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Rustan et al. 1980
Rustan, P.L., Uman, M.A., Childers, D.G., Beasley, W.H. and Lennon, C.L. (1980). Lightning source locations from VHF radiation data for a flash at Kennedy Space Center. Journal of Geophysical Research 85: doi: 10.1029/JC085iC09p04893. issn: 0148-0227.

A comprehensive study of a three-stroke lightning flash that struck the 150-m weather tower at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) was recently reported by Uman et al. (1978). Here we supplement that study by presenting three-dimensional locations of the sources of VHF (30--50 MHz) radiation generated by the KSC flash. These locations were obtained by measuring with the KSC lightning detection and ranging (LDAR) system the difference in the time of arrival (DTOA) of radiated pulses at four ground stations and then by calculating the locations from the DTOA data. The DTOA data were obtained via a newly developed computer-implemented multiple time series analysis which uses cross-correlation and pattern recognition techniques. About 48,000 sequential VHF sources were located during the flash. We compared these locations with correlated wide band electric field records to provide a better understanding of the physics of the following discharge phases: preliminary breakdown, stepped leader, return strokes, dart leader, stepped-dart leader, J changes, solitary pulses, and intracloud discharge. Some of the more interesting new results obtained follow: before the stepped leader preceding the first return stroke, there was a primarily vertical discharge in the cloud between a height of 7.2 and 5.1 km. This preliminary breakdown has uniquely different VHF characteristics from those of the stepped leader which followed and was not accompanied by significant electric field change as was the stepped leader. The stepped leader propagated downward from the bottom of the preliminary breakdown. The only significant VHF radiation during the dart leader preceding the second return stroke came from within the cloud. The third return stroke was initiated by a stepped leader which propagated from about 8 km height, the bottom of the previous J process, down to about 3.3 km where it apparently joined the channel of the previous return stroke and became a dart leader. The VHF source locations during the two J changes were associated with the lowering of about 3 C of negative charge at velocities of about 2¿105 m/s along primarily vertical paths from a height of about 13.7 to about 7.9 km for the first J change and from 11.2 to 7.3 km for the second J change. During the second J change and before and during the intracloud discharge following the three strokes to ground, discharges which appear on the VHF record as isolated or solitary pulses propagated upward 3-8 km at velocities of the order of 107 m/s. The intracloud discharge had a length of more than 10 km and was oriented primarily vertically. The VHF radiation during the intracloud discharge exhibited the three phases reported in the literature for cloud discharges not associated with ground discharges. The highest level of VHF activity during the flash occurred during 4.3 ms just after a 2.4 ms quiet period following the first return stroke. These VHF sources were located primarily at the top of the return stroke channel.

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Journal of Geophysical Research
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American Geophysical Union
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