The complex of instruments called the interaction monitor between the atmosphere and space (ATMOSPHERE-SPACE INTERACTIONS MONITOR, ASIM) was created by order of the European Space Agency. It was established in 2018 on the external suspension of the scientific equipment of the COLUMBUS module of the International Space Station (ISS). The ASIM kit includes two modules with scientific instruments: a pair of earth gamut-bursts detectors (MXGS) and an optical telescope with photometers of several wavelengths (MMIA).
The first significant result of his work was the observation of blue jets and concomitant effects in February 2019. The study of the data received during this event took more than a year. The scientific article with an analysis of the most valuable information about the rare phenomenon was published in the journal Nature on January 20. It was prepared by astrophysics from the National Space Institution Denmark (DTU Space) engaged in the study of atmospheric electricity with ASIM.
The scientific work describes five outbreaks in the blue range of visible light by a duration of about 10 microseconds each. They occurred in a thunder cell over the Pacific Ocean and one of the outbreaks led to the formation of jet that has reached Stratopause (50-55 kilometers). It is noteworthy that all five discharges were accompanied by the appearance of "elves" in the ionosphere (50-100 kilometers). Radio signals in the range from three to three hundred megahertz were obtained by the received optical instruments.
Based on the collected information, scientists made a number of conclusions about the nature of the lightning in the upper layers of the atmosphere. In particular, the version was confirmed according to which the blue jets arise as a result of the same processes that cause ordinary lightning. It was also possible to clarify the characteristics of the leader of such lightning. And outbreaks and resulting from one of them Jet - the ionization waves in the atmosphere, which flows the charge. The connection of the above-described phenomena with much higher "elves" was not considered in the work of Danish scientists.
Electrical phenomena in the upper layers of the atmosphere are poorly studied and attract a lot of physicists from around the world. They are short and vary violently depending on the height. Of these, the closest to the ground is the blue starters (Blue Starters), which arise over the thunderstorm clouds at altitudes up to 20 kilometers. It is believed that this is "underdeveloped" Blue Jets. A slightly above manifests red sprites (Sprite), most noticeable of all such optical phenomena. These atmospheric discharges occur at altitudes from 50 to 90 kilometers and can achieve truly gigantic sizes - up to 50 kilometers in diameter. Sometimes sprites accompanies halo, similar to the mushroom hat.
Finally, one of the most mysterious - "elves". Their name comes from the ELVES abbreviation, which is deciphered as "sources of light radiation and low-frequency perturbations as a result of an electromagnetic impulse." These phenomena are achieved in the diameter of four hundred kilometers and arise at a height of about a hundred kilometers. The list of optical phenomena associated with electrical discharges in the upper layers of the atmosphere does not end. There are also "Trolls" (Troll), "Fairy" (Pixie), Ghosts (Ghost) and "Gnomes" (GNOME), but their nature is understandable even less. The most convenient place to explore such a "zoo of fairy creatures" became the ISS and thanks to the ASIM tools, you can hope for quick progress in this matter.
Source: Naked Science