D-DOT: Flat-Plate Electric Field Sensor

SLS’ sleek, weather-proof electric field derivative (D-dot) sensor accurately senses lightning-radiated electric field changes. The sensor detects preliminary breakdown and intracloud electric field impulses during lightning initiation, strong transient electric field signals related to downward leader propagation, and the extraordinarily large electric field change associated with the ground attachment and return stroke of close cloud-to-ground discharges. The dominant lightning electric field at ground level is in the vertical direction. However, SLS’ D-dot sensors can be mounted either vertically or horizontally to sense the different field components.  SLS’ D-dot sensor is constructed from aircraft-grade 6061 aluminum or stainless steel with a UV-resistant fiberglass protective dome. 

SLS’ D-dot sensors are currently being used to measure electric fields near NASA’s Artemis launch vehicle, are frequently deployed for NASA science missions, and are used to capture ground-truth data to verify the performance of large-scale lightning location networks.  Networks of SLS’ D-dot sensors are utilized to form time-of-arrival (TOA) systems to precisely locate lightning-related electric field changes in 2D and 3D.