Collaborative Research: Very Low Frequency (VLF) Remote Sensing of the Lower Ionosphere and Electron Precipitation from the Radiation Belts

闪电放电与上覆电离层和辐射带之间电动力学耦合的本质是通过使用（并扩展）一组极低频（VLF）接收器来探索的，该阵列被称为电离层/闪电研究全息阵列（HAIL）。该阵列提供了对电离层产生的局部VLF干扰的高分辨率测量，这些干扰来自分布在美国大陆农村高中和社区大学的接收器。VLF干扰与来自国家闪电探测网络的闪电数据以及来自印第安纳州宽带接收器的极低频（ELF）和VLF数据相关。具体目标包括发展雷暴与辐射带耦合的物理描述，对流层、中间层、下层电离层和磁层之间电动力学耦合的描述，以及地磁风暴对电离层变率的影响。此外，利用冰雹VLF数据与卫星测量数据的相关性来量化地磁条件对雷电产生的哨声波引起的辐射带电子损失的影响。

The nature of electrodynamic coupling between lightning discharges and the overlying ionosphere and radiation belts is explored by using (and expanding) an array of very-low-frequency (VLF) receivers known as the Holographic Array for Ionospheric/Lightning research (HAIL). That array provides high-resolution measurements of local VLF disturbances generated in the ionosphere from the receivers distributed across the continental United States at rural high schools and community colleges. The VLF disturbances are correlated with lightning data from the national Lightning Detection Network and with extremely low frequency (ELF) and VLF data from a broadband receiver in Indiana. Specific objectives include development of a physical description of thunderstorm coupling to the radiation belts, a description of electrodynamic coupling between the troposphere, mesosphere, lower ionosphere and magnetosphere, and the effect of geomagnetic storms on ionospheric variability. In addition, correlation of the HAIL VLF data with satellite measurements is used to quantify the influence of geomagnetic conditions on the loss of radiation belt electrons due to lightning generated whistler waves.