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Observation of blue sprite spectra at 10,000 fps
Author(s) -
Kanmae Takeshi,
StenbaekNielsen Hans C.,
McHarg Matthew G.,
Haaland Ryan K.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1029/2010gl043739
Subject(s) - sprite (computer graphics) , spectrograph , spectral line , physics , optics , electric field , astrophysics , astronomy , quantum mechanics , computer science , computer vision
Spectra from individual sprite streamer heads and column‐shaped glows were observed with a high‐speed slit‐less spectrograph at 10,000 fps during an aircraft campaign in August 2009. Blue emissions were recorded from streamer heads in five events and from glows in one event. The streamer heads consistently have a larger fraction of blue emission spectra compared to the glows for the events in 19 August 2009. It confirms, at unprecedented spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution, the more energetic nature of sprite streamer heads than column‐shaped glows. For the events on 19 August 2009, estimated local electric fields in the streamer heads are 0.4–0.9 E k , and those in the glows are 0.3–0.6 E k , where E k is the conventional breakdown threshold field.