Prospects of atmospheric electricity in Malaysia

This paper presents the developments in background stories of atmospheric electricity and reports different possible configurations to store atmospheric electricity in humid environment of Malaysia. The ultimate object is to shift atmospheric charges on Earth using laser induced weak plasma channel. On Earth's surface the average electric field is about 120 V/m. This value corresponds to a surface charge density of -1.2/spl times/10/sup -9/ C/m/sup 2/. Integrated over the Earth's surface, this value gives a total negative charge at Earth of about 600 kC. An equal positive charge should exist in the atmosphere. Integrating the electric field from the Earth's surface to the ionosphere gives a potential difference of about 200 kV. As a result of the existence of a vertical downward-directed electric field in the presence of negative and positive atmospheric ions, a downward-directed (air-earth) current density, also known as Maxwell current density, is constantly flowing in the fair weather regions of the atmosphere. It is nearly constant with altitude and of the order of 2/spl times/10/sup -12/ A/m/sup 2/.