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Terrestrial gamma ray flashes and lightning discharges
Author(s) -
Inan U. S.,
Cohen M. B.,
Said R. K.,
Smith D. M.,
Lopez L. I.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl027085
Subject(s) - lightning (connector) , atmospherics , upper atmospheric lightning , storm , gamma ray , meteorology , atmospheric electricity , spacecraft , thunderstorm , environmental science , remote sensing , meteor (satellite) , physics , geology , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , lightning strike , astronomy , electric field , power (physics) , quantum mechanics
Analysis of ELF/VLF broadband data from Palmer Station, Antarctica indicates that 76% Terrestrial Gamma‐ray Flashes (TGFs) detected on the RHESSI spacecraft occur in association with lightning‐generated radio atmospherics arriving from near the footprint of RHESSI and within a few ms of the TGF. The remaining TGFs are not associated with any radio atmospheric, thus by implication CG lightning. The peak currents of TGF‐associated lightning discharges are often among the most intense from a given storm, with the degree of this association apparently varying between oceanic and land regions. The time‐integrated ELF energy of the associated sferics (and thus the lightning charge moment) exhibit much less tendency to be large. Statistical analysis of the spread in arrival time suggests a ∼2 ms variance due to factors other than geometry and measurement error.