The Rocket-Triggered Lightning Investigation: 1981 Progress Report.

Abstract

The 1981 progress of the Rocket Triggered Lightning Investigation program is reported. In a Lightning Strike Object (LSO) was designed, fabricated and instrumented. A Lightning Strike Scaffold capable of elevating the LSO above the ground plane was constructed atop South Baldy Mountain, near Socorro, New Mexico. During the summer thunderstorm season, the LSO was hoisted into the Strike Scaffold and was subjected to over forty nearby and attached triggered lightning strikes. The recorders available for the 1981 program were insufficiently responsive to provide high quality data on lightning interaction characteristics; however, all sensors and data links where proved to be operable. The primary finding was that lightning-object interaction data can be reliably and repeatedly acquired through the directing of triggered lightning to an instrumented target object. The report includes a detailed description of the system developed for the program, a discussion of system limitations, and results of the effort as of September 1981.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1983
Accession Number
ADA131409

Entities

People

  • Charles W. Schubert Jr.
  • Richard D. Richmond

Organizations

  • Wright Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Atmospheric Electricity
  • Cameras
  • Composite Materials
  • Data Acquisition
  • Electric Fields
  • Electricity
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Measurement
  • Motion Picture Cameras
  • New Mexico
  • Photographs
  • Recording Systems
  • Research Facilities
  • Vehicle Equipment

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.