Thunderstorm Electrification in STEPS-2000

计划于2000年初夏在堪萨斯州西部进行的严重雷暴电气化和降水研究野外计划(STEPS)将使用飞机、雷达和其他观测系统提供雷暴及其周围的广泛观测。作为步骤的一部分，T-28风暴穿透飞机上将搭载一台仪器，提供飓风和冰雹粒子的图像，并同时测量它们的电荷。韦恩博士将在现场项目期间维护这台仪器，并在之后合作分析数据。这些数据将被用来评估闪电产生的所谓无感电荷假说，该假说试图解释雷暴中强电场的产生，原因是不同大小的冰粒在碰撞时，电荷会有系统地转移。该项目还包括开发和部署一种新的气球载仪器，用于测量电场的垂直剖面。与新墨西哥理工学院闪电测绘阵列结合使用，其位置由GPS导航确定，电场强度数据通过脉冲调制信号传输到阵列。STEPS提供了通过将测量结果与使用传统设备的测量结果进行比较来评估该仪器的机会。对数据的分析将与美国国家科学基金会支持的其他STEPS项目协调，包括新墨西哥理工学院的闪电测图仪(ATM-9912073)、CHILL雷达(ATM-9912051和-9982030)以及其他气球电场探测(ATM-9912562)。

The Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study field program (STEPS), planned for the early summer of 2000 in western Kansas, will provide a wide range of observations in and around thunderstorms using aircraft, radar, and other observing systems. As part of STEPS, an instrument will be flown on the T-28 storm-penetration aircraft that provides images of graupel and hail particles and simultaneously measures their electrical charges. Dr. Winn will maintain this instrument during the field program and collaborate in the analysis of the data afterwards. The data will be used to assess the so-called noninductive charging hypothesis of lightning generation, which attempts to explain the creation of strong electric fields in thunderstorms by the systematic transfer of charges between ice particles of different sizes as they collide. This project also includes the development and deployment during STEPS of a new, balloon-borne instrument for measuring vertical profiles of the electric field. Used in connection with the New Mexico Tech lightning-mapping array, its position is determined by GPS navigation and the data on electric field strength are transmitted to the array by a pulse-modulated signal. STEPS provides the opportunity to evaluate this instrument by comparing the measurements with those using conventional equipment. Analysis of the data will be coordinated with other NSF-supported STEPS projects, including the New Mexico Tech lightning mapper (ATM-9912073), the CHILL radar (ATM-9912051 and -9982030), and other balloon soundings of the electric field (ATM-9912562).