THE 1965 ARPA-AEC JOINT LIGHTNING STUDY AT LOS ALAMOS. VOLUME 4. DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FALSE TRIGGERING OF AIR-FLUORESCENCE DETECTION SYSTEMS BY LIGHTNING,
Abstract
Optical discrimination techniques to prevent false triggering of nuclear-explosion-excited air-fluorescence detection systems by lightning are evaluated. The spectra of lightning and of air fluorescence are very different: lightning emits a strong continuum and neutral and ionized atomic line radiations, whereas the air-fluorescence spectrum is primarily molecular band radiation. The discrimination technique makes optimum use of two detectors to identify the source of a light pulse through these differences. False triggering of the detection system occurs either when the source is misidentified or when one of the measurements cannot be made because the incident signal at that wavelength is below the detection threshold. The present evaluation is a statistical prediction of false-triggering rates taking into account: lightning emissions, air-fluorescence emissions, atmospheric propagation mechanisms, detector-component parameters, and background radiation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 26, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0685442
Entities
People
- Guy E. Barasch
Organizations
- Los Alamos National Laboratory