LOFAR Lightning Imaging: Mapping Lightning With Nanosecond Precision

Hare BM, Scholten O, Bonardi A, Buitink S, Corstanje A, Ebert U, Falcke H, Hörandel JR, Leijnse H, Mitra P, Mulrey K, Nelles A, Rachen JP, Rossetto L, Rutjes C, Schellart P, Thoudam S, Trinh TN, ter Veen S, Winchen T (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Book Volume: 123

Pages Range: 2861-2876

Journal Issue: 5

DOI: 10.1002/2017JD028132

Abstract

Lightning mapping technology has proven instrumental in understanding lightning. In this work we present a pipeline that can use lightning observed by the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope to construct a 3-D map of the flash. We show that LOFAR has unparalleled precision, on the order of meters, even for lightning flashes that are over 20 km outside the area enclosed by LOFAR antennas (∼3,200 km2), and can potentially locate over 10,000 sources per lightning flash. We also show that LOFAR is the first lightning mapping system that is sensitive to the spatial structure of the electrical current during individual lightning leader steps.

Authors with CRIS profile

Anna Nelles

Involved external institutions

Radboud University Nijmegen NL Netherlands (NL) KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology NL Netherlands (NL) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) BE Belgium (BE) Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) NL Netherlands (NL) Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) NL Netherlands (NL)

How to cite

APA:

Hare, B.M., Scholten, O., Bonardi, A., Buitink, S., Corstanje, A., Ebert, U.,... Winchen, T. (2018). LOFAR Lightning Imaging: Mapping Lightning With Nanosecond Precision. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123(5), 2861-2876. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD028132

MLA:

Hare, B. M., et al. "LOFAR Lightning Imaging: Mapping Lightning With Nanosecond Precision." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 123.5 (2018): 2861-2876.

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