Quasi-constant time gap in multiple rings of elves
Abstract
We present evidence that the time delay between the multiple rings of elves is not caused by the ground reflection of the electromagnetic pulse produced by intracloud lightning. To investigate temporal differences of multi-elves, we analyzed data from four storms occurring at various times and distances from the Pierre Auger Observatory in Malarg\"ue, Argentina. The Auger fluorescence detector's high temporal resolution of 100 ns enabled the frequent observation of multi-elves, accounting for approximately 23% of the events. By examining the traces of 70 double and 24 triple elves, we demonstrate that the time delay between the rings remains relatively constant regardless of the arc distance to the lightning. These results deviate from the trend expected from the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) ground reflection model, which predicts a decreasing time delay with increasing arc distance from an intracloud lightning at a given height. The first emission ring is due to a direct path of the EMP to the ionosphere, with the reflected EMP creating the second ring. Simulations conducted with this model demonstrate that short energetic in-cloud pulses can generate four-peak elves, and a temporal resolution of at least 25 s is required to separate them. Therefore, temporal resolution is crucial in the study of multi-elves. Our observations in the C\'ordoba province, central Argentina, indicate that the current understanding of the mechanism generating these phenomena may be incomplete, and further studies are needed to assess whether multi-elves are more likely related to the waveform shape of the lightning than to its altitude.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2511.05416,
title = {Quasi-constant time gap in multiple rings of elves},
author = {The Pierre Auger Collaboration and A. Abdul Halim and P. Abreu and M. Aglietta and I. Allekotte and K. Almeida Cheminant and A. Almela and R. Aloisio and J. Alvarez-Muñiz and A. Ambrosone and J. Ammerman Yebra and G. A. Anastasi and L. Anchordoqui and B. Andrada and L. Andrade Dourado and S. Andringa and L. Apollonio and C. Aramo and E. Arnone and J. C. Arteaga Velázquez and P. Assis and G. Avila and E. Avocone and A. Bakalova and F. Barbato and A. Bartz Mocellin and J. A. Bellido and C. Berat and M. E. Bertaina and M. Bianciotto and P. L. Biermann and V. Binet and K. Bismark and T. Bister and J. Biteau and J. Blazek and J. Blümer and M. Boháčová and D. Boncioli and C. Bonifazi and L. Bonneau Arbeletche and N. Borodai and J. Brack and P. G. Brichetto Orchera and F. L. Briechle and A. Bueno and S. Buitink and M. Buscemi and M. Büsken and A. Bwembya and K. S. Caballero-Mora and S. Cabana-Freire and L. Caccianiga and F. Campuzano and J. Caraça-Valente and R. Caruso and A. Castellina and F. Catalani and G. Cataldi and L. Cazon and M. Cerda and B. Čermáková and A. Cermenati and J. A. Chinellato and J. Chudoba and L. Chytka and R. W. Clay and A. C. Cobos Cerutti and R. Colalillo and R. Conceição and A. Condorelli and G. Consolati and M. Conte and F. Convenga and D. Correia dos Santos and P. J. Costa and C. E. Covault and M. Cristinziani and C. S. Cruz Sanchez and S. Dasso and K. Daumiller and B. R. Dawson and R. M. de Almeida and E. -T. de Boone and B. de Errico and J. de Jesús and S. J. de Jong and J. R. T. de Mello Neto and I. De Mitri and J. de Oliveira and D. de Oliveira Franco and F. de Palma and V. de Souza and E. De Vito and A. Del Popolo and O. Deligny and N. Denner and L. Deval and A. di Matteo and C. Dobrigkeit and J. C. D'Olivo and L. M. Domingues Mendes and Q. Dorosti and J. C. dos Anjos and R. C. dos Anjos and J. Ebr and F. Ellwanger and M. Emam and R. Engel and I. Epicoco and M. Erdmann and A. Etchegoyen and C. Evoli and H. Falcke and G. Farrar and A. C. Fauth and T. Fehler and F. Feldbusch and A. Fernandes and B. Fick and J. M. Figueira and P. Filip and A. Filipčič and T. Fitoussi and B. Flaggs and T. Fodran and M. Freitas and T. Fujii and A. Fuster and C. Galea and B. García and C. Gaudu and P. L. Ghia and U. Giaccari and F. Gobbi and F. Gollan and G. Golup and M. Gómez Berisso and P. F. Gómez Vitale and J. P. Gongora and J. M. González and N. González and D. Góra and A. Gorgi and M. Gottowik and F. Guarino and G. P. Guedes and E. Guido and L. Gülzow and S. Hahn and P. Hamal and M. R. Hampel and P. Hansen and V. M. Harvey and A. Haungs and T. Hebbeker and C. Hojvat and J. R. Hörandel and P. Horvath and M. Hrabovský and T. Huege and A. Insolia and P. G. Isar and P. Janecek and V. Jilek and K. -H. Kampert and B. Keilhauer and A. Khakurdikar and V. V. Kizakke Covilakam and H. O. Klages and M. Kleifges and J. Köhler and F. Krieger and M. Kubatova and N. Kunka and B. L. Lago and N. Langner and M. A. Leigui de Oliveira and Y. Lema-Capeans and A. Letessier-Selvon and I. Lhenry-Yvon and L. Lopes and J. P. Lundquist and A. Machado Payeras and M. Mallamaci and D. Mandat and B. C. Manning and P. Mantsch and F. M. Mariani and A. G. Mariazzi and I. C. Mariş and G. Marsella and D. Martello and S. Martinelli and M. A. Martins and H. -J. Mathes and J. Matthews and G. Matthiae and E. Mayotte and S. Mayotte and P. O. Mazur and G. Medina-Tanco and J. Meinert and D. Melo and A. Menshikov and C. Merx and S. Michal and M. I. Micheletti and L. Miramonti and M. Mogarkar and S. Mollerach and F. Montanet and L. Morejon and K. Mulrey and R. Mussa and W. M. Namasaka and S. Negi and L. Nellen and K. Nguyen and G. Nicora and M. Niechciol and D. Nitz and D. Nosek and A. Novikov and V. Novotny and L. Nožka and A. Nucita and L. A. Núñez and J. Ochoa and C. Oliveira and L. Östman and M. Palatka and J. Pallotta and S. Panja and G. Parente and T. Paulsen and J. Pawlowsky and M. Pech and J. Pękala and R. Pelayo and V. Pelgrims and L. A. S. Pereira and E. E. Pereira Martins and C. Pérez Bertolli and L. Perrone and S. Petrera and C. Petrucci and T. Pierog and M. Pimenta and M. Platino and B. Pont and M. Pourmohammad Shahvar and P. Privitera and M. Prouza and K. Pytel and S. Querchfeld and J. Rautenberg and D. Ravignani and J. V. Reginatto Akim and A. Reuzki and J. Ridky and F. Riehn and M. Risse and V. Rizi and E. Rodriguez and G. Rodriguez Fernandez and J. Rodriguez Rojo and M. J. Roncoroni and S. Rossoni and M. Roth and E. Roulet and A. C. Rovero and A. Saftoiu and M. Saharan and F. Salamida and H. Salazar and G. Salina and P. Sampathkumar and N. San Martin and J. D. Sanabria Gomez and F. Sánchez and E. M. Santos and E. Santos and F. Sarazin and R. Sarmento and R. Sato and P. Savina and V. Scherini and H. Schieler and M. Schimassek and M. Schimp and D. Schmidt and O. Scholten and H. Schoorlemmer and P. Schovánek and F. G. Schröder and J. Schulte and T. Schulz and S. J. Sciutto and M. Scornavacche and A. Sedoski and A. Segreto and S. Sehgal and S. U. Shivashankara and G. Sigl and K. Simkova and F. Simon and R. Šmída and P. Sommers and R. Squartini and M. Stadelmaier and S. Stanič and J. Stasielak and P. Stassi and S. Strähnz and M. Straub and T. Suomijärvi and A. D. Supanitsky and Z. Svozilikova and Z. Szadkowski and F. Tairli and A. Tapia and C. Taricco and C. Timmermans and O. Tkachenko and P. Tobiska and C. J. Todero Peixoto and B. Tomé and A. Travaini and P. Travnicek and M. Tueros and M. Unger and R. Uzeiroska and L. Vaclavek and M. Vacula and I. Vaiman and J. F. Valdés Galicia and L. Valore and E. Varela and V. Vašíčková and A. Vásquez-Ramírez and D. Veberič and I. D. Vergara Quispe and S. Verpoest and V. Verzi and J. Vicha and J. Vink and S. Vorobiov and J. B. Vuta and C. Watanabe and A. A. Watson and A. Weindl and M. Weitz and L. Wiencke and H. Wilczyński and D. Wittkowski and B. Wundheiler and B. Yue and A. Yushkov and E. Zas and D. Zavrtanik and M. Zavrtanik},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.05416},
year = {2025}
}