Spectral Observations of Optical Emissions Associated with Terrestrial
Gamma-Ray Flashes
Abstract
The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor measures Terrestrial Gamma-Ray
Flashes (TGFs) simultaneously with optical emissions from associated
lightning activity. We analyzed optical measurements at 180-230 nm, 337
nm and 777.4 nm related to 69 TGFs observed between June 2018 and
October 2019. All TGFs are associated with optical emissions with 90%
at the onset of a large optical pulse, suggesting that they are
connected with the initiation of current surges. A simple model of
photon delay induced by cloud scattering suggests that the sources of
the optical pulses are from 0.7 ms before to 4.4 ms after the TGFs, with
a median of -10±80 μs, and 1-5 km below the cloud top. The pulses have
rise times comparable to lightning without identified TGFs, while the
FWHM is twice as long. Pulse amplitudes at 337 nm are ∼3 times larger
than at 777.4 nm. The results support the leader-streamer mechanism for
TGF generation.