Abstract

PARAS, Manoj Kumar  and  RAI, Jagdish. Electrical parameters of red sprites. Atmósfera [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.4, pp.371-380. ISSN 0187-6236.

Red sprites are the exotic kind of lightning above thunderstorms. Expressions for the velocity and current of sprites have been obtained. The velocity expression comes out to be Gaussian. The calculated current flowing in the sprite body behaves just like a typical lightning return stroke current. The variations of current moment and charge moment change with time have been calculated with the help of velocity and current expressions. The approximate radiation electric field generated from the current moment of sprite also has been obtained. The radiation electric field peaks at about 40 Hz with an amplitude of the order of 10^-5 V/m at 200 km from the sprite channel. The total energy dissipated in the body of red sprites is of the order of 10⁹ J.

Keywords : Sprites; extremely low frequency; current moment; charge moment change.