<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Tool for the Analysis of Radiations from lightnings and Sprites (TARANIS) is a French Space Agency’s (CNES) satellite mission planned for launch in 2020. It is designed for investigating phenomena related to thunderstorm activity, transient luminous events (TLEs) and amongst them – red sprites. The satellite is equipped with cameras, photometers, energetic particles detectors, ion probe and electromagnetic sensors of wide frequency spectrum. It will be the most versatile satellite for measuring TLEs ever sent to space. In this article, theories that are fundamental for understanding sprites and sprites-related measurements of TARANIS mission are presented. The current state of sprites phenomenology and their possible generation mechanisms are presented. The article briefly covers streamer discharges, cloud charge structure at the TLE occurrence, electric breakdown of the air and Runaway Relativistic Electron Avalanche (RREA). At the end, TARANIS mission equipment and goals that are related to presented theories are presented.</p></abstract>

Tool for the Analysis of Radiations from lightnings and Sprites (TARANIS) is a French Space Agency’s (CNES) satellite mission planned for launch in 2020. It is designed for investigating phenomena related to thunderstorm activity, transient luminous events (TLEs) and amongst them – red sprites. The satellite is equipped with cameras, photometers, energetic particles detectors, ion probe and electromagnetic sensors of wide frequency spectrum. It will be the most versatile satellite for measuring TLEs ever sent to space. In this article, theories that are fundamental for understanding sprites and sprites-related measurements of TARANIS mission are presented. The current state of sprites phenomenology and their possible generation mechanisms are presented. The article briefly covers streamer discharges, cloud charge structure at the TLE occurrence, electric breakdown of the air and Runaway Relativistic Electron Avalanche (RREA). At the end, TARANIS mission equipment and goals that are related to presented theories are presented.

Theoretical Problems Underlying Sprite Observations of the Planned Taranis Satellite Mission

Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Artificial Satellites

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Tool for the Analysis of Radiations from lightnings and Sprites (TARANIS) is a French Space Agency’s (CNES) satellite mission planned for launch in 2020. It is...

Theoretical Problems Underlying Sprite Observations of the Planned Taranis Satellite Mission

Published Online: Jan 28, 2020

Page range: 137 - 164

Received: Oct 03, 2019

Accepted: Dec 10, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/arsa-2019-0011

Keywords
Transient Luminous Event (TLE), TARANIS, sprite, lightning

© 2019 Paweł Jujeczko, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Theoretical Problems Underlying Sprite Observations of the Planned Taranis Satellite Mission

Published Online: Jan 28, 2020

Page range: 137 - 164

Received: Oct 03, 2019

Accepted: Dec 10, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/arsa-2019-0011

KeywordsTransient Luminous Event (TLE), TARANIS, sprite, lightning

© 2019 Paweł Jujeczko, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Transient Luminous Event (TLE), TARANIS, sprite, lightning