Triggered lightning return stroke luminosity to 1 km in two optical bands
Abstract
Measured luminosity waveforms are presented and analyzed as a function of time and channel height using two types of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) for 19 triggered-lightning return strokes during summer 2016. APD type I had an optical bandwidth from 200 nm to 1,000 nm, with peak response at 600 nm (green light), and APD type II had an optical bandwidth from 400 nm to 1,000 nm with a peak response at 800 nm (red light). Ten channel heights ranging from 0 to 1 km (in 100 m increments) were observed by both types of APDs, 20 total, and measured the luminosity in vertical channel slices of approximately 3 m. For APD type I, the return stroke luminosity waveforms generally decay faster following its singular initial peak (IP) than the waveforms recorded by APD type II. APD type II waveforms often exhibit a second maxima (SM) following the IP. Although the wave shapes recorded by each APD type diverge after the IP, the risetime of the initial luminosity wave front preceding the IP for both types of APDs agrees well. The divergence in the luminosity wave shapes following the IP indicates that APD type II is capable of recording spectral lines that are excited or enhanced after the IP more effectively than APD type I. In addition, the SM/IP ratio increases as a function of channel height, indicating that the spectral range better captured by APD type II is more predominant at the top of the channel than at the bottom. Finally, because APD type II responds better to longer wavelengths than APD type I, and because the SM occurs a few microseconds after the IP (at the channel-bottom), we conjecture that the SM following the IP is a consequence of spectral lines excited during the cooling of the channel, following the initial high-temperature/pressure stage. Our data suggests that the initial optical radiation during the return stroke is dominated by ionized atomic species (e.g. four NII lines between 450 and 600 nm, better captured by APD type I) radiated at higher temperatures while the later optical radiation, particularly farther up the channel, is mostly due to neutral atomic species (e.g., OI 777.4 nm, NI 821.6—822.4 nm, better captured by APD type II) radiated at lower temperatures.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AGUFMAE12A..03C
- Keywords:
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- 3304 Atmospheric electricity;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 3324 Lightning;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 3360 Remote sensing;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 3394 Instruments and techniques;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES