HR: 08:00h
AN: AE51A-01 INVITED     [PDF]
TI: Strong Electric Fields from Positive Lightning Strokes in the Stratosphere: Implications for Sprites
AU: * Holzworth, R H
EM: bobholz@washington.edu
AF: Earth and Space Sciences University of Washington, Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195-1310 United States
AU: McCarthy, M P
AF: Earth and Space Sciences University of Washington, Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195-1310 United States
AU: Thomas, J N
AF: Earth and Space Sciences University of Washington, Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195-1310 United States
AU: Chinowsky, T M
AF: Electrical Engineering University of Washington, EE/CSE ROOM M234, Seattle, WA 98195-2500 United States
AU: Taylor, M J
AF: Space Dynamics Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4145 United States
AU: Pinto, O
AF: Atmospheric Electricity Group, DGE/INPE, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP 12240-540 Brazil
AB: A balloon payload launched in Brazil has measured vector electric fields from lightning at least an order of magnitude larger than previously reported above 30 km in the stratosphere. During the flight hundreds of lightning events were recorded, including several positive cloud to ground lightning strokes. A two stroke flash, with small (15kA peak current) and moderate (53 kA) positive strokes at a horizontal range of 34 km, produced fields over 130 V/m at 34 km altitude. On-board optical lightning detection, recorded with GPS timing, coupled with ground based lightning location gives high time resolution for study of the electric field transient propagation. These measurements imply that lightning electric fields in the mesosphere over large thunderstorms may be much larger than previously measured.
UR: http://www.ess.washington.edu/Space/AtmosElec/Brazil.html
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 3324 Lightning
DE: 3334 Middle atmosphere dynamics (0341, 0342)
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting