Lightning optical context associated with ASIM TGFs

Launched and installed at the International Space Station in April 2018, the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) provides science data since June 2018. Suite of onboard instruments contains optical and high energy detectors payloads. Modular Multi-spectral Imaging Array (MMIA) includes three photometers (180-240 nm, 337 nm and 777.4 nm) sampling at 100 kHz, and two cameras (337 nm and 777.4 nm) sampling at 12 Hz. It allows for lightning and transient luminous events (TLEs) observations during the orbital eclipses. The Modular X- and Gamma-ray Sensor (MXGS) detects X- and Gamma-ray photons, and is dedicated to detection of Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs). The mutual relative timing accuracy between MXGS and MMIA is as good as +/- 5 µs.

 

TGFs are known to be associated with the +IC lightning discharges. ASIM provides a unique possibility for simultaneous observations of TGFs together with the underlying optical activity inside the thundercloud. In this contribution we summarize the almost two years of ASIM observations to make an overview of the various optical contexts accompanying the TGF production.