arXiv subjects

Christoph Köhn

Publications and source records attributed to Christoph Köhn.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Streamer propagation in the atmosphere of Titan and other N2:CH4 mixtures compared to N2:O2 mixtures

Streamers, thin, ionized plasma channels, form the early stages of lightning discharges. Here we approach the study of extraterrestrial lightning by studying the formation and propagation of streamer discharges in various nitrogen-methane and nitrogen-oxygen mixtures with levels of nitrogen from 20% to 98.4%. We present the friction force and breakdown fields Ek in various N2:O2 (Earth-like) and N2:CH4 (Titan-like) mixtures. The strength of the friction force is larger in N2:CH4 mixtures whereas the breakdown field in mixtures with methane is half as large as in mixtures with oxygen. We use a 2.5 dimensional Monte Carlo particle-in-cell code with cylindrical symmetry to simulate the development of electron avalanches from an initial electron-ion patch in ambient electric fields between 1.5Ek and 3Ek. We compare the electron density, the electric field, the front velocities as well as the occurrence of avalanche-to-streamer transition between mixtures with methane and with oxygen. Whereas we observe the formation of streamers in oxygen in all considered cases, we observe streamer inceptions in methane for small percentages of nitrogen or for large electric fields only. For large percentages of nitrogen or for small fields, ionization is not efficient enough to form a streamer channel within the length of the simulation domain. In oxygen, positive and negative streamers move faster for small percentages of nitrogen. In mixtures with methane, electron or streamer fronts move 10-100 times slower than in mixtures with oxygen; the higher the percentage of methane, the faster the fronts move.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2017

The Planck length and the constancy of the speed of light in five dimensional space parametrized with two time coordinates

In relativity and quantum field theory, the vacuum speed of light is assumed to be constant; the range of validity of general relativity is determined by the Planck length. However, there has been no convincing theory explaining the constancy of the light speed. In this paper, we assume a five dimensional spacetime with three spatial dimensions and two local time coordinates giving us a hint about the constancy of the speed of light. By decomposing the five dimensional spacetime vector into four-dimensional vectors for each time dimension and by minimizing the resulting action, for a certain class of additional time dimensions, we observe the existence of a minimal length scale, which we identify as the Planck scale. We derive an expression for the speed of light as a function of space and time and observe the constancy of the vacuum speed of light in the observable universe.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2013

Angular distribution of Bremsstrahlung photons and of positrons for calculations of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and positron beams

Within thunderstorms electrons can gain energies of up to hundred(s) of MeV. These electrons can create X-rays and gamma-rays as Bremsstrahlung when they collide with air molecules. Here we calculate the distribution of angles between incident electrons and emitted photons as a function of electron and photon energy. We derive these doubly differential cross-sections by integrating analytically over the triply differential cross-sections derived by Bethe and Heitler; this is appropriate for light atoms like nitrogen and oxygen (Z=7,8) if the energy of incident and emitted electron is larger than 1 keV. We compare our results with the approximations and cross section used by other authors. We also discuss some simplifying limit cases, and we derive some simple approximation for the most probable scattering angle. We also provide cross sections for the production of electron positron pairs from energetic photons when they interact with air molecules. This process is related to the Bremsstrahlung process by some physical symmetry. Therefore the results above can be transferred to predictions on the angles between incident photon and emitted positron, again as a function of photon and positron energy. We present the distribution of angles and again a simple approximation for the most probable scattering angle. Our results are given as analytical expressions as well as in the form of a C++ code that can be directly be implemented into Monte Carlo codes.

physics.ao-ph↗