Fermi GBM Observations of Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes

Journal Article · Wed Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3625588· OSTI ID:21608318

Briggs, Michael S ^[1]

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1. CSPAR, NSSTC, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)

Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes are short pulses of energetic radiation associated with thunderstorms and lightning. While the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on Fermi was designed to observe gamma-ray bursts, its large BGO detectors are excellent for observing TGFs. Using GBM, TGF pulses are seen to either be symmetrical or have faster rise time than fall times. Some TGFs are resolved into double, partially overlapping pulses. Using ground-based radio observations of lightning from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), TGFs and their associated lightning are found to be simultaneous to {approx_equal}40 {mu} s. The lightning locations are typically within 300 km of the sub-spacecraft point.

• OSTI ID: 21608318
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1366, Issue 1; Conference: 2010 Huntsville workshop on partially ionized plasmas throughout the cosmos, Nashville, TN (United States), 3-8 Oct 2010; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3625588; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCELERATION
ASTROPHYSICS
BGO DETECTORS
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
COSMIC GAMMA SOURCES
COSMIC PHOTONS
GAMMA RADIATION
PULSE RISE TIME
PULSES
BOSONS
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PHOTONS
PHYSICS
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SOLID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
TIMING PROPERTIES