Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates
Abstract Sprites have been recorded at ∼100,000 frames per second. One hundred and sixty five essentially vertically propagating streamers, 110 downward and 55 upward, have been selected for analysis. The initial velocity increase is exponential as predicted by theory. Growth rates could be determin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112537 |
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| author | H. C. Stenbaek‐Nielsen M. G. McHarg N. Y. Liu |
| author_facet | H. C. Stenbaek‐Nielsen M. G. McHarg N. Y. Liu |
| author_sort | H. C. Stenbaek‐Nielsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sprites have been recorded at ∼100,000 frames per second. One hundred and sixty five essentially vertically propagating streamers, 110 downward and 55 upward, have been selected for analysis. The initial velocity increase is exponential as predicted by theory. Growth rates could be determined for 76 downward and 46 upward propagating streamers, and, in individual streamers, they are independent of altitude. The average growth rate increases from 1.6 103 in C‐sprites, to 2.6 103 in carrots, to 8.4 103/s in jellyfish sprites. With a streamer model the driving electric field can be derived. Evaluating the field at 70 km altitude, we find fields of 98 (0.45 Ek), 121 (0.56 Ek), and 188 (0.87 Ek) V/m for the 3 sprite types, indicating that jellyfish sprites are the most energetic. High‐speed imaging can provide streamer growth rates and combined with a streamer model, the electric fields associated with various sprite features can be investigated. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3e578858206945bf853ce097ee4abc1a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-3e578858206945bf853ce097ee4abc1a2025-01-20T13:05:57ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-01-01521n/an/a10.1029/2024GL112537Observed Sprite Streamer Growth RatesH. C. Stenbaek‐Nielsen0M. G. McHarg1N. Y. Liu2Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USADepartment of Physics and Meteorology United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs CO USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of New Hampshire Durham NH USAAbstract Sprites have been recorded at ∼100,000 frames per second. One hundred and sixty five essentially vertically propagating streamers, 110 downward and 55 upward, have been selected for analysis. The initial velocity increase is exponential as predicted by theory. Growth rates could be determined for 76 downward and 46 upward propagating streamers, and, in individual streamers, they are independent of altitude. The average growth rate increases from 1.6 103 in C‐sprites, to 2.6 103 in carrots, to 8.4 103/s in jellyfish sprites. With a streamer model the driving electric field can be derived. Evaluating the field at 70 km altitude, we find fields of 98 (0.45 Ek), 121 (0.56 Ek), and 188 (0.87 Ek) V/m for the 3 sprite types, indicating that jellyfish sprites are the most energetic. High‐speed imaging can provide streamer growth rates and combined with a streamer model, the electric fields associated with various sprite features can be investigated.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112537spriteTLE (Trans luminous events) |
| spellingShingle | H. C. Stenbaek‐Nielsen M. G. McHarg N. Y. Liu Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates Geophysical Research Letters sprite TLE (Trans luminous events) |
| title | Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates |
| title_full | Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates |
| title_fullStr | Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates |
| title_short | Observed Sprite Streamer Growth Rates |
| title_sort | observed sprite streamer growth rates |
| topic | sprite TLE (Trans luminous events) |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL112537 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hcstenbaeknielsen observedspritestreamergrowthrates AT mgmcharg observedspritestreamergrowthrates AT nyliu observedspritestreamergrowthrates |