Dual-propagation-path entry of lightning-generated whistlers into the low-latitude magnetosphere

Using burst-mode VLF recordings from the VEFI payload on the C/NOFS satellite, we have studied dual-propagation-path penetration of lightning-generated whistlers into the magnetosphere. We use a unique automated retrieval of the wave dispersion(s) of whistler-like features in the recordings, not constrained by assuming single dispersion. We use the measured polarization of the wave, plus ion composition from the CINDI payload, to infer initial wavevector for launching a reverse raytrace to infer the transionospheric path from the Earth's atmosphere to the satellite. We use the WWLLN lightning-location system to ground-truth the origin of many of the whistlers observed at C/NOFS. We combine these elements to elucidate the presence of more than one propagation path for the outbound whistlers.