Ground-based observations of thunderstorm-correlated fluxes of high-energy electrons, gamma rays, and neutrons

Journal Article · Sun Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.82.043009· OSTI ID:21420907

Chilingarian, A; Daryan, A; Arakelyan, K; Hovhannisyan, A; Mailyan, B; Melkumyan, L; Hovsepyan, G; Chilingaryan, S; Reymers, A; Vanyan, L ^[1]

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1. Artem Alikhanyan National Laboratory, Alikhanyan Brothers 2, Yerevan 36 (Armenia)

The Aragats Space Environmental Center facilities continuously measure fluxes of neutral and charged secondary cosmic ray incidents on the Earth's surface. Since 2003 in the 1-minute time series we have detected more than 100 enhancements in the electron, gamma ray, and neutron fluxes correlated with thunderstorm activities. During the periods of the count rate enhancements, lasting tens of minutes, millions of additional particles were detected. Based on the largest particle event of September 19, 2009, we show that our measurements support the existence of long-lasting particle multiplication and acceleration mechanisms in the thunderstorm atmosphere. For the first time we present the energy spectra of electrons and gamma rays from the particle avalanches produced in the thunderstorm atmosphere, reaching the Earth's surface.

• OSTI ID: 21420907
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 82, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.82.043009; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ACCELERATION
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RAY DETECTION
COUNTING RATES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
GAMMA RADIATION
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRONS
PARTICLES
BARYONS
DETECTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
NUCLEONS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA