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Non-detection at Venus of high-frequency radio signals characteristic of terrestrial lightning

Nature volume 409, pages 313–315 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

The detection1,2 of impulsive low-frequency (10 to 80 kHz) radio signals, and separate very-low-frequency (∼100 Hz) radio ‘whistler’ signals3,4,5 provided the first evidence for lightning in the atmosphere of Venus. Later, a small number of impulsive high-frequency (100 kHz to 5.6 MHz) radio signals, possibly due to lightning, were also detected6. The existence of lightning at Venus has, however, remained controversial7,8,9,10,11,12,13. Here we report the results of a search for high-frequency (0.125 to 16 MHz) radio signals during two close fly-bys of Venus by the Cassini spacecraft. Such signals are characteristic of terrestrial lightning, and are commonly heard on AM (amplitude-modulated) radios during thunderstorms. Although the instrument easily detected signals from terrestrial lightning during a later fly-by of Earth (at a global flash rate estimated to be 70 s-1, which is consistent with the rate expected for terrestrial lightning), no similar signals were detected from Venus. If lightning exists in the venusian atmosphere, it is either extremely rare, or very different from terrestrial lightning.

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Figure 1: The trajectories of the Venus-1 and the Venus-2 fly-bys in a Venus-centred coordinate system.
Figure 2: A 20-channel plot of the electric field intensities as a function of time during the Venus-1 fly-by.
Figure 3: A plot of the number of intensity peaks greater than a fixed number of standard deviations above the background noise level, for the Venus-1, Venus-2, and Earth fly-bys.
Figure 4: A plot of the pulse-detection threshold for the RPWS, in units of J Hz-1, as a function of the pulse duration at a representative range of one Venus radii (1 RV).

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Acknowledgements

The research at the University of Iowa was supported by NASA through the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242 , Iowa, USA

    D. A. Gurnett, W. S. Kurth, G. B. Hospodarsky & T. F. Averkamp

  2. Space Research Department, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, CNRS UMR 8632, France

    P. Zarka & R. Manning

  3. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, 20771, Maryland, USA

    M. L. Kaiser & W. M. Farrell

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  1. D. A. Gurnett
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Correspondence to D. A. Gurnett.

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Gurnett, D., Zarka, P., Manning, R. et al. Non-detection at Venus of high-frequency radio signals characteristic of terrestrial lightning. Nature 409, 313–315 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35053009

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