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Time variations of lightning activity in the three main tropical thunderstorm centers located in the Maritime Continent (Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Australia), Africa, and the Americas are analyzed using a lightning activity index IRS, which is calculated from the resonances of magnetic field in the extremely low frequency range—the Schumann resonances—which were observed at Hylaty station (Poland) in the time interval July 2005–May 2006. Power spectrum analysis of the IRS series is carried out for this time interval. The annual and semiannual variations are shown in all of the series together with the following characteristic periodicities: 45 (Madden–Julian oscillation), 17.6, 13.5, and 4.8 days, seen mainly in the series describing the lightning activity of the Maritime Continent. In addition, maps of the dynamical power spectrum are constructed. They present variability both in the values of characteristic periods 26–30, 17–22, 12–14, 9–10, and 5–7 days and in their duration. During the studied time interval, according to these indices, the African center was the most active, whereas the American and Maritime Continent centers showed a similar level of activity. The largest differences among the centers were observed in the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the research finding from Boston University in the U. S. that broad plasmonic resonances spanning the entire visible spectrum, can be given rise by two-dimensional arrays of gold nanoparticles which are arranged according to aperiodic mathematical sequences. According to Ashwin Gopinath and colleagues, in creating a range of broadband plasmonic devices, the structures could establish its use.