An overview of VHF lightning observations by digital interferometry from ISS/JEM-GLIMS

Morimoto, Takeshi; Kikuchi, Hiroshi; Sato, Mitsuteru; Ushio, Tomoo; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Ishida, Ryôhei; Sakamoto, Yuji; Yoshida, Kazuya; Hobara, Yasuhide; Sano, Takeshi; Abe, Takumi; Kawasaki, Zen

doi:10.1186/s40623-016-0522-1

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Using the waveform data of VHF pulses shown in Figure e and an analysis method based on the interferometric technique, it is possible to estimate the source locations of the VHF pulses in the thundercloud. In fact, such a data analysis technique has already been developed, and we succeeded in estimating the source locations [ Morimoto et al , ; Kikuchi et al , ]. In the same manner as ground‐based VHF interferometers (e.g., LMA developed in the United States [ Thomas et al , ; Goodman et al , ] and VHF Broadband Digital Interferometry System developed by Osaka University), it is possible to estimate the spatiotemporal evolution of the lightning currents and of the TLE‐exciting lightning currents in a thundercloud, which will essentially contribute to the understanding of the EMP effects of horizontal lightning currents in thunderclouds on the creation of plasma irregularities at the ionospheric D region and to the identification of the occurrence conditions of TLEs.…”

Section: Electromagnetic Waves Measured By Wave Receiversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview and early results of the Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements mission

et al. 2015

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Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements on Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-GLIMS) isa space mission to conduct the nadir observations of lightning discharges and transient luminous events (TLEs). The main objectives of this mission are to identify the horizontal distribution of TLEs and to solve the occurrence conditions determining the spatial distribution. JEM-GLIMS was successfully launched and started continuous nadir observations in 2012. The global distribution of the detected lightning events shows that most of the events occurred over continental regions in the local summer hemisphere. In some events, strong far-ultraviolet emissions have been simultaneously detected with N 2 1P and 2P emissions by the spectrophotometers, which strongly suggest the occurrence of TLEs. Especially, in some of these events, no significant optical emission was measured by the narrowband filter camera, which suggests the occurrence of elves, not sprites. The VLF receiver also succeeded in detecting lightning whistlers, which show clear falling-tone frequency dispersion. Based on the optical data, the time delay from the detected lightning emission to the whistlers was identified as ∼10 ms, which can be reasonably explained by the wave propagation with the group velocity of whistlers. The VHF interferometer conducted the spaceborne interferometric observations and succeeded in detecting VHF pulses. We observed that the VHF pulses are likely to be excited by the lightning discharge possibly related with in-cloud discharges and measured with the JEM-GLIMS optical instruments. Thus, JEM-GLIMS provides the first full set of optical and electromagnetic data of lightning and TLEs obtained by nadir observations from space.

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Section: Electromagnetic Waves Measured By Wave Receiversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview and early results of the Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements mission

et al. 2015

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“…GLIMS mission has achieved the world's first lightning observations by means of space-borne VHF interferometry (Sato et al 2015;Kikuchi et al 2016;Morimoto et al 2016). them as well as the engineers of companies that contributed towards development, especially Dainichi Denshi Co., Ltd. and Japan Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lightning observations of a small satellite “Maido-1”

Morimoto

Kikuchi

Yoshida³

et al. 2017

JAE

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Abstract. This paper reviews developments and lightning observations on a small satellite "Maido-1" and its electromagnetic (EM) payload, the very high frequency (VHF) sensor. Maido-1 satellite was launched on January 23, 2009 and injected into the sunsynchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 660 km. A radio frequency receiver was installed on Maido-1 to examine the feasibility of the space-based digital interferometer receiving lightning EM impulses in VHF band. Through the nine months of the operation period of Maido-1, the VHF sensor conducted 158 lightning observations and recorded about 15,000 VHF EM waveforms around the world. The main achievements of the VHF sensor on Maido-1 are 1) functional confirmation of the sensor manufactured by commercial off-theshelf products, 2) validation of the sensor sensitivity designed by the numerical estimation for the attenuation in the propagation path, and 3) verification of the available EM noise environment for the lightning observation on the orbit. Characteristics of pulse duration and pulse pair founded in the recoded waveforms are studied using numerical simulation for a layered ionosphere model. This paper also proposes the estimation considering the ionospheric propagation, and its effectiveness is demonstrated.

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“…The two most common techniques used for lightning geolocation in ground‐based LLSs are time‐of‐arrival (TOA) and direction finding (DF) [e.g., Cummins et al ., ; Cummins and Murphy , ; Rakov , ]. Low‐Earth orbiting, satellite‐based LLSs use either optical imaging [e.g., Christian et al ., ] or a VHF direction‐finding technique [e.g., Jacobson et al ., ; Morimoto et al ., , ] to geolocate lightning.…”

Section: Lightning Geolocation Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Broadband VHF interferometry, using a two‐antenna system to estimate a direction of arrival, has been used along with optical imaging to geolocate lightning in low‐Earth orbiting satellite‐based LLSs [ Morimoto et al ., ]. Jacobson et al .…”

Section: Lightning Geolocation Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As discussed in section 3, VHF direction finding techniques have been used in low‐Earth orbiting satellite‐based LLSs. In general, such LLSs geolocate lightning at the storm [ Jacobson et al ., ] or cloud level [ Morimoto et al ., ]. Data collected over time by such LLSs can be used in climatological studies, but they cannot provide continuous monitoring of individual thunderstorms.…”

Section: Performance Characteristics Of Llss Operating At Various Frementioning

confidence: 99%

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Lightning locating systems: Insights on characteristics and validation techniques

Nag

Murphy

Schulz

et al. 2015

Earth and Space Science

168

108

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Ground-based and satellite-based lightning locating systems are the most common ways to detect and geolocate lightning. Depending upon the frequency range of operation, LLSs may report a variety of processes and characteristics associated with lightning flashes including channel formation, leader pulses, cloud-to-ground return strokes, M-components, ICC pulses, cloud lightning pulses, location, duration, peak current, peak radiated power and energy, and full spatial extent of channels. Lightning data from different types of LLSs often provide complementary information about thunderstorms. For all the applications of lightning data, it is critical to understand the information that is provided by various lightning locating systems in order to interpret it correctly and make the best use of it. In this study, we summarize the various methods to geolocate lightning, both ground-based and satellite-based, and discuss the characteristics of lightning data available from various sources. The performance characteristics of lightning locating systems are determined by their ability to geolocate lightning events accurately with high detection efficiency and with low false detections and report various features of lightning correctly. Different methods or a combination of methods may be used to validate the performance characteristics of different types of lightning locating systems. We examine these methods and their applicability in validating the performance characteristics of different LLS types.

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An overview of VHF lightning observations by digital interferometry from ISS/JEM-GLIMS

Cited by 7 publications

References 21 publications

Overview and early results of the Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements mission

Overview and early results of the Global Lightning and Sprite Measurements mission

Lightning observations of a small satellite “Maido-1”

Lightning locating systems: Insights on characteristics and validation techniques

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