European Studies of Coupling of Thunderstorms to the Upper Atmosphere

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1 European Studies of Coupling of Thunderstorms to the Upper Atmosphere Torsten Neubert National Space Institute Technical University of Denmark Christos Haldoupis University of Crete

2 Content From Space ASIM presented here TARANIS presented by Michel Parrot? From ground Many different observations from Southern Europe AWESOME network of African stations Collaboration with AWESOME network

3 Content From Space ASIM presented here TARANIS presented by Michel Parrot? From ground Many different observations from Southern Europe AWESOME network of African stations Collaboration with AWESOME network

4 ASIM ASIM-limb/ram ASIM-nadir ASIM is The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor For the International Space Station cameras and photometers, 1 X- and gamma-ray detector

5 85 km ASIM: Primary objectives TLE Electric discharges between thunderstorms and the ionosphere (Transient Luminous Events TLEs) Discovered in km Gigantic jet; From Su et al., 2005

6 ASIM Primary objectives TGF Flashes of X- and Gamma-rays from above thunderstorms (Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes TGFs) Discovered in 1994 RHESSI observations of TGFs (Smith, 2005)

7 The discovery of TLEs and TGFs show that There is much we do not know about the electric discharge we have already learned new aspects There is much we do not know about the atmosphere In particular, we know too little about the atmosphere above large storm systems The region is difficult to observe from the ground Few satellites have focused on this region

8 ASIM Observations ASIM will conduct the first study of simultaneous optical AND X- and Gamma-rays above thunderstorms ASIM will carry the first such combination with instruments designed for this purpose However, the ambition is broader...

9 The larger goal To study thunderstorms and their ralation to a changing climate Thunderstorms are gigantic pumps that stirs the atmosphere Their effect is global

10 Climate processes Thunderstorms Water vapor transport Cloud nucleation Gravity waves Noctilucent clouds Earth Observation Hurricanes Dust storms Volcanoes Forest fires Space Interactions Meteors NO Aurora Ionosphere perturbation Additional Themes

11 Payload Configuration MMIA Modular Multi-spectral Imaging Array Each MMIA: 2 cameras and photometers Limb: MMIA-1 and -2 Nadir: MMIA-3 MXGS Modular X- and Gamma-ray Sensor Power: 375 W Mass: 345 kg Data rate: 60 kbps MMIA-3 Nadir MXGS Nadir MMIA-1 and -2 Limb

12 MXGS Specs Energy range kev Energy resolution 60 kev Quant. kev 0.94 Relative/Absolute time accuracy < 10/100 s Burst rate capability 1000 cts/ms TGF sensitivity ph/cm 2 /ms Total detector background ~2 cts/ms ( kev) Trigger Bi-directional link to MMIA Auroral events peak rate cts/s for few min. Mounting Nadir-pointing Field of View 80*80 deg2 Angular Resolution <2 deg.

13 MMIA Specs MMIA Cameras Photometers FOV Nadir: 61.4 O Limb: 14.2 O Pixels 1024 x 1024 Pixel resolution Nadir: km Limb: km Nadir: 61.4 O Limb: 14.2 O Time resolution 83 ms ms Spectral bands LC1: 337.0/5nm LC2: 391.4/5nm LC3: nm LC4: 761.9/10nm NC1: 337.0/5nm NC2: 777.4/5nm LP1: 337.0/5nm LP2: 391.4/5nm LP3: nm LP4: 236.2/5nm NP1: 337.0/5nm NP2: nm The MMIA nadir module LC: Limb Camera NC: Nadir Camera LP: Limb Photometer NP: Nadir Photometer

14 Content From Space ASIM presented here TARANIS presented by Michel Parrot? From ground Many different observations from Southern Europe AWESOME network of African stations Collaboration with AWESOME network

15 Ground Observations Ground observations are important parts of the ASIM and TARANIS missions: observe from space what is best observed from space and from ground what is best observed from ground Europe is building up ground observation capabilities in preparation for the satellite missions The TARANIS and ASIM teams co-ordinate these preparations

16 Optical observations Observatoire Midi Pyrenées Camera The first observations of sprites over Europe were taken in 2000 from Pic du Midi

17 65 km 500 m High spatial resolution image showing the complex finestructure of sprites Spites observed from Pic-du-Midi (false colour) 35 km

18 Optical Observations today

19 Other ground instruments Ground instrumentation national weather radars national standard lightning detection scientific 3D-lightning networks scientific electromagnetic measurements ULF-MF infrasound ionospheric perturbations (AWESOME)

20 AWESOME North Africa stations give fantastic coverage of European thunderstorms

21 Content From Space ASIM presented here TARANIS presented by Michel Parrot? From ground Many different observations from Southern Europe AWESOME network of African stations Collaboration with AWESOME network

22 Collaboration with AWESOME AWESOME data of high value for the ASIM and TARANIS investigations AWESOME scientists are invited to be part of the ASIM Internationale Science Team now with more than 30 countries more than 80 research groups AWESOME scientists invited to be part of this years observation campaign (July-November) data analysis after the campaign and/or control of cameras at Pic du Midi and Corsica good Internet connection needed campaign information will be placed at

23 THANK YOU! HAVE A CONTINUED GOOD MEETING! I HOPE TO MEET YOU AT THE NEXT AWESOME MEEETING!