Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter
Abstract
Macroscopic dark matter (macros) is a broad class of alternative candidates to particle dark matter. These candidates would transfer energy to matter primarily through elastic scattering. A sufficiently large macro passing through the atmosphere would produce a straight channel of ionized plasma. If the cross-section of the macro is σx ≳ 6 × 10–9 cm2, then under atmospheric conditions conducive to lightning (eg. a thunderstorm) the plasma channel would be sufficient to seed a lightning strike with a single leader. This is entirely unlike ordinary bolt lightning in which a long sequence of hundreds or thousands of few-meter-long leaders are strung together. This macro-induced lightning would be extremely straight, and thus highly distinctive. Neither wind shear nor magnetohydrodynamic instabilities would markedly spoil its straightness. The only photographically documented case of a straight lightning bolt is probably not straight enough to have been macro-induced. We estimate the region of macro parameter space that could be probed by a search for straight lightning from the number of thunderstorms happening on Earth at any time. In conclusion, we also estimate the parameter space that can be probed by carefully monitoring Jupiter, e.g. using the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[2];
[2]
- Univ. of Toronto, ON (Canada)
- Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1772186
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0009946
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review. D.
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 103; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; dark matter; dark matter detectors; macroscopic dark matter; massive compact halo objects; particle astrophysics; solar system & its planets
Citation Formats
Starkman, Nathaniel, Winch, Harrison, Sidhu, Jagjit Singh, and Starkman, Glenn. Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1103/physrevd.103.063024.
Starkman, Nathaniel, Winch, Harrison, Sidhu, Jagjit Singh, & Starkman, Glenn. Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.103.063024
Starkman, Nathaniel, Winch, Harrison, Sidhu, Jagjit Singh, and Starkman, Glenn. Thu .
"Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.103.063024. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1772186.
@article{osti_1772186,
title = {Straight lightning as a signature of macroscopic dark matter},
author = {Starkman, Nathaniel and Winch, Harrison and Sidhu, Jagjit Singh and Starkman, Glenn},
abstractNote = {Macroscopic dark matter (macros) is a broad class of alternative candidates to particle dark matter. These candidates would transfer energy to matter primarily through elastic scattering. A sufficiently large macro passing through the atmosphere would produce a straight channel of ionized plasma. If the cross-section of the macro is σx ≳ 6 × 10–9 cm2, then under atmospheric conditions conducive to lightning (eg. a thunderstorm) the plasma channel would be sufficient to seed a lightning strike with a single leader. This is entirely unlike ordinary bolt lightning in which a long sequence of hundreds or thousands of few-meter-long leaders are strung together. This macro-induced lightning would be extremely straight, and thus highly distinctive. Neither wind shear nor magnetohydrodynamic instabilities would markedly spoil its straightness. The only photographically documented case of a straight lightning bolt is probably not straight enough to have been macro-induced. We estimate the region of macro parameter space that could be probed by a search for straight lightning from the number of thunderstorms happening on Earth at any time. In conclusion, we also estimate the parameter space that can be probed by carefully monitoring Jupiter, e.g. using the Hubble Space Telescope.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevd.103.063024},
journal = {Physical Review. D.},
number = 6,
volume = 103,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 18 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Thu Mar 18 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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