Global Transients in ultraviolet and red-infrared ranges from data of the "Universitetsky-Tatiana-2" satellite

Detectors of fast flashes (duration of 1-128 ms) in near ultraviolet (240-400 nm) and red-infrared (>610 nm) ranges on board the "Universitetsky-Tatiana-2" satellite have measured transient luminous events global distribution. Events with number of photons 10^20-5{\cdot}10^21 radiated i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2011-12
Main Authors: Garipov, G K, Khrenov, B A, Klimov, P A, Klimenko, V V, Mareev, E A, Martines, O, Morozenko, V S, Panasyuk, M I, Park, I H, Ponce, E, Salazar, H, Tulupov, V I, Vedenkin, N N, Yashin, I V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electric discharges
High altitude
Photons
Thunderstorms
Transient luminous events
Upper atmosphere
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Summary:Detectors of fast flashes (duration of 1-128 ms) in near ultraviolet (240-400 nm) and red-infrared (>610 nm) ranges on board the "Universitetsky-Tatiana-2" satellite have measured transient luminous events global distribution. Events with number of photons 10^20-5{\cdot}10^21 radiated in the atmosphere are uniformly distributed over latitudes and longitudes. Events with number of photons more than 5{\cdot}10^21 are concentrated near the equator above continents. Measured ratio of photons number radiated in red-IR range to photons number radiated in UV related to excitation of nitrogen molecular indicates a high altitude (>50 km) of the atmospheric electric discharges responsible for the observed transients. Series of every minute transients (from 3 to 16 transients in the series) were observed. The detection of transients out of thunderstorm area, in cloudless region- sometimes thousands km away of thunderstorms is remarkable. The obtained data allow us to assume that transient events are not only consequences of lightning in event-by-event way but they are the result of "long distance" influence of thunderstorm electric activity causing breakdowns in the upper atmosphere (at altitudes >50 km).
ISSN:2331-8422