Universat-SOCRAT multi-satellite project to study TLEs and TGFs

Mikhail Panasyuk,Pavel Klimov,Alexander Belov,Sergei Svertilov,Andrei Bogomolov,Vasili Petrov,Ivan Maksimov,Ivan Yashin,Gali Garipov,Artem Novikov,Margarita Kaznacheeva,Yan Shtunder,Vitali Bogomolov,Anatoly Iyudin,Alexei Pozanenko,Alexander Minaev,Pavel Minaev

doi:10.1186/s40645-019-0280-3

Abstract

We present concept of a new multi-satellite Universat-SOCRAT project aimed to study transient phenomena in the upper atmosphere such as transient luminous events (TLEs) and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). It is a new space project of Lomonosov Moscow State University based on the use of a few satellites in the near-Earth orbit for real-time monitoring of radiation environment, natural (asteroids, meteoroids) and artificial (space debris) potentially dangerous objects, electromagnetic transients including cosmic gamma-ray bursts, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, and optical and ultraviolet bursts in the Earth’s atmosphere.Study of TLEs and TGFs remains an important and demanding task despite of a multitude of recently acquired data for these phenomena. This might be explained by the absence of comprehensive theoretical understanding of physical nature of high-energy processes in the Earth’s atmosphere. Multi-wavelength synchronous observations with moderate accuracy of localization of TGF and TLE events are necessary to gain an insight of physics governing these high-energy processes in the Earth’s atmosphere. In the article, we present results of TLE observations in space experiments of Moscow State University and discuss advanced instruments for optical observations of TLEs, as well as gamma-ray burst monitor and tracking gamma spectrometer for TGFs observations.

Highlights

One of the main problems of modern geoscience and atmospheric physics in particular is understanding the nature of the so-called transient atmospheric events (TAE), which include terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) and transient luminous events (TLEs)
Results of TLE observations in space experiments of Moscow State University UV fluorescence detectors were put on boards of several MSU micro-satellites in order to understand the transient events as a geophysical problem of global electric circuit better
For observation from space, transient UV events generated in the upper atmosphere are at favorable conditions, as they are less absorbed in route from event to detector

Summary

Introduction

One of the main problems of modern geoscience and atmospheric physics in particular is understanding the nature of the so-called transient atmospheric events (TAE), which include terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) and transient luminous events (TLEs). During the electric discharges between the clouds and the clouds and ionosphere (altitudes from 5–10 km to 60– 90 km) short-time bursts of electromagnetic radiation, TLEs are optical flashes known as sprites, elves, and blue jets. Their parameters including spatial and temporal structure, rate of occurrence, and optical brightness in different ranges could be found in (Vaughan and Vonnegut 1989; Fisher 1990; Lyons 1994; Boeck et al 1995; Winckler et al 1996; Boccippio et al 1995).

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Conclusion