DEELUMINOS: Electromagnetic Energy Deposition in the Upper Atmosphere Signaled by Sprites and Other Transient Luminous Events

The global character of sprites, and TLEs in general, have first been indicated by the early MLE experiment onboard the Space Shuttle between 1989 and 1991. This aspect was confirmed by several ground based and airborne campaigns around the world, including Brazil in 2002. Recent spaceborne experiments, e.g. MEIDEX/ Space Shuttle Columbia, LSO/ISS, and routine ISUAL observations onboard the ROCSAT-2 satellite have definitely established that TLEs global aspect. In Brazil the first scientific campaign performed in 2002, associated with the project Electrodynamics of Sprite Associated Thunderstorms (ETAS), funded by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (FAPESP), and the NSF In-situ Electrodynamics of Sprite Producing Thunderstorms project, resulting in prolific observation of sprites and elves. This year, FAPESP has funded the project DEELUMINOS under their Young Research Scientist at Emerging Centers Program (JP). The JP is a special program to build the infrastructure necessary for the development of new research areas in the country. Requests of support for visiting scientist, technicians, Master and PhD students, that will guarantee the continuity of this research in the Brazil, have priority over all the other programs. Having a total duration of 4 years, and the first author as the PI, the DEELUMINOS' main goal is to establish in Brazil the new field that studies the effects of thunderstorms in the upper atmosphere. The scientific objectives involve performing several campaigns, routine observations, and theoretical modeling; all in collaboration with Brazilian and Foreign scientist. The first campaign, in Sept-Nov 2005, is a joint effort with the NASA project Experimental and Modeling Studies of Potential Gravity Wave Seeding of Plasma Dynamics at Equatorial Latitudes, whose PI is Dave Fritts from CoRA/US. The campaign involves the collaboration of several Brazilian and American research institutions. The two main objectives are to investigate a possible gravity wave seeding of sprites in the Mesosphere, and of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability that triggers Irregularities (ESF) and Plasma Bubles in the Ionosphere. This paper will present the Brazilian project DEELUMINOS in detail and will show the preliminary results of the collabortive NASA and FAPESP campaign.