The Origin of HF and VHF Radio Emissions from Lightning
Abstract
Lightning can produce a very broad spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, which is an integralpart of the earth s electromagnetic environment. On the one hand, minimizing the interferencedue to the radio noise generated by lightning is an important consideration when designing andoperating electronics, communications systems, aircrafts, etc. On the other hand, the radiosignals from lightning have been utilized to monitor and locate lightning activity for weatherforecasting, personnel safety, air traffic control, and space flight safety.The objective of this project is to understand the production of high frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz)and very high frequency (VHF, 30-300 MHz) emissions by various lightning processes, which ispoorly understood at present. Understanding lightning radio emissions in this frequency rangehas become increasingly urgent, as the normal operation of our society relies more and more oncontinuous and reliable access to wireless networks. We will analyze a rich lightning datasetcollected by using state-of-the-art instruments during a summer campaign in 2016, in order tocharacterize lightning HF and VHF emissions. To understand their production, we will performnumerical simulations of basic lightning discharge processes and investigate the radio emissionsfrom those processes. We will compare the simulation results with the measurements tounderstand how those radio emissions are generated by lightning and what conditions areimportant for their production. This project will fill a prominent gap in the knowledge oflightning radio emissions, allow advancements in our understanding of lightning initiation andpropagation, and improve the methodology of interpreting lightning radio measurements.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 11, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810358
Entities
People
- Ningyu Liu
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University System of New Hampshire