Abstract

In the past thirty years, scientists working in the physics of the upper atmosphere and the ionosphere at the S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute have successively taken into account new processes that are well known from plasma physics, spectroscopy, and the physics of collisions: the Auger effect, double photoionization, and Rydberg excitation. All these processes are characterized by a high threshold energy. Consequently, their contribution is especially important for periods of both natural perturbations (solar flares, geomagnetic storms), and artificial perturbations (including the x-ray pulse of a high-level nuclear explosion) in the earth's ionosphere. This article presents the results of the work that has been done, its place in modern science, and prospects of further research. © 2005 Optical Society of America

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