HR: 1340h
AN: AE23A-0909 [Abstracts]
TI: Origin Of The Pancake-Shaped And The Donut-Shaped Elves
AU: * Tsai, L
EM: f4489662@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Chou, J
EM: c2491120@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Kuo, C
EM: johnny@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Kuo, C
EM: johnny@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Institute of Space Science, National Central University, No.300, Jhongda Rd.,Zhongli City,
Taoyuan County, 32001, Taiwan
AU: Lee, Y
EM: yjlee@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Chen, A B
EM: alfred@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Chen, A B
EM: alfred@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Plasma and Space Science Center, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd.,
Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
AU: Su, H
EM: htsu@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Hsu, R
EM: rrhsu@phys.ncku.edu.tw
AF: Physics Department, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Dasyue Rd., Tainan, 70101,
Taiwan
AU: Frey, H U
EM: hfrey@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA
94720-7450, United States
AU: Mende, S B
EM: mende@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA
94720-7450, United States
AU: Fukunishi, H
EM: fuku@pat.geophys.tohoku.ac.jp
AF: Department of Geophysics, Tohoku University, Aramaki, Aoba-ku,Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578,
Japan
AU: Takahashi, Y
EM: yukihiro@pat.geophys.tohoku.ac.jp
AF: Department of Geophysics, Tohoku University, Aramaki, Aoba-ku,Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578,
Japan
AU: Lee, L
EM: loulee@ncu.edu.tw
AF: National Central University, No.300, Jhongda Rd., Jhongli City, Taoyuan County, 32001,
Taiwan
AB:
Among the known species of upper atmospheric transient luminous events, elve is the most abundant in the
ISUAL recorded events. The correlation between elves and their causative lightning is an interesting problem
needed to be addressed. We selected 760 elves with distinct morphology from the 4000-plus elves recorded by
ISUAL since June 2004. From these elves, the occurrence ratio between the pancake-shape and the donut-
shape elves is deduced and the value is around unity. This ratio was unexpected since the known occurrence
ratio between the cloud discharges (IC) and the cloud-to ground flashes (CG) is known to be around three to one.
To explore the root cause(s) behind this discrepancy, a 2-dimensional EMP model with horizontal lightning
components are studied numerically. The results show that the initiating current for the pancake elves from ICs is
substantially higher than that for the donut elves from CGs. The morphological origin of these two distinct types of
elves will also be discussed.
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 3311 Clouds and aerosols
DE: 3324 Lightning
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting