Specularly reflected whistler: A low-latitude channel to couple lightning energy to the magnetosphere
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Lightning-generated whistlers profoundly affect the energetic particle population in Earth's radiation belts, influencing space weather and endangering astronauts and satellites. We report the discovery of specularly reflected (SR) whistler in which the lightning energy injected into the ionosphere at low latitudes reaches the magnetosphere after undergoing a specular reflection in the conjugate ionosphere, contradicting previous claims that lightning energy injected at low latitudes cannot escape the ionosphere. SR whistlers provide a low-latitude channel to transport lightning energy to the magnetosphere. We calculate the relative contributions of SR, magnetospherically reflected, subprotonospheric, and ducted whistlers to the lightning energy reaching the magnetosphere. When SR whistlers are considered, the global lightning energy contribution to the magnetosphere doubles, implying that the previous estimates of the impact of lightning energy on radiation belts may need substantial revisions. Whistler dispersion and intensity analyses quantitatively confirm our results and suggest new remote-sensing methods of the magnetosphere, ionosphere, Earth-ionosphere waveguide, and lightning flashes.
Source: Science Advances
Authors: Vikas S. Sonwalkar, Amani Reddy
Institution: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
OpenAlex ID: W4401633635