Lightning: Electromagnetic Environment and Source Parameters

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。闪电通过其在制造众多伤害和生命损失方面的作用，以及对森林、住房和企业以及社会日益依赖的脆弱技术系统的频繁和广泛破坏，对公共安全和经济安全产生重大影响。 该项目支持的科学调查将有助于更好地检测和量化伴随并最终控制闪电引发，传播和环境影响的各种物理过程。 将努力将联合收割机观测和建模方法相结合，以解决自然发生的和“触发”的雷击。 这些后一种事件取决于一个独特的系统，该系统利用从佛罗里达布兰丁营的一个国际公认的研究设施发射的小型火箭（追踪导线）进入活跃的雷暴。 研究还将利用扩大的能力，在盖恩斯维尔附近的一个设施测量闪电的高频电场导数。 这两个设施均由首席研究员管理和操作，部分由本项目提供的资金支持。这项研究的智力价值在于提高对闪电通道内及其周围发生的物理现象的理解，首先是闪电通过大气层的初始触发和逐步传播的关键过程，但最终包括到达附近和远处环境的电磁发射。 这项研究将利用传统的先进高速光学系统，但也涉及高能X射线和伽马射线爆发的检测和量化，并将探索这些最近发现的发射产生的机制。 观测将解决能够破坏电力传输和敏感电子系统的电磁影响，并扩展到对运行中的国家闪电探测网络（NLDN）的性能特征进行评估。 对先前在佛罗里达中北部的上述实地观测点获得的独特数据的分析将继续进行。通过改进闪电探测和减轻相关损害的方法，将产生更广泛的影响，但将扩展到学生培训，包括研究生和本科生的直接参与，在现场研究设施和增强课程的课程，无论是在校园内的佛罗里达大学和通过远程学习计划雇用的学生水平。 将继续通过公共研讨会和高中演讲进行外联。 影响将包括继续与国际科学家合作，并在国内和国际科学和工程会议上发表演讲。 结果的传播将通过媒体采访、在已建立的科学期刊上发表正式文章，以及通过主要研究者与能源生产和分配公司以及相关应用研究小组建立的联系来进行。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Lightning significantly impacts public safety and economic security both through its role in producing numerous injuries and loss of life as well as by frequent and extensive damage to forests, housing and businesses, and vulnerable technological systems upon which society increasingly depends. Scientific investigations supported by this project will serve to better detect and quantify a wide range of physical processes that accompany and ultimately control lightning initiation, propagation and environmental impacts. Efforts will combine observational and modeling approaches to address both naturally-occurring and "triggered" lightning strikes. These latter events hinge on a unique system utilizing small rockets (which trail a conductive wire) launched into active thunderstorms from an internationally-recognized research facility at Camp Blanding, Florida. Studies will also take advantage of expanded capabilities to measure high frequency electric field derivatives of lightning at a nearby facility in Gainesville. Both of these facilities are managed and operated by the Principal Investigator and partly supported via funds provided under this project.The intellectual merit of this research rests on the improved understanding of physics occurring within and immediately surrounding lightning channels, beginning with processes key to the initial triggering and step-wise propagation of lightning through the atmosphere, but ultimately encompassing electromagnetic emissions reaching into the nearby and distant environments. This research will utilize traditional advanced high-speed optical systems, but also involve detection and quantification of highly energetic x-ray and gamma-ray bursts, and will explore mechanisms involved in the generation of these recently identified emissions. Observations will address electromagnetic influences capable of disrupting power transmission and sensitive electronic systems and extend to evaluation of performance characteristics of the operational National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). Analysis of unique data previously acquired at the aforementioned field observational sites in north-central Florida will continue.Broader impacts will be derived through improved methods for lightning detection and mitigation of associated damage, but will extend to student training, including direct involvement both graduate- and undergraduate-level students employed at the field research facilities and enhanced course offerings both on the campus of the Univ. of Florida and via a Distance Learning Program. Outreach through public seminars and high-school presentations will continue. Impacts will involve continuation of collaborations with international scientists and presentations at both domestic and international science and engineering conferences. Dissemination of results will occur both through media interviews, formal publications within established scientific journals, and through the Principal Investigator's established interface with energy generation and distribution companies and associated applied research groups.