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Marshall & Inan 2007
Marshall, R.A. and Inan, U.S. (2007). Possible direct cloud-to-ionosphere current evidenced by sprite-initiated secondary TLEs. Geophysical Research Letters 34: doi: 10.1029/2006GL028511. issn: 0094-8276.

Video-rate images of sprites observed from Langmuir Laboratory show slow, upward discharges from the cloud to the mesosphere following the sprite discharge. A single high-time-resolution (1000 fps) measurement of the tip of the upward discharge shows that it terminates at the base of the preceding sprite and persists for a total of ~50 ms, compared to the sprite lifetime of ~6 ms. Photometer data show that these events are likely to be predominantly blue. We propose a mechanism by which, in conjunction with intra-cloud activity following the causative CG discharge, charge is moved within the sprite body from the ionosphere to the lower altitude edge of the sprite at ~50 km; this transfer of charge lowers the upper capacitive plate, whereupon a second breakdown is facilitated between the cloud-top and this charged plate, inducing electrical current between the cloud and the mesosphere and initiating the observed luminous discharges.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Atmospheric Processes, Atmospheric electricity, Atmospheric Processes, Mesospheric dynamics, Ionosphere, Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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