Simultaneous radio and satellite optical measurements of high-altitude sprite current and lightning continuing current

[ 1] We report coordinated measurements of lightning and resulting sprites using ground-level magnetic field sensors (< 0.1 Hz to 30 kHz bandwidth) and the ISUAL instrument on the FORMOSAT-2 satellite. These measurements demonstrate two distinct elements of the connection between the radio and optical emissions. First, the quasi-static magnetic field signature is tightly correlated with the low-altitude optical emissions from the lightning flash, indicating that this radio signature is produced by continuing lightning current. Second, in two events with strong postreturn stroke extremely low frequency ( ELF) magnetic pulses, the optical emissions demonstrate that there are no observable intensifications of low-altitude optical emissions associated with those pulses. If they were produced by a lightning process, such as an M-component, the connection between optical emissions and current seen in the return stroke and the continuing current suggests they should be visible. However, as has been observed previously, the bright, high-altitude optical emissions associated with the sprite are simultaneous with the ELF pulse. This is strong evidence that these ELF pulses originate in high-altitude electric current in the sprite itself and are not produced by a low-altitude lightning process.