Title: | Horizontal distributions of sprites derived from the JEM-GLIMS nadir observations |
Authors: | Sato, M. Browse this author |
Mihara, M. Browse this author |
Adachi, T. Browse this author |
Ushio, T. Browse this author |
Morimoto, T. Browse this author |
Kikuchi, M. Browse this author |
Kikuchi, H. Browse this author |
Suzuki, M. Browse this author |
Yamazaki, A. Browse this author |
Takahashi, Y. Browse this author |
Inan, U. Browse this author |
Linscott, I. Browse this author |
Ishida, R. Browse this author |
Sakamoto, Y. Browse this author |
Yoshida, K. Browse this author |
Hobara, Y. Browse this author |
Keywords: | lightning |
TLEs |
thunderstorm |
ISS |
Issue Date: | 17-Apr-2016 |
Publisher: | American Geophysical Union |
Journal Title: | Journal of geophysical research atmospheres |
Volume: | 121 |
Issue: | 7 |
Start Page: | 3171 |
End Page: | 3194 |
Publisher DOI: | 10.1002/2015JD024311 |
Abstract: | Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements on Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-GLIMS) started the nadir observations of lightning discharges and transient luminous events (TLEs) from the International Space Station (ISS) since November 2012. In the nadir observations, JEM-GLIMS optical instruments have to simultaneously detect incomparably intense lightning emissions and weak TLE emissions. To distinguish TLEs, especially sprite events, from lightning events, combined data analytical methods are adopted: (1) a subtraction of the wideband camera image from the narrowband camera image, (2) a calculation of the intensity ratio between different photometer channels, and (3) an estimation of the polarization and charge moment changes for the TLE-producing lightning discharges. We succeeded in identifying numbers of sprite events using the combined analytical methods, and here we report three sprite events detected by JEM-GLIMS as a case study. In the subtracted images, sprite emissions are located over the area of the sprite-producing lightning emissions. However, these sprites and sprite-producing lightning discharges did not occur at the nadir point of the ISS. For this reason, the geometry conversion of the sprite and sprite-producing lightning emissions as observed from the point just over the sprite-producing lightning discharges is performed. In the geometry-converted images, the locations of the sprite emissions are clearly displaced by 8-20km from the peak positions of the sprite-producing lightning emissions. Thus, the first quantitative spatial distributions of sprites and sprite-producing lightning discharges from the JEM-GLIMS nadir observations are revealed. |
Rights: | Copyright 2016 American Geophysical Union. |
Type: | article |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2115/64171 |
Appears in Collections: | 理学院・理学研究院 (Graduate School of Science / Faculty of Science) > 雑誌発表論文等 (Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, etc)
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