VLF Imaging of Lightning-Induced Disturbances of the Lower Ionosphere

PI提出了一个实验研究电离层的局部和瞬态扰动，发生在雷电放电。这些干扰是通过它们对在附近的地球电离层波导中传播的甚低频（VLF）信号的相位和幅度的影响来遥感的。这个项目是以前的VLF观测项目的产物，将在多个地点建立一个测量的实验配置，构成两个阵列（东和西）。这些阵列提供了扰动的高分辨率测量，捕获了足够数量的必要事件，并为扰动大小的全息成像提供了数据库。电离层扰动可能是由闪电辐射和与电离层直接相互作用的准静态场产生的，或者是由由闪电放电产生的哨声波从辐射带中析出的高能电子爆发产生的。这两种现象都有规律地发生；然而，指数必须确定这些事件的空间范围和分布，以评估它们的全球意义。他将通过互联网从现场站点传输数据，使其几乎实时地提供给科学界。最后，该项目将提供重要的教育推广，因为现场设备将部署在高中，学生和教师将被鼓励与斯坦福大学的研究人员互动。

The PI proposes an experimental investigation of lower ionosphere localized and transient disturbances, occurring with lightning discharges. These disturbances are remotely sensed by their effect on the phase and amplitude of very low frequency (VLF) signals propagating in the nearby Earth-ionosphere waveguide. This program is an outgrowth of previous VLF observation programs, and will establish an experiment configuration of measurements at multiple sites, constituting two arrays (east and west). These arrays provide high resolution measurement of disturbances, capturing a sufficient number of necessary events, and providing a database for holographic imaging of the disturbances' size. Ionospheric disturbances may be produced by lightning radiation and quasi-static fields directly interacting with the ionosphere, or by bursts of energetic electrons precipitated out of the radiation belts by whistler waves originating in lightning discharges. Both phenomena regularly occur; however, the PI must determine the spatial extent and distribution of these events to assess their global significance. He will transfer data from field sites over the Internet, making it available to the scientific community in near real-time. Finally, this program will provide important educational outreach, since field equipment will be deployed at high schools, where students and teachers will be encouraged to interact with Stanford University investigators.