite generation as seen by the first simultaneous observations of IC activity, sprite activity and broadband, electromagnetic radiation in the VLF range. Simulations of sprite ignition suggest that, under certain conditions, energetic electrons in the runaway regime are generated in streamer discharges. Such electrons may be the source of X-and Gamma-rays observed in lightning, thunderstorms and the so-called Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) observed from space over thunderstorm regions. Model estimates of sprite perturbations to the global atmospheric electric circuit, trace gas concentrations and atmospheric dynamics suggest significant local perturbations, and possibly significant meso-scale effects, but negligible global effects.

While narrow bipolar events (NBEs) could be related with lightning initiation, their intrinsic physics remains in question. Here we report on optical measurements by the Atmosphere‐Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) on the International Space Station (ISS) of blue flashes associated with NBEs. They are observed in a narrow blue band centered at 337 nm, with no simultaneous activity at 777.4 nm, considered a strong lightning emission line. From radio waves measured from the ground, we find that 7 of 10 single‐pulse blue events can be identified as positive NBEs. The source altitudes estimated from optical and radio signals agree and indicate that the sources of the blue flashes are located between ∼8.5 and ∼14 km, in a cloud reaching 14–15 km altitude. The observations suggest that single‐pulse blue flashes are from cold ionization waves, so‐called streamers, and that positive NBEs are corona discharges formed by many streamers.

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[1] In this paper we report on field-aligned currents inferred from high-precision three-component geomagnetic field observations made on board the Danish satellite Ørsted over polar regions. Because of a slow drift in local time of the satellite orbit through the ''noon-midnight'' sector, we were able to study the seasonal dependence of the dynamic properties of the dayside and nightside field-aligned current systems over the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. We find an average over-the-pole distance between dayside and nightside currents of 32°during summer but 37°during winter and 36°during equinox. The decrease in the size of the summer polar cap is caused by a shift of both daytime and nighttime current systems to higher magnetic latitudes. For comparison, the dawn-dusk cross-polar distance of the Region 1/Region 2 field-aligned currents has been determined from high-precision data observed by Magsat, a satellite flown in 1979-1980 in a ''dawn-dusk'' orbit. The latter results show that the dawn-dusk distance between R1/R2 currents exhibits little seasonal dependence and amounts to $34°for all seasons in both polar caps. The seasonal dependence is confirmed for the high-latitude field-aligned intensities; they are larger by a factor of 1.5-1.8 in the sunlit (summer) polar cap in comparison with the winter hemisphere. Our results suggest that the R1/R2 and dayside field-aligned currents are well balanced between the pairs of downward/upward currents for all seasons as well as between hemispheres during equinox. We were not able to confirm results reported in earlier studies that the net currents tend to increase with an enhancement of ionospheric conductivity caused by the solar illumination or substorm activity.

The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) is an instrument suite on the International Space Station (ISS) for measurements of lightning, Transient Luminous

We present the results of analytical studies and 2D3V PIC simulations of electron-positron plasma cloud collisions. We concentrate on the problem of quasi-static magnetic field generation. It is shown from linear theory, using relativistic two-fluid equations for electron-positron plasmas, that the generation of a quasi-static magnetic field can be associated with the counterstreaming instability. A two-dimensional relativistic particle simulation provides good agreement with the above linear theory and shows that, in the nonlinear stage of the instability, about 5.3% of the initial plasma flow energy can be converted into magnetic field energy. It is also shown from the simulation that the quasi-static magnetic field undergoes a collisionless change of structure, leading to largescale, long-living structures and the production of high-energy particles. These processes may be important for understanding the production of high-energy particles in the region where two pulsar winds collide.