Origin of transionospheric pulse pairs

Abstract

Transionospheric pulse pairs, associated with lightning, are the most powerful natural radio signals on Earth. Although they were discovered over two decades ago by satellites, their origin remains elusive. Here we attribute these radio signals to relativistic electrons generated by cloud‐to‐ground lightning. When these electrons strike the ground, radio bursts are emitted toward space within a narrow cone. This model naturally explains the interval, duration, polarization, coherence, and bimodal feature of the pulse pairs. Based on electron parameters inferred from X‐ray observations of lightning, we find that the calculated signal intensity agrees with satellite measurements. Our results can be applied to the development of a global warning system for storms and hurricanes using GPS satellites.