Collaborative Research: Antarctic ELF/VLF Observations of Lightning and Lightning-Induced Electron Precipitation

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。该提案寻求资金，利用ELF/VLF (~5 Hz？32千赫)在南极大陆的观测。协调一致的努力将充分表征北半球发生的个别雷击，同时观测南极相关的极低频/极低频波形。除了提高对ELF/VLF波研究的总体认识外，这些观测还将用于区分与电离层/磁层耦合的闪电能量和与地球电离层波导耦合的闪电能量。将在北半球和南半球同时进行LEP观测，以便：(1)定量地联系向上耦合的闪电能量和LEP的产生，(2)评估LEP在两个半球发生的条件。佛罗里达州火箭触发的闪电允许直接测量闪电电流，并将有助于闪电和lep相关的研究工作。南极考察站的地理位置非常理想，既可以进行远距离极低频/极低频闪电观测，也可以进行共轭区极低频散射观测，这是该计划成功实施的必要条件。对研究生和本科生的持续依赖为这项拟议的研究提供了更广泛的影响，并坚定地将这一努力置于其教育使命中。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The proposal seeks funding to investigate quantitatively the lightning-induced electron precipitation (LEP) using the ELF/VLF (~5 Hz?32 kHz) observations on the Antarctic continent. A coordinated effort will fully characterize individual lightning strokes occurring in the northern hemisphere while simultaneously observing the associated ELF/VLF waveforms in the Antarctic. In addition to advancing knowledge of the ELF/VLF wave studies in general, these observations will be used to differentiate between lightning energy that couples to the ionosphere/magnetosphere and that which couples to the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Simultaneous observations of LEP will be conducted in the northern and southern hemispheres in order to: (1) quantitatively relate the upward-coupling lightning energy and LEP production, and (2) evaluate the conditions under which LEP occurs in both hemispheres. Rocket-triggered lightning in Florida allow for the direct measurement of lightning currents and will contribute to both the lightning- and LEP-related research efforts. The Antarctic research stations are ideally situated to perform both the long-distance ELF/VLF lightning observations and the VLF scattering observations for LEP detection in the conjugate region, necessary for the success of this program. Continued reliance on graduate and undergraduate students provides a broader impact to this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.