Roger-Maurice Bonnet·Michel Blanc Originally published in the journal Space Science Reviews, Volume 137, Nos 1¿4. DOI: 10. 1007/s11214-008-9418-0 © Springer Science+Business Media B. V. 2008 ¿Planetary Atmospheric Electricity¿ is the rst publication of its kind in the Space Science Series of ISSI. It is the result of a new and successful joint venture between ISSI and Eu- planet. Europlanet is a network of over 110 European and U. S. laboratories deeply involved in the development of planetary sciences and support to the European planetary space exp- ration programme. In 2004, the Europlanet consortium obtained support from the European Commission to strengthen the planetary science community worldwide, and to amplify the scienti c output, impact and visibility of the European space programme, essentially the - ropean Space Agency¿s Horizon 2000, Cosmic Vision programmes and their successors. Its presentcontractwiththeCommissionextendsfrom2005to2008,andincludes7networking activities, including discipline-based working groups covering the main areas of planetary sciences. A new contract with the Commission, presently under negotiation, will extend - roplanet¿s activities into the period 2009¿2012. With the broad community connection made through its Discipline Working Groups and other activities, Europlanet offers an ideal base from which to identify new elds of research for planetary sciences and to stimulate coll- orative work among its member laboratories.

The most updated and comprehensive review of planetary lightning and electrical phenomena, as observed from Earth and from modern spacecraft

Foreword.- Planetary Atmospheric Electricity.- Investigating Earth's Atmospheric Electricity: a Role Model for Planetary Studies.- Updated Review of Planetary Atmospheric Electricity.- Physical Processes Related to Discharges in Planetary Atmospheres.- An Overview of Earth's Global Electric Circuit and Atmospheric Conductivity.- Ions in the Terrestrial Atmosphere and Other Solar System Atmospheres.- Charge Generation and Separation Processes.- Physics of Electric Discharges in Atmospheric Gases: An Informal Introduction.- Cosmic Ray Induced Ion Production in the Atmosphere.- Meteoric Layers in Planetary Atmospheres.- Profiles of Ion and Aerosol Interactions in Planetary Atmospheres.- Composition and Measurement of Charged Atmospheric Clusters.- Atmospheric Ions and Aerosol Formation.- Tropospheric New Particle Formation and the Role of Ions.- Ground-Based and Space-Based Radio Observations of Planetary Lightning.- Atmospheric Electricity at Saturn.- Atmospheric Electricity Hazards.- Electrical Effects on Atmospheric Chemistry.- TARANIS-A Satellite Project Dedicated to the Physics of TLEs and TGFs.- Lightning Detection by LAC Onboard the Japanese Venus Climate Orbiter, Planet-C.- Charge Separation Mechanisms in Clouds.- Charge Structure and Dynamics in Thunderstorms.- Formation of Charge Layers in the Planetary Atmospheres.- Electrical Charging of Volcanic Plumes.- Electrical Activity and Dust Lifting on Earth, Mars, and Beyond.- The Charging of Planetary Rings.- Schumann Resonances as a Means of Investigating the Electromagnetic Environment in the Solar System.- Blue Jets: Upward Lightning.- VLF Studies During TLE Occurrences in Europe: A Summary of New Findings.- DEMETER Observations of EM Emissions Related to Thunderstorms.- On ULF Signatures ofLightning Discharges.