SGER: A Portable Three-Dimensional (3-D) Mapping System for Lightning Studies and Possible New Applications

这是一个探索性研究的小额赠款，以协助开发一个便携式，轻量级版本的新墨西哥州科技闪电测绘阵列（LMA）。 LMA是一个由12个VHF接收器组成的网络，采用GPS定时来高精度地测量闪电信号的到达时间。 三角测量能够以极高的空间和时间分辨率对网络附近的闪光进行三维映射-信息无法通过其他方式获得。 LMA数据，特别是与雷达风暴模式和现场测量的电场与机载仪器相结合，大大推进了雷暴带电的理解在过去几年中。 这笔赠款支持开发一个更小版本的LMA，这将是易于携带和快速部署的风暴研究。 便携式版本是可行的，因为不断改进和小型化的个人接收站。 它将足够小，以便能够在由于物流或其他考虑而不可能的位置和情况下进行闪电测量。 该系统潜在用途的例子包括：在暴风雨前或从移动的车辆或飞机上进行移动的部署，使用电池供电的阵列进行无线通信，在体育赛事或其他需要关注闪电危险的情况下进行实时闪电观测，或对意外机会作出反应，如研究与火山爆发有关的闪电。 VHF信号的精确三角测量是LMA的工作原理，它为闪电测绘之外的创新和探索性应用打开了大门。 这些技术包括通过输电线路产生的放电来定位输电线路上的故障，定位携带小型“脉冲器”装置的人员，跟踪携带脉冲器的气球或飞机，以及定位和表征建筑物的射频噪声发射。

This is a Small Grant for Exploratory Research to assist in the development of a portable, lightweight version of the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA). The LMA is a network of twelve VHF receivers employing GPS timing to measure the time of arrival of signals from lightning flashes with high precision. Triangulation enables the 3-D mapping of the flashes in the vicinity of the network with extremely high resolution in space and time - information not otherwise available. LMA data, especially in combination with radar storm patterns and in-situ measurements of the electric field with airborne instruments, have greatly advanced the understanding of thunderstorm electrification in the past few years. This grant supports the development of a smaller version of the LMA that will be easily portable and quickly deployable for storm studies. The portable version is feasible because of continued improvements and miniaturization of the individual receiving stations. It will be small enough to enable lightning measurements in locations and situations that would not be possible otherwise because of logistics or other considerations. Examples of the potential uses of the system are mobile deployment ahead of storms or from moving vehicles or aircraft, using battery-operated arrays with wireless communications for real-time lightning observations at sporting events or other situations where lightning hazards are a concern, or responding to unexpected opportunities, such as studying the lightning associated with volcanic eruptions. Accurate triangulation of VHF signals, which is the operating principle of the LMA, opens the door to innovative and exploratory applications apart from lightning mapping. These include locating faults on power transmission lines by the electrical discharges they produce, locating personnel carrying small "pulser" units, tracking balloons or airplanes carrying pulsers, and locating and characterizing radio frequency noise emissions from buildings.