Journal Article

PUBDB-2021-00236

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Determining Electric Fields in Thunderclouds With the Radiotelescope LOFAR

Trinh, T. N. G. ; Scholten, O. (Corresponding author) ; Buitink, S. ; Ebert, U. ; Hare, B. M. ; Krehbiel, P. R. ; Leijnse, H. ; Bonardi, A. ; Corstanje, A. ; Falcke, H. ; Huege, T. ; Hörandel, J. R. ; Krampah, G. K. ; Mitra, P. ; Mulrey, K. ; Nelles, A.Extern*DESY* ; Pandya, H. ; Rachen, J. P. ; Rossetto, L. ; Rutjes, C. ; Veen, S. t. ; Winchen, T.

2020
Wiley Hoboken, NJ

This record in other databases:          

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1029/2019JD031433  doi:10.3204/PUBDB-2021-00236

Abstract: An analysis is presented of electric fields in thunderclouds using a recently proposed method based on measuring radio emission from extensive air shower events during thunderstorm conditions. This method can be regarded as a tomography of thunderclouds using cosmic rays as probes. The data cover the period from December 2011 till August 2014. We have developed an improved fitting procedure to be able to analyze the data. Our measurements show evidence for the main negative‐charge layer near the −10° isotherm. This we have seen for a winter as well as for a summer cloud where multiple events pass through the same cloud and also the vertical component of the electric field could be reconstructed. On the day of measurement of some cosmic‐ray events showing evidence for strong fields, no lightning activity was detected within 100 km distance. For the winter events, the top heights were between 5 and 6 km, while in the summer, typical top heights of 9 km were seen. Large horizontal components in excess of 70 kV/m of the electric fields are observed in the middle and top layers.

---

Contributing Institute(s):

1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HUB)
2. RADIO (Z-RAD)

Research Program(s):

1. 613 - Matter and Radiation from the Universe (POF3-613) (POF3-613)

Experiment(s):

1. Measurement at external facility

Appears in the scientific report 2020

---

Database coverage:
; ; ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; DEAL Wiley ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

---