Lightning: Electromagnetic Environment and Source Parameters

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法》(公法111-5)资助的。闪电对公共安全和经济安全产生重大影响，因为雷击造成大量人员伤亡，对森林、住房和企业以及社会日益依赖的脆弱技术系统造成频繁和广泛的破坏。该项目支持的科学调查将有助于更好地探测和量化伴随闪电引发、传播和环境影响的各种物理过程，并最终控制这些过程。将努力将观测和建模方法结合起来，以解决自然发生的和“触发的”闪电。后者依赖于一种独特的系统，该系统利用从佛罗里达州布朗德营的国际公认研究设施发射的小型火箭(沿着导线)发射成活跃的雷暴。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。这两个设施都由首席调查员管理和运营，部分由该项目提供的资金支持。这项研究的智力价值在于对闪电通道内和周围发生的物理现象有了更好的了解，从闪电在大气中最初触发和逐步传播的关键过程开始，但最终包括到达附近和远处环境的电磁辐射。这项研究将利用传统的先进高速光学系统，但也涉及对高能X射线和伽马射线暴的探测和量化，并将探索这些最近发现的辐射产生的机制。观测将涉及能够扰乱电力传输和敏感电子系统的电磁影响，并扩展到评估运行中的国家闪电探测网络(NLDN)的性能特征。将继续分析以前在上述佛罗里达州中北部实地观测点获得的独特数据。更广泛的影响将通过改进闪电探测和减少相关损害的方法而产生，但将延伸到学生培训，包括直接参与受雇于实地研究设施的本科生和本科生，以及在大学校园提供更多课程。并通过一个远程学习计划。将继续通过公共研讨会和高中演讲进行宣传。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言。结果的传播将通过媒体采访、现有科学期刊内的正式出版物，以及首席调查员与能源生产和分配公司以及相关应用研究小组的既定接口进行。

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.