Lightning activity on a tidally locked terrestrial exoplanet in storm-resolving simulations for a range of surface pressures
arXiv:2504.19883 · doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1196
Abstract
Cloudy atmospheres produce electric discharges, including lightning. Lightning, in turn, provides sufficient energy to break down air molecules into reactive species and thereby affects the atmospheric composition. The climate of tidally locked rocky exoplanets orbiting M-dwarf stars may have intense and highly localised thunderstorm activity associated with moist convection on their day side. The distribution and structure of lightning-producing convective clouds is shaped by various climate parameters, of which a key one is atmospheric mass, i.e. surface air pressure. In this study, we use a global storm-resolving climate model to predict thunderstorm occurrence for a tidally locked exoplanet over a range of surface pressures. We compare two lightning parameterisations: one based on ice cloud microphysics and one based on the vertical extent of convective clouds. We find that both parameterisations predict that the amount of lightning monotonically decreases with surface pressure due to weaker convection and fewer ice clouds. The spatial distribution of lightning on the planet changes with respect to the surface pressure, responding to the changes in the large-scale circulation and the vertical stratification of the atmosphere. Our study provides revised, high-resolution estimates for lightning activity on a tidally locked Earth-like exoplanet, with implications for global atmospheric chemistry.
12 pages, 7 figures; Accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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