Thunderstorm electric fields probed by extensive air showers through their polarized radio emission

Trinh TN, Scholten O, Bonardi A, Buitink S, Corstanje A, Ebert U, Enriquez JE, Falcke H, Hörandel JR, Hare BM, Mitra P, Mulrey K, Nelles A, Rachen JP, Rossetto L, Rutjes C, Schellart P, Thoudam S, Ter Veen S, Winchen T (2017)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2017

Journal

Physical Review D American Physical Society

Book Volume: 95

Article Number: 083004

Journal Issue: 8

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.95.083004

Abstract

We observe a large fraction of circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers recorded during thunderstorms, much higher than in the emission from air showers measured during fair-weather circumstances. We show that the circular polarization of the air showers measured during thunderstorms can be explained by the change in the direction of the transverse current as a function of altitude induced by atmospheric electric fields. Thus by using the full set of Stokes parameters for these events, we obtain a good characterization of the electric fields in thunderclouds. We also measure a large horizontal component of the electric fields in the two events that we have analyzed.

Authors with CRIS profile

Anna Nelles

Involved external institutions

KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology NL Netherlands (NL) Radboud University Nijmegen NL Netherlands (NL) Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) NL Netherlands (NL) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) BE Belgium (BE)

How to cite

APA:

Trinh, T.N., Scholten, O., Bonardi, A., Buitink, S., Corstanje, A., Ebert, U.,... Winchen, T. (2017). Thunderstorm electric fields probed by extensive air showers through their polarized radio emission. Physical Review D, 95(8). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.95.083004

MLA:

Trinh, T. N.G., et al. "Thunderstorm electric fields probed by extensive air showers through their polarized radio emission." Physical Review D 95.8 (2017).

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