Thunderstorm electric fields probed by extensive air showers through their polarized radio emission
- Trinh, T.N.G.
- Scholten, O.
- Bonardi, A.
- Buitink, S.
- Corstanje, A.
- Ebert, U.M.
- Enriquez, J.E.
- Falcke, H.
- Hörandel, J.R.
- Hare, B.M.
- Mitra, P.
- Mulrey, K.
- Nelles, A.
- Rachen, J.P.
- Rossetto, L.
- Rutjes, C.
- Schellart, P.
- Thoudam, S.
- Ter Veen, S.
- Winchen, T.
DOIAbstract
We observe a large fraction of circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers recorded during thunderstorms, much higher than in the emission from air showers measured during fair-weather circumstances. We show that the circular polarization of the air showers measured during thunderstorms can be explained by the change in the direction of the transverse current as a function of altitude induced by atmospheric electric fields. Thus by using the full set of Stokes parameters for these events, we obtain a good characterization of the electric fields in thunderclouds. We also measure a large horizontal component of the electric fields in the two events that we have analyzed.</p
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