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Sprite streamer initiation from natural mesospheric structures

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  • Ningyu Liu

    (Florida Institute of Technology)

  • Joseph R. Dwyer

    (Florida Institute of Technology
    Present address: Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA)

  • Hans C. Stenbaek-Nielsen

    (Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska)

  • Matthew G. McHarg

    (United States Air Force Academy)

Abstract

Sprites are large, luminous electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere caused by intense cloud-to-ground lightning flashes, manifesting an impulsive coupling mechanism between lower and upper atmospheric regions. Their dynamics are governed by filamentary streamer discharges whose propagation properties have been well studied by past work. However, how they are initiated is still under active debate. It has recently been concluded that ionospheric/mesospheric inhomogeneities are required for their initiation, but it is an open question as to what the sources of those inhomogeneities are. Here we present numerical simulation results to demonstrate that naturally-existing, small-scale mesospheric structures such as those created by gravity waves via instability and breaking are viable sources. The proposed theory is supported by a recent, unique high-speed observation from aircraft flying at 14-km altitude. The theory naturally explains many aspects of observed sprite streamer initiation and has important implications for future observational work.

Suggested Citation

  • Ningyu Liu & Joseph R. Dwyer & Hans C. Stenbaek-Nielsen & Matthew G. McHarg, 2015. "Sprite streamer initiation from natural mesospheric structures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-9, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8540
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8540
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