Thunderstorm ground enhancements-Model and relation to lightning flashes

被引:40
作者
Chilingarian, A. [1 ]
机构
[1] Yerevan Phys Inst, Yerevan, Armenia
关键词
Atmospheric electricity; Thunderstorms; Electron acceleration; Lightning initiation; COSMIC-RAYS; ELECTRIC-FIELD; ENERGY-SPECTRA; X-RAYS; THUNDERCLOUD; BREAKDOWN;
D O I
10.1016/j.jastp.2013.11.004
中图分类号
P3 [地球物理学]; P59 [地球化学];
学科分类号
0708 ; 070902 ;
摘要
In the beginning of last century C.T.R. Wilson proposed that strong electric field of the thunderclouds might accelerate electrons to very high energies. However, this and many other electromagnetic processes in our atmosphere are poorly understood till now; the key questions about the thundercloud electrification and lightning initiation remain unanswered. During recent decades several observations of gamma ray, electron and neutron fluxes correlated with thunderstorms were reported. Nonetheless, the origin of these fluxes is under debate till now. The direct registration of the particle showers initiated by the runaway electrons (the most popular theory) was missing. We present the experimental evidence of the microsecond duration electron bursts originated from runaway electrons accelerated in thunderclouds. The electron acceleration downward becomes possible after creation of the Lower Positive Charged Region below the main negative charged layer in the middle of the thundercloud. Our analysis is based on the vast thunderstorm data from the Aragats Mountain in Armenia, 3200 m above sea level. Varieties of particle detectors located at Aragats Space Environmental Center are registering neutral and charged particle fluxes correlated with thunderstorms, so-called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements. Simultaneously the electric mills and lightning detectors are monitoring the near-surface electric field and lightning flashes. In the paper we present the model of TGE initiation. We demonstrate the necessity of the Lower positive charge region development for the lower dipole operation and TGE initiation. Our observations establish direct relationship of the negative electric field strength and rain rate with TGE. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:68 / 76
页数:9
相关论文
共 55 条
  • [1] THE EAS-TOP ARRAY AT E0=1014-1016 EV - STABILITY AND RESOLUTIONS
    AGLIETTA, M
    BADINO, G
    BERGAMASCO, L
    CASTAGNOLI, C
    CASTELLINA, A
    CINI, G
    DARDO, M
    DETTORREPIAZZOLI, B
    FULGIONE, W
    GALEOTTI, P
    GHIA, P
    MANNOCCHI, G
    MORELLO, C
    NAVARRA, G
    PERIALE, L
    PICCHI, P
    SAAVEDRA, O
    TRINCHERO, G
    VALLANIA, P
    VERNETTO, S
    [J]. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 1989, 277 (01) : 23 - 28
  • [2] GEANT4-a simulation toolkit
    Agostinelli, S
    Allison, J
    Amako, K
    Apostolakis, J
    Araujo, H
    Arce, P
    Asai, M
    Axen, D
    Banerjee, S
    Barrand, G
    Behner, F
    Bellagamba, L
    Boudreau, J
    Broglia, L
    Brunengo, A
    Burkhardt, H
    Chauvie, S
    Chuma, J
    Chytracek, R
    Cooperman, G
    Cosmo, G
    Degtyarenko, P
    Dell'Acqua, A
    Depaola, G
    Dietrich, D
    Enami, R
    Feliciello, A
    Ferguson, C
    Fesefeldt, H
    Folger, G
    Foppiano, F
    Forti, A
    Garelli, S
    Giani, S
    Giannitrapani, R
    Gibin, D
    Cadenas, JJG
    González, I
    Abril, GG
    Greeniaus, G
    Greiner, W
    Grichine, V
    Grossheim, A
    Guatelli, S
    Gumplinger, P
    Hamatsu, R
    Hashimoto, K
    Hasui, H
    Heikkinen, A
    Howard, A
    [J]. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 2003, 506 (03) : 250 - 303
  • [3] Transient variations of secondary cosmic rays due to atmospheric electric field and evidence for pre-lightning particle acceleration
    Alexeenko, VV
    Khaerdinov, NS
    Lidvansky, AS
    Petkov, VB
    [J]. PHYSICS LETTERS A, 2002, 301 (3-4) : 299 - 306
  • [4] KASCADE measurements of energy spectra for elemental groups of cosmic rays:: Results and open problems
    Antoni, T
    Apel, WD
    Badea, AF
    Bekk, K
    Bercuci, A
    Blümer, J
    Bozdog, H
    Brancus, IM
    Chilingarian, A
    Daumiller, K
    Doll, P
    Engel, R
    Engler, J
    Fessler, F
    Gils, HJ
    Glasstetter, R
    Haungs, A
    Heck, D
    Hörandel, JR
    Kampert, KH
    Klages, HO
    Maier, G
    Mathes, HJ
    Mayer, HJ
    Milke, J
    Müller, M
    Obenland, R
    Oehlschläger, J
    Ostapchenko, S
    Petcu, M
    Rebel, H
    Risse, A
    Risse, M
    Roth, M
    Schatz, G
    Schieler, H
    Scholz, J
    Thouw, T
    Ulrich, H
    van Buren, J
    Vardanyan, A
    Weindl, A
    Wochele, J
    Zabierowski, J
    [J]. ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS, 2005, 24 (1-2) : 1 - 25
  • [5] Aschwanden M.J., 2004, AGU MON AGU CHAPM C
  • [6] Origin of neutron flux increases observed in correlation with lightning
    Babich, Leonid P.
    Roussel-Dupre, Robert A.
    [J]. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES, 2007, 112 (D13)
  • [7] Comparison of relativistic runaway electron avalanche rates obtained from Monte Carlo simulations and kinetic equation solution
    Babich, LP
    Donskoy, EN
    Kutsyk, IM
    Kudryavtsev, AY
    Roussel-Dupré, RA
    Shamraev, BN
    Symbalisty, EMD
    [J]. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PLASMA SCIENCE, 2001, 29 (03) : 430 - 438
  • [8] Gamma-ray bursts of atmospheric origin in the MeV energy range
    Brunetti, M
    Cecchini, S
    Galli, M
    Giovannini, G
    Pagliarin, A
    [J]. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 2000, 27 (11) : 1599 - 1602
  • [9] Terrestrial gamma ray flash production by active lightning leader channels
    Carlson, B. E.
    Lehtinen, N. G.
    Inan, U. S.
    [J]. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS, 2010, 115
  • [10] Investigations of the response of hybrid particle detectors for the Space Environmental Viewing and Analysis Network (SEVAN)
    Chilingarian, A.
    Reymers, A.
    [J]. ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE, 2008, 26 (02) : 249 - 257