Enhanced alignment of plate ice crystals in a non-uniform electric field

An atmospheric electric field exerts a torque on both column and plate ice crystals. Columns tend to align along the direction of the field. One diameter of plate crystals also aligns parallel to a field, while a non-uniform diverging field leads to further orientation and proscribes a secondary orientation along the direction of least divergence. A laboratory investigation treats the electrical orientation of thin plate ice crystals in a non-uniform field as a two-step process. In the model, the average field provides the primary torque and aligns one diameter of the plate crystal while simultaneously a spatially varying component of the field aligns the perpendicular diameter. The first element of the process, the primary torque, has been investigated previously. The complete reorientation, caused by a secondary torque, is investigated herein. Experimentally a stronger field with sufficient non-uniformity is required to demonstrate the secondary torque. The realignment caused by this torque depends also on the strength of the aerodynamic torques on the failing ice crystals. Experiments in a laboratory cold chamber with small thin plate crystals in an electric field provided by a charged rod demonstrate crystal reorientation by changing the reflections of a beam of white light. A model incorporating electrical torques is applied to the laboratory observation and used to investigate the possibility of the effects occurring in the atmosphere. Fields near lightning strokes, which are strong but of short duration, may reorient small crystals. Larger crystal aggregates like planar snowflakes are governed by the same electrical torques. It is suggested that the secondary torque realignment might be observable for aggregates large enough to be detected by radar in cases pertaining to weaker but longer duration fields associated with cloud electrification. A simplification of the model is used to investigate electrically caused crystal motion and linear aggregation, with applications to the atmosphere and to lightning initiation. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.