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Hare BM, Scholten O, Dwyer J, Trinh TNG, Buitink S, Ter Veen S, Bonardi A, Corstanje A, Falcke H, Hörandel JR, Huege T, Mitra P, Mulrey K, Nelles A, Rachen JP, Rossetto L, Schellart P, Winchen T, Anderson J, Avruch IM, Bentum MJ, Blaauw R, Broderick JW, Brouw WN, Brüggen M, Butcher HR, Ciardi B, Fallows RA, de Geus E, Duscha S, Eislöffel J, Garrett MA, Grießmeier JM, Gunst AW, van Haarlem MP, Hessels JWT, Hoeft M, van der Horst AJ, Iacobelli M, Koopmans LVE, Krankowski A, Maat P, Norden MJ, Paas H, Pandey-Pommier M, Pandey VN, Pekal R, Pizzo R, Reich W, Rothkaehl H, Röttgering HJA, Rowlinson A, Schwarz DJ, Shulevski A, Sluman J, Smirnov O, Soida M, Tagger M, Toribio MC, van Ardenne A, Wijers RAMJ, van Weeren RJ, Wucknitz O, Zarka P, Zucca P. Needle-like structures discovered on positively charged lightning branches. Nature 2019; 568:360-363. [PMID: 30996312 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1086-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Lightning is a dangerous yet poorly understood natural phenomenon. Lightning forms a network of plasma channels propagating away from the initiation point with both positively and negatively charged ends-called positive and negative leaders1. Negative leaders propagate in discrete steps, emitting copious radio pulses in the 30-300-megahertz frequency band2-8 that can be remotely sensed and imaged with high spatial and temporal resolution9-11. Positive leaders propagate more continuously and thus emit very little high-frequency radiation12. Radio emission from positive leaders has nevertheless been mapped13-15, and exhibits a pattern that is different from that of negative leaders11-13,16,17. Furthermore, it has been inferred that positive leaders can become transiently disconnected from negative leaders9,12,16,18-20, which may lead to current pulses that both reconnect positive leaders to negative leaders11,16,17,20-22 and cause multiple cloud-to-ground lightning events1. The disconnection process is thought to be due to negative differential resistance18, but this does not explain why the disconnections form primarily on positive leaders22, or why the current in cloud-to-ground lightning never goes to zero23. Indeed, it is still not understood how positive leaders emit radio-frequency radiation or why they behave differently from negative leaders. Here we report three-dimensional radio interferometric observations of lightning over the Netherlands with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. We find small plasma structures-which we call 'needles'-that are the dominant source of radio emission from the positive leaders. These structures appear to drain charge from the leader, and are probably the reason why positive leaders disconnect from negative ones, and why cloud-to-ground lightning connects to the ground multiple times.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Hare
- KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - O Scholten
- KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Inter University Institute for High Energies, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - J Dwyer
- Department of Physics and Space Science Center (EOS), University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - T N G Trinh
- KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - S Buitink
- Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - S Ter Veen
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - A Bonardi
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Corstanje
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - H Falcke
- Inter University Institute for High Energies, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.,ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,NIKHEF, Science Park Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J R Hörandel
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,NIKHEF, Science Park Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - T Huege
- Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Physics, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - P Mitra
- Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - K Mulrey
- Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Nelles
- Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,DESY, Zeuthen, Germany
| | - J P Rachen
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - L Rossetto
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P Schellart
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - T Winchen
- Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J Anderson
- Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation Science, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department 1, Geodesy GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - I M Avruch
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Science and Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - M J Bentum
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - R Blaauw
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - J W Broderick
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - W N Brouw
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Brüggen
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H R Butcher
- Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - B Ciardi
- Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching, Germany
| | - R A Fallows
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - E de Geus
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,SmarterVision BV, Assen, The Netherlands
| | - S Duscha
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - J Eislöffel
- Thüringer Landessternwarte, Tautenburg, Germany
| | - M A Garrett
- Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - J M Grießmeier
- LPC2E-Université d'Orleans/CNRS, Orléans, France.,Station de Radioastronomie de Nancay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, Université d'Orleans, OSUC, Nancay, France
| | - A W Gunst
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - M P van Haarlem
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - J W T Hessels
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Hoeft
- Thüringer Landessternwarte, Tautenburg, Germany
| | - A J van der Horst
- Department of Physics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - M Iacobelli
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - L V E Koopmans
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - A Krankowski
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Space Radio-Diagnostics Research Centre, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - P Maat
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - M J Norden
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - H Paas
- Center for Information Technology (CIT), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Pandey-Pommier
- Station de Radioastronomie de Nancay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, Université d'Orleans, OSUC, Nancay, France.,CRAL, Observatoire de Lyon, Université Lyon, UMR5574, Saint Genis Laval, France
| | - V N Pandey
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - R Pekal
- Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PCSS), Poznan, Poland
| | - R Pizzo
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - W Reich
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - A Rowlinson
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.,Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D J Schwarz
- Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - A Shulevski
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Sluman
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - O Smirnov
- Department of Physics and Electronics, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.,SKA South Africa, Pinelands, South Africa
| | - M Soida
- Jagiellonian University, Astronomical Observatory, Krakow, Poland
| | - M Tagger
- LPC2E-Université d'Orleans/CNRS, Orléans, France
| | - M C Toribio
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - A van Ardenne
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - R A M J Wijers
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R J van Weeren
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - O Wucknitz
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany
| | - P Zarka
- LESIA & USN, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, PSL/SU/UPMC/UPD/SPC, Meudon, France
| | - P Zucca
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
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Broderick JW, Fender RP, Breton RP, Stewart AJ, Rowlinson A, Swinbank JD, Hessels JWT, Staley TD, van der Horst AJ, Bell ME, Carbone D, Cendes Y, Corbel S, Eislöffel J, Falcke H, Grießmeier JM, Hassall TE, Jonker P, Kramer M, Kuniyoshi M, Law CJ, Markoff S, Molenaar GJ, Pietka M, Scheers LHA, Serylak M, Stappers BW, Ter Veen S, van Leeuwen J, Wijers RAMJ, Wijnands R, Wise MW, Zarka P. Low-radio-frequency eclipses of the redback pulsar J2215+5135 observed in the image plane with LOFAR. Mon Not R Astron Soc 2016; 459:2681-2689. [PMID: 27279782 DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stw794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The eclipses of certain types of binary millisecond pulsars (i.e. 'black widows' and 'redbacks') are often studied using high-time-resolution, 'beamformed' radio observations. However, they may also be detected in images generated from interferometric data. As part of a larger imaging project to characterize the variable and transient sky at radio frequencies <200 MHz, we have blindly detected the redback system PSR J2215+5135 as a variable source of interest with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR). Using observations with cadences of two weeks - six months, we find preliminary evidence that the eclipse duration is frequency dependent (∝ν-0.4), such that the pulsar is eclipsed for longer at lower frequencies, in broad agreement with beamformed studies of other similar sources. Furthermore, the detection of the eclipses in imaging data suggests an eclipsing medium that absorbs the pulsed emission, rather than scattering it. Our study is also a demonstration of the prospects of finding pulsars in wide-field imaging surveys with the current generation of low-frequency radio telescopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Broderick
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - R P Fender
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - R P Breton
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - A J Stewart
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - A Rowlinson
- ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands; Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J D Swinbank
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J W T Hessels
- ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands; Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - T D Staley
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - A J van der Horst
- Department of Physics, The George Washington University, 725 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - M E Bell
- CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - D Carbone
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Y Cendes
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S Corbel
- Laboratoire AIM (CEA/IRFU - CNRS/INSU - Université Paris Diderot), CEA DSM/IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, USR 704 - Univ. Orléans, OSUC, F-18330 Nançay, France
| | - J Eislöffel
- Thüringer Landessternwarte, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
| | - H Falcke
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - J-M Grießmeier
- LPC2E - Université d'Orléans/CNRS, F-45071 Orléans cedex 2, France; Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, USR 704 - Univ. Orléans, OSUC, F-18330 Nançay, France
| | - T E Hassall
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - P Jonker
- SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - M Kramer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn, Germany; Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - M Kuniyoshi
- NAOJ Chile Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - C J Law
- Department of Astronomy and Radio Astronomy Lab, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - S Markoff
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - G J Molenaar
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Physics and Electronics, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
| | - M Pietka
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - L H A Scheers
- Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica, Science Park 123, NL-1098 XG Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M Serylak
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa; SKA South Africa, 3rd Floor, The Park, Park Road, Pinelands 7405, South Africa
| | - B W Stappers
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - S Ter Veen
- ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - J van Leeuwen
- ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands; Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R A M J Wijers
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R Wijnands
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M W Wise
- ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands; Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, NL-1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P Zarka
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris-Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France; Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, USR 704 - Univ. Orléans, OSUC, F-18330 Nançay, France
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3
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Carbone D, van der Horst AJ, Wijers RAMJ, Swinbank JD, Rowlinson A, Broderick JW, Cendes YN, Stewart AJ, Bell ME, Breton RP, Corbel S, Eislöffel J, Fender RP, Grießmeier JM, Hessels JWT, Jonker P, Kramer M, Law CJ, Miller-Jones JCA, Pietka M, Scheers LHA, Stappers BW, van Leeuwen J, Wijnands R, Wise M, Zarka P. New methods to constrain the radio transient rate: results from a survey of four fields with LOFAR. Mon Not R Astron Soc 2016; 459:3161-3174. [PMID: 27279785 DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stw539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We report on the results of a search for radio transients between 115 and 190 MHz with the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR). Four fields have been monitored with cadences between 15 min and several months. A total of 151 images were obtained, giving a total survey area of 2275 deg2. We analysed our data using standard LOFAR tools and searched for radio transients using the LOFAR Transients Pipeline. No credible radio transient candidate has been detected; however, we are able to set upper limits on the surface density of radio transient sources at low radio frequencies. We also show that low-frequency radio surveys are more sensitive to steep-spectrum coherent transient sources than GHz radio surveys. We used two new statistical methods to determine the upper limits on the transient surface density. One is free of assumptions on the flux distribution of the sources, while the other assumes a power-law distribution in flux and sets more stringent constraints on the transient surface density. Both of these methods provide better constraints than the approach used in previous works. The best value for the upper limit we can set for the transient surface density, using the method assuming a power-law flux distribution, is 1.3 × 10-3 deg-2 for transients brighter than 0.3 Jy with a time-scale of 15 min, at a frequency of 150 MHz. We also calculated for the first time upper limits for the transient surface density for transients of different time-scales. We find that the results can differ by orders of magnitude from previously reported, simplified estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Carbone
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A J van der Horst
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Physics, The George Washington University, 725 21 Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - R A M J Wijers
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J D Swinbank
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - A Rowlinson
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, PO Box 76, Epping NSW 1710, Australia; ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - J W Broderick
- ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands; Oxford Astrophysics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK; Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Y N Cendes
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A J Stewart
- Oxford Astrophysics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
| | - M E Bell
- CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, PO Box 76, Epping NSW 1710, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - R P Breton
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - S Corbel
- Laboratoire AIM (CEA/IRFU - CNRS/INSU - Université Paris Diderot), CEA DSM/IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, USR 704 - Univ. Orléans, OSUC, F-18330 Nançay, France
| | - J Eislöffel
- Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
| | - R P Fender
- Oxford Astrophysics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
| | - J-M Grießmeier
- Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, USR 704 - Univ. Orléans, OSUC, F-18330 Nançay, France; Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace, LPC2E UMR 7328 CNRS, F-45071 Orléans, France
| | - J W T Hessels
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - P Jonker
- SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584-CA Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - M Kramer
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - C J Law
- Department of Astronomy and Radio Astronomy Lab, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - J C A Miller-Jones
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - M Pietka
- Oxford Astrophysics, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
| | - L H A Scheers
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, PO Box 94079, NL-1090 GB Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - B W Stappers
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - J van Leeuwen
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - R Wijnands
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M Wise
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, NL-1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands; ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
| | - P Zarka
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris-Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France
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Schellart P, Trinh TNG, Buitink S, Corstanje A, Enriquez JE, Falcke H, Hörandel JR, Nelles A, Rachen JP, Rossetto L, Scholten O, Ter Veen S, Thoudam S, Ebert U, Koehn C, Rutjes C, Alexov A, Anderson JM, Avruch IM, Bentum MJ, Bernardi G, Best P, Bonafede A, Breitling F, Broderick JW, Brüggen M, Butcher HR, Ciardi B, de Geus E, de Vos M, Duscha S, Eislöffel J, Fallows RA, Frieswijk W, Garrett MA, Grießmeier J, Gunst AW, Heald G, Hessels JWT, Hoeft M, Holties HA, Juette E, Kondratiev VI, Kuniyoshi M, Kuper G, Mann G, McFadden R, McKay-Bukowski D, McKean JP, Mevius M, Moldon J, Norden MJ, Orru E, Paas H, Pandey-Pommier M, Pizzo R, Polatidis AG, Reich W, Röttgering H, Scaife AMM, Schwarz DJ, Serylak M, Smirnov O, Steinmetz M, Swinbank J, Tagger M, Tasse C, Toribio MC, van Weeren RJ, Vermeulen R, Vocks C, Wise MW, Wucknitz O, Zarka P. Probing Atmospheric Electric Fields in Thunderstorms through Radio Emission from Cosmic-Ray-Induced Air Showers. Phys Rev Lett 2015; 114:165001. [PMID: 25955053 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.165001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We present measurements of radio emission from cosmic ray air showers that took place during thunderstorms. The intensity and polarization patterns of these air showers are radically different from those measured during fair-weather conditions. With the use of a simple two-layer model for the atmospheric electric field, these patterns can be well reproduced by state-of-the-art simulation codes. This in turn provides a novel way to study atmospheric electric fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Schellart
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T N G Trinh
- University of Groningen, KVI Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - S Buitink
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Corstanje
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J E Enriquez
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - H Falcke
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Nikhef, Science Park Amsterdam, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - J R Hörandel
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Nikhef, Science Park Amsterdam, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Nelles
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J P Rachen
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - L Rossetto
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - O Scholten
- University of Groningen, KVI Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Dienst ELEM, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Ter Veen
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - S Thoudam
- Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - U Ebert
- Center for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), PO Box 94079, 1090 GB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - C Koehn
- Center for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), PO Box 94079, 1090 GB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Rutjes
- Center for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), PO Box 94079, 1090 GB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Alexov
- Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - J M Anderson
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, DeutschesGeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Department 1: Geodesy and Remote Sensing, Telegrafenberg, A17, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - I M Avruch
- SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M J Bentum
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - G Bernardi
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - P Best
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, United Kingdom
| | - A Bonafede
- University of Hamburg, Gojenbergsweg 112, 21029 Hamburg, Germany
| | - F Breitling
- Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany
| | - J W Broderick
- Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - M Brüggen
- University of Hamburg, Gojenbergsweg 112, 21029 Hamburg, Germany
| | - H R Butcher
- Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Mt. Stromlo Observatory, via Cotter Road, Weston, Australian Capital Territory 2611, Australia
| | - B Ciardi
- Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Karl Schwarzschild Straße 1, 85741 Garching, Germany
| | - E de Geus
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- SmarterVision BV, Oostersingel 5, 9401 JX Assen, The Netherlands
| | - M de Vos
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - S Duscha
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - J Eislöffel
- Thüringer Landessternwarte, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
| | - R A Fallows
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - W Frieswijk
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - M A Garrett
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - J Grießmeier
- LPC2E, Universíte d'Orleans/CNRS, 45071 Orleans Cedex 2, France
- Station de Radioastronomie de Nancay, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS/INSU, USR 704, Universíte Orleans, OSUC, Route de Souesmes, 18330 Nancay, France
| | - A W Gunst
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - G Heald
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - J W T Hessels
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Hoeft
- Thüringer Landessternwarte, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg, Germany
| | - H A Holties
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - E Juette
- Astronomisches Institut der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - V I Kondratiev
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Astro Space Center of the Lebedev Physical Institute, Profsoyuznaya Street 84/32, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - M Kuniyoshi
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - G Kuper
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - G Mann
- Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany
| | - R McFadden
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - D McKay-Bukowski
- Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory, University of Oulu, Tähteläntie 62, 99600 Sodankylä, Finland
- STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - J P McKean
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Mevius
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Moldon
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - M J Norden
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - E Orru
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - H Paas
- Center for Information Technology (CIT), University of Groningen, PO Box 72, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Pandey-Pommier
- Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon, Observatoire de Lyon, 9 Avenue Charles André, 69561 Saint Genis Laval Cedex, France
| | - R Pizzo
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - A G Polatidis
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - W Reich
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - H Röttgering
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - A M M Scaife
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - D J Schwarz
- Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - M Serylak
- Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - O Smirnov
- Department of Physics and Electronics, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- SKA South Africa, 3rd Floor, The Park, Park Road, Pinelands 7405, South Africa
| | - M Steinmetz
- Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany
| | - J Swinbank
- Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Tagger
- LPC2E, Universíte d'Orleans/CNRS, 45071 Orleans Cedex 2, France
| | - C Tasse
- LESIA, UMR CNRS 8109, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - M C Toribio
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - R J van Weeren
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - R Vermeulen
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
| | - C Vocks
- Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany
| | - M W Wise
- ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
- Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - O Wucknitz
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - P Zarka
- LESIA, UMR CNRS 8109, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
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