Jerzy Kubisz

An unusual sequence of sprites followed by a secondary TLE: An analysis of ELF radio measurements and optical observations

We present an extraordinary case of sprites in rapid succession—four sprite clusters in only 400 ms—followed by a secondary jet. Simultaneous ELF and optical observations, as well as lightning data, enabled us to thoroughly document this unique event. Locations of the transient luminous events (TLEs) were triangulated using video recordings from Nydek (Czech Republic) and Sopron (Hungary). We found that sprites were displaced up to 70 km from their parent lightning. The current moment waveform and charge moment changes associated with the event were reconstructed from the ELF electromagnetic signature recorded at the Hylaty station (Poland) by a new method. The results suggest that both a short-delayed and a long-delayed sprite were generated by a single positive cloud-to-ground discharge that had an intense continuing current. It had an unusual progression and lasted 200 ms. A large increase in the current moment during the development of a massive carrot sprite provides evidence in favor of sprite current. Our results also support the formation of an electric environment hypothesized to be necessary for the generation of the secondary TLEs.

Globally coherent short duration magnetic field transients and their effect on ground based gravitational-wave detectors

It has been recognized that the magnetic fields from the Schumann resonances could affect the search for a stochastic gravitational-wave background by LIGO and Virgo. Presented here are the observations of short duration magnetic field transients that are coincident in the magnetometers at the LIGO and Virgo sites. Data from low-noise magnetometers in Poland and Colorado, USA, are also used and show short duration magnetic transients of global extent. We measure at least 2.3 coincident (between Poland and Colorado) magnetic transient events per day where one of the pulses exceeds 200 pT. Given the recently measured values of the magnetic coupling to differential arm motion for Advanced LIGO, there would be a few events per day that would appear simultaneously at the gravitational-wave detector sites and could move the test masses of order

Subtraction of correlated noise in global networks of gravitational-wave interferometers

10^{-18}

Application of the Schumann resonance spectral decomposition in characterizing the main African thunderstorm center

m. We confirm that in the advanced detector era short duration transient gravitational-wave searches must account for correlated magnetic field noise in the global detector network.

Measurement and subtraction of Schumann resonances at gravitational-wave interferometers

The recent discovery of merging black holes suggests that a stochastic gravitational-wave background is within reach of the advanced detector network operating at design sensitivity. However, correlated magnetic noise from Schumann resonances threatens to contaminate observation of a stochastic background. In this paper, we report on the first effort to eliminate intercontinental correlated noise from Schumann resonances using Wiener filtering. Using magnetometers as proxies for gravitational-wave detectors, we demonstrate as much as a factor of two reduction in the coherence between magnetometers on different continents. While much work remains to be done, our results constitute a proof-of-principle and motivate follow-up studies with a dedicated array of magnetometers.

Radiolocating strong ELF electromagnetic pulses using two receivers placed on different continents

In this paper we present a new method for quantifying the main tropical thunderstorm regions based on extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic wave measurements from a single station—the Hylaty ELF station in Central Europe. Our approach is based on Schumann resonance (SR) measurements, which we apply as an example to thunderstorms in Africa. By solving the inverse problem, using the SR power spectrum templates derived analytically, we calculate distances to the most powerful thunderstorm centers and present simplified 1-D thunderstorm lightning activity “maps” in absolute units C2m2/s. We briefly describe our method of SR power spectrum analysis and present how this method is used with real observational data. We obtained the monthly lightning activity maps of the African storm centers with a spatial resolution of 1° and temporal resolution of 10 min for January and August 2011. This allowed us to study the varying location and intensities of the African storm centers in different seasons of the year. A cross check of the obtained lightning activity maps with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite data recorded by the Lightning Imaging Sensor and the derived correlation coefficients between SR and optical data were used to validate the proposed method. We note that modeling a maximum possible number of resonance modes in the SR power spectra (in our case, seven resonances) is essential in application of the proposed approach.

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field measurements at the Hylaty station and methodology of signal analysis: ELF Measurements at the Hylaty Station

Correlated magnetic noise from Schumann resonances threatens to contaminate the observation of a stochastic gravitational-wave background in interferometric detectors. In previous work, we reported on the first effort to eliminate global correlated noise from the Schumann resonances using Wiener filtering, demonstrating as much as a factor of two reduction in the coherence between magnetometers on different continents. In this work, we present results from dedicated magnetometer measurements at the Virgo and KAGRA sites, which are the first results for subtraction using data from gravitational-wave detector sites. We compare these measurements to a growing network of permanent magnetometer stations, including at the LIGO sites. We show the effect of mutual magnetometer attraction, arguing that magnetometers should be placed at least one meter from one another. In addition, for the first time, we show how dedicated measurements by magnetometers near to the interferometers can reduce coherence to a level consistent with uncorrelated noise, making a potential detection of a stochastic gravitational-wave background possible.

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic field measurements at the Hylaty station and methodology of signal analysis

In this paper we demonstrate the performance of our system in worldwide geolocation of strong ELF electromagnetic pulses. They are generated by powerful cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-ionosphere atmospheric discharges. Our system is currently composed of two broadband ELF receivers, one located in Poland and the other in the USA. Each receiver makes use of two orthogonal active magnetic antennas.

Solar variations in extremely low frequency propagation parameters: 2. Observations of Schumann resonances and computation of the ELF attenuation parameter

We present the Hylaty geophysical station, a high-sensitivity and low-noise facility for extremely low frequency (ELF, 0.03–300 Hz) electromagnetic field measurements, which enables a variety of geophysical and climatological research related to atmospheric, ionospheric, magnetospheric, and space weather physics. The first systematic observations of ELF electromagnetic fields at the Jagiellonian University were undertaken in 1994. At the beginning the measurements were carried out sporadically, during expeditions to sparsely populated areas of the Bieszczady Mountains in the southeast of Poland. In 2004, an automatic Hylaty ELF station was built there, in a very low electromagnetic noise environment, which enabled continuous recording of the magnetic field components of the ELF electromagnetic field in the frequency range below 60 Hz. In 2013, after 8 years of successful operation, the station was upgraded by extending its frequency range up to 300 Hz. In this paper we show the stations technical setup, and how it has changed over the years. We discuss the design of ELF equipment, including antennas, receivers, the time control circuit, and power supply, as well as antenna and receiver calibration. We also discuss the methodology we developed for observations of the Schumann resonance and wideband observations of ELF field pulses. We provide examples of various kinds of signals recorded at the station.