View in EDS

Blue Flashes as Counterparts to Narrow Bipolar Events: The Optical Signal of Shallow In‐Cloud Discharges.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Blue Flashes as Counterparts to Narrow Bipolar Events: The Optical Signal of Shallow In‐Cloud Discharges.
Authors: Li, Dongshuai1 aluque@iaa.es, Luque, Alejandro1 aluque@iaa.es, Gordillo‐Vázquez, F. J.1, Liu, Feifan2, Lu, Gaopeng2, Neubert, Torsten3, Chanrion, Olivier3, Zhu, Baoyou2, Østgaard, Nikolai4, Reglero, Víctor5
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres. 7/16/2021, Vol. 126 Issue 13, p1-13. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Thunderstorms, Solar radio emission, Acoustic phenomena in nature, Lightning, Atmospheric electricity, Noctilucent clouds
Abstract: Narrow Bipolar Events (NBEs) are powerful radio emissions from thunderstorms, which have been recently associated with blue optical flashes on cloud tops and attributed to extensive streamer electrical discharges named fast breakdown. Combining data obtained from a thunderstorm over South China by the space‐based Atmosphere Space Interactions Monitor, the Vaisala GLD360 global lightning network and very low frequency/low frequency radio detectors, here we report and analyze for the first time the optical emissions of blue luminous events associated with negative NBEs and located at the top edge of a thundercloud. These emissions are weakly affected by scattering from cloud droplets, allowing us to estimate the source extension and optical energy involved in the process. The optical energy in the 337‐nm band emitted by fast breakdown is about 104 J, which involves around 109 streamer initiation events. Plain Language Summary: Installed on the International Space Station, the Atmosphere‐Space Interactions Monitor is designed to observe Earth thunderstorms from space. Often it detects bursts of blue light emerging from active thunderclouds. These detections have been previously linked to radio signals named narrow bipolar events (NBEs) that are routinely detected during a thunderstorm. Here we analyze the blue flashes from a storm that profusely produced negative‐polarity NBEs. The optical signal can be understood as being produced by extended events close to the cloud top and we show that it is consistent with the barely understood electrical discharge process called fast breakdown that involves a huge number of thin, bright filaments called streamers. Key Points: Negative‐polarity narrow bipolar events are typically associated with extended optical sources at the edge of a thundercloudThermal emissions in the oxygen 777 nm band are absent or very weak, indicating non‐thermal processesThe optical energy in the 337 nm band is about 104 J, which requires around 109 streamers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: GreenFILE
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: 8gh
DbLabel: GreenFILE
An: 151329732
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Blue Flashes as Counterparts to Narrow Bipolar Events: The Optical Signal of Shallow In‐Cloud Discharges.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Dongshuai%22">Li, Dongshuai</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> aluque@iaa.es</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Luque%2C+Alejandro%22">Luque, Alejandro</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> aluque@iaa.es</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gordillo‐Vázquez%2C+F%2E+J%2E%22">Gordillo‐Vázquez, F. J.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liu%2C+Feifan%22">Liu, Feifan</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lu%2C+Gaopeng%22">Lu, Gaopeng</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Neubert%2C+Torsten%22">Neubert, Torsten</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chanrion%2C+Olivier%22">Chanrion, Olivier</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhu%2C+Baoyou%22">Zhu, Baoyou</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Østgaard%2C+Nikolai%22">Østgaard, Nikolai</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Reglero%2C+Víctor%22">Reglero, Víctor</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Geophysical+Research%2E+Atmospheres%22">Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres</searchLink>. 7/16/2021, Vol. 126 Issue 13, p1-13. 13p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thunderstorms%22">Thunderstorms</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Solar+radio+emission%22">Solar radio emission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Acoustic+phenomena+in+nature%22">Acoustic phenomena in nature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lightning%22">Lightning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Atmospheric+electricity%22">Atmospheric electricity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Noctilucent+clouds%22">Noctilucent clouds</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Narrow Bipolar Events (NBEs) are powerful radio emissions from thunderstorms, which have been recently associated with blue optical flashes on cloud tops and attributed to extensive streamer electrical discharges named fast breakdown. Combining data obtained from a thunderstorm over South China by the space‐based Atmosphere Space Interactions Monitor, the Vaisala GLD360 global lightning network and very low frequency/low frequency radio detectors, here we report and analyze for the first time the optical emissions of blue luminous events associated with negative NBEs and located at the top edge of a thundercloud. These emissions are weakly affected by scattering from cloud droplets, allowing us to estimate the source extension and optical energy involved in the process. The optical energy in the 337‐nm band emitted by fast breakdown is about 104 J, which involves around 109 streamer initiation events. Plain Language Summary: Installed on the International Space Station, the Atmosphere‐Space Interactions Monitor is designed to observe Earth thunderstorms from space. Often it detects bursts of blue light emerging from active thunderclouds. These detections have been previously linked to radio signals named narrow bipolar events (NBEs) that are routinely detected during a thunderstorm. Here we analyze the blue flashes from a storm that profusely produced negative‐polarity NBEs. The optical signal can be understood as being produced by extended events close to the cloud top and we show that it is consistent with the barely understood electrical discharge process called fast breakdown that involves a huge number of thin, bright filaments called streamers. Key Points: Negative‐polarity narrow bipolar events are typically associated with extended optical sources at the edge of a thundercloudThermal emissions in the oxygen 777 nm band are absent or very weak, indicating non‐thermal processesThe optical energy in the 337 nm band is about 104 J, which requires around 109 streamers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=8gh&AN=151329732
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1029/2021JD035013
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Thunderstorms
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Solar radio emission
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Acoustic phenomena in nature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lightning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Atmospheric electricity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Noctilucent clouds
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Blue Flashes as Counterparts to Narrow Bipolar Events: The Optical Signal of Shallow In‐Cloud Discharges.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Li, Dongshuai
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Luque, Alejandro
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gordillo‐Vázquez, F. J.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Liu, Feifan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lu, Gaopeng
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Neubert, Torsten
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Chanrion, Olivier
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Zhu, Baoyou
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Østgaard, Nikolai
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Reglero, Víctor
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 16
              M: 07
              Text: 7/16/2021
              Type: published
              Y: 2021
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2169897X
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 126
            – Type: issue
              Value: 13
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres
              Type: main
ResultId 1