transient luminous effects as observed onboard "tatiana-1” and "tatiana-2"...
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Transient Luminous Effects as observed onboard "Tatiana-1” and "Tatiana-2"
satellites
Mikhail PanasyukSkobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear
Physics of Lomonosov Moscow State University
TEPA, Erevan, Armenia, September, 6-10, 2010
«Universitetskii-Tatiana» project
Lomonosov Moscow State University Satellite Program
«Universitetskii - Tatiana»
Instruments setMass – 4,5 kg
Optical observations
Aurora
DUV
Optical observations (TLE’s)
Sprites, elves,etc
UV flashes measured by the “Tatiana” detector.
Oscilloscope trace- 64 ms. UV energy in the atmosphere 0.1-1MJ.
TLE’s dynamics
30 мс
The model
0 km
10 km
100 km
E
B
«Natural sprites» – transients in the atmosphere
-the MEMS “telescope” and spectrometer (in cooperation with Korea).-the electron flux detector of area 400 cm2 (in cooperation with Mexico).
___________ Electron detector
MTEL telescope&spectrometer
“Tatiana-2” instruments
UV/red detecor
Generation of ТLE
«Universitetskii – Tatiana-2»
International Space Project of MSU
Universities Consortium of South KoreaUniversity of Mexico, Pueblo
«Universitetskii – Tatiana-2»
Science
Energy threshold for electrons 1MeVSensitive area 350cm2 thickness 0.5cm
Temporal resolution 1 msec
Electron detector
«Universitetskii – Tatiana -2»
17.09.2009
Overview of results on atmosphere glow and
atmospheric flashes from “Universitetsky-Tatiana” missions
We present here the results on atmosphere glow and atmospheric flashes obtained in measurements by
- UV detector in the “Universitetsky-Tatiana” mission (Tatiana-1) and - UV-Red-IR detector in the “Universitetsky-Tatiana-2” mission (Tatiana-2).
UV/Red TLE’s mesurements
A short in time (1-100 ms) bright flashes were selected and their temporal profiles were measured.
On Tatiana-1 mission two variants of oscilloscope were used :1. Oscilloscope trace of 4 msec duration, profile sample 16 μs.2. Oscilloscope trace of 64 msec duration, profile sample 256 μs.1 event per orbit
On Tatiana-2 mission the oscilloscope trace was of 128 msec and profile sample - 1 msec.1 event per minute
Detector apertures were almost the same: field of view 14º (Tatiana-1) and 16º (Tatiana-2) with diameter of the atmosphere in FOV ~250 km.
Measurements of the atmospheric glow is the monitoring of average UV intensity.In one orbit the intensity may vary a lot , depending on the route.In Tatiana-1 mission at some orbits we observed the UV intensity in polar aurora regions and near equator. At these orbits the UV intensity varies from 109 ph/cm2 s sr at aurora oval to 3 107 ph/cm2 s sr near equator.
aurora
equator
UV glow
When we tried to integrate the local increases of UV intensity at low latitudes the effect dissolves. The Tatiana-2 data integrated in 3 months indicate only glow
minima above Pacific ocean and Sahara desert and maxima above highly populated USA and Europe.
Sakhara
Pasific ocean
US EUROPE
At moon nights the UV intensity varies mostly due to “albedo” effect of clouds.
Correlation of UV intensity with clouds along the satellite route is easily observed.
1 2
3 4
Events classes on Tatiana-1 mission
4 msec
64 msec
Event classes in Tatiana-2 mission (UV-Red- IR detector)
1 2
3 4
128 msec
TLE’s energy spectrum
TLE’s energy spectrumFlashes duration ~64 msec,
Flashes duration ~4 msec,
All flashes spectrum
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Observation area~ 6·104 km2.
~ 2
For energy E>100 kJ (photon number radiated in a flash >1021), the spectrum exponent is -2; For E<100 kJ, the exponent is < -1.
TLE’s spatial distributions
TLE’s accordingly by “Tatiana -1”
In 2 years of observation the UV transient events do not correlate with continents as it is the case for lightning (!).
UV flashes were selected as the brightest flash in a given integral time (0.2 ms) at night part of the satellite circulation. This mode of selection
gives bias for TLE against lightning. Tatiana UV flashes are frequent over ocean and sea shore following map of ISUAL TLE rather than map of lightning.
Tatiana – 2 : better temporal/spatial resolution
TLE’ s spatial distribution during 1 day
TLE’ s spatial distribution during one orbit
Giant elve?
This new result needs a new interpretation. From the world data we know two mechanisms for widening the transient event size:1. Ring flashes in case of Elves when the luminous event spreading to hundreds km from the initiating lightning.
2. Multiplying discharge by “side” streamers which widening the discharge size.
3.Separated events, but genetically connected?
-meridian, m- field line distribution of signal ?
~ several thousands km
The leader
Results of measurements in Tatiana-2 mission with a new trigger for flashes: “selection of the brightest flash in period of 1 minute” confirm the latitude effect but changed the event rate ratio above ocean and continents.The new global distribution of UV flashes does not contradict the global lightning distribution.
The ratio of UV and Red emission.Up till now we did not find any difference in global distribution of flashes with different UV/Red ratio .
Blue points are flashes with ratio UV/Red more than average.Red points are flashes with ratio UV/Red less than average.
TLE’s spatial variations
TLE’s spatial variations
Moon phase
TLE’s spatial variations
Moon phase
TLE’s vs water vapor spatial distribution
TLE’s vs runaway (?) electrons
CPF detector allows to measure energy release >1 MeV in 1 msec time interval. Such a short energy release may appear either when the average flux of charged particles is very high (for example, at high latitudes where satellite crosses the radiation belts, or
at the South Atlantic Anomaly, SAA region) or when electrons, copiously accelerated in the atmospheric electric discharge, escape the atmosphere and come to the satellite
detector. The SAA particles were really detected.
SAA
CPF / TATIANA-2 electron mesurements
TLE’s vs runaway (?) electrons
No intensive flashes of upstream (runaway)
electrons were measured
Electrons
UV
IR
Red flash signal
and
Short 1 msec peaks aresingle particles.
In most of flash events the CPF detector does not measured any background CP flux. In some rare case,
shown below, short pulses were detected which we refer to single particle (presumably protons) crossing
the scintillation plate.
Conclusions
The first analysis of Tatiana-2 mission data gives new results:
- UV-Red flashes are more frequent (~1 min-1) over continents than over ocean (~0.1 min-1). In the previous Tatiana-1 mission frequent events were restricted by trigger mode.
- Some flashes occur at cloudless regions without lightning in vicinity of the flash detector FOV,
- There is no evidence in favor of electron flux coming from the atmospheric discharge responsible for flashes.
The new extreme phenomenon in the atmosphere
Transient phenomena in the upper atmosphere are observed
within the wide range of electromagnetic emisions:
UV , red, X-ray;-in gamma – rays (1-10 MeV);
-Infrasound;-in neutrons (?)
-in relativistic electrons (?)
-Sometimes with a huge energy/impulse - up to several 10*11 J !
<1011J >1012 J
TLE NB
The nature of these events is far from complete understanding. Importance of correlated space/atmosphere/on ground experiments
is difficult to overestimate. The program of “multilayers”measurements have to be developed.
Thank you
Event energy spectrum of the UV flashes.Tatiana-1 mission Tatiana-2 mission
For energy E>100 kJ (photon number radiated in a flash >1021), the spectrum exponent is -2; For E<100 kJ, the exponent is < -1.It means that flashes of high energy (> 100 kJ) present the main part of energy release in
the atmosphere. Most of those flashes are of longer duration (classes 2,4 of Tatiana-1 or classes 3,4 of Tatiana-2.