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Timing Calibration and Windowing Technique Comparison for Lightning Mapping Arrays
  • +17
  • Brian Hare,
  • Harald E. Edens,
  • Paul R. Krehbiel,
  • William Rison,
  • O. Scholten,
  • S. Buitink,
  • A. Corstanje,
  • H. Falcke,
  • J.R. Horandel,
  • Tim Huege,
  • G. K Krampah,
  • P. Mitra,
  • K. Mulrey,
  • Anna Nelles,
  • Hershal Pandya,
  • Jörg P. Rachen,
  • S. thoudam,
  • T. N Trinh,
  • S. Veen,
  • Tobias Winchen
Brian Hare
University of Groningen, University of Groningen

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Harald E. Edens
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
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Paul R. Krehbiel
New Mexico Tech, New Mexico Tech
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William Rison
New Mexico Tech, New Mexico Tech
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O. Scholten
University of Groningen, University of Groningen
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S. Buitink
Vrije Universiteit Brussels,, Vrije Universiteit Brussels,
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A. Corstanje
Radbound University Nijmegen, Radbound University Nijmegen
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H. Falcke
IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen,, IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen,
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J.R. Horandel
Radbound Universiteit Nijmegen, Radbound Universiteit Nijmegen
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Tim Huege
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
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G. K Krampah
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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P. Mitra
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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K. Mulrey
Vrije University Brussels, Vrije University Brussels
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Anna Nelles
University of Erlangen, University of Erlangen
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Hershal Pandya
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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Jörg P. Rachen
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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T. N Trinh
Can Tho University, Can Tho University
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S. Veen
ASTRON, ASTRON
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Tobias Winchen
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
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Abstract

Since their introduction 22 years ago, lightning mapping arrays (LMA) have played a central role in the investigation of lightning physics. Even in recent years with the proliferation of digital interferometers and the introduction of the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope, LMAs still play an important role in lightning science. LMA networks use a simple windowing technique that records the highest pulse in either 80 $\mu$s or 10 $\mu$s fixed windows in order to apply a time-of-arrival location technique. In this work we develop an LMA-emulator that uses lightning data recorded by LOFAR to simulate an LMA, and we use it to test three new styles of pulse windowing. We show that they produce very similar results as the more traditional LMA windowing, implying that LMA lightning mapping results are relatively independent of windowing technique. In addition, each LMA station has its own GPS-conditioned clock. While the timing accuracy of GPS receivers has improved significantly over the years, they still significantly limit the timing measurements of the LMA. Recently, new time-of-arrival techniques have been introduced that can be used to self-calibrate systematic offsets between different receiving stations. Applying this calibration technique to a set of data with 32 ns uncertainty, observed by the Colorado LMA, improves the timing uncertainty to 19 ns. This technique is not limited to LMAs and could be used to help calibrate future multi-station lightning interferometers.