Analysis of Narrow Bipolar Events Using Mode Decomposition Methods

Senay, Seda; Krehbiel, Paul R.; da Silva, Caitano L.; Edens, Harald E.; Bennecke, David; Stanley, Mark A.

doi:10.1029/2022jd038444

Title: Analysis of Narrow Bipolar Events Using Mode Decomposition Methods

Journal Article · 26 October 2023 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jd038444 · OSTI ID:2208793

^[1];

^[1]; da Silva, Caitano L. ^[1]; Edens, Harald E. ^[2]; Bennecke, David ^[1];

^[1]

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Multi-resolution analysis methods can reveal the underlying physical dynamics of nonstationary signals, such as those from lightning. In this paper we demonstrate the application of two multi-resolution analysis methods: Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) and Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) in a comparative way in the analysis of electric field change waveforms from lightning. EEMD and VMD decompose signals into a set of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). The IMFs can be combined using distance and divergence metrics to obtain noise reduction or to obtain new waveforms that isolate the physical processes of interest while removing irrelevant components of the original signal. We apply the EEMD and VMD methods to the observations of three close Narrow Bipolar Events (NBEs) that were reported by Rison et al. The ΔE observations reveal the occurrence of complex oscillatory processes after the main NBE sferic. We show that both EEMD and VMD are able to isolate the oscillations from the main NBE, with VMD being more effective of the two methods since it requires the least user supervision. The oscillations are found to begin at the end of the NBEs' downward fast positive breakdown and appear to be produced by a half-wavelength standing wave within a weakly-conducting resonant ionization cavity left behind in the wake of the streamer-based NBE event. In conclusion, additional analysis shows that one of the NBEs was likely initiated by an energetic cosmic ray shower, and also corrects a misinterpretation in the literature that fast breakdown is an artifact of NBE-like events in interferometer observations.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001; AGS-1949185; AGS-1720600; AGS-2214044; AGS-2046043

OSTI ID:: 2208793

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-22-33026

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres, Vol. 128, Issue 21; ISSN 2169-897X

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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