We have searched for intermediate-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays with energies above 57 EeV in the northern sky using data collected over a 5 yr period by the surface detector of the Telescope Array experiment. We report on a cluster of events that we call the hotspot, found by oversampling using 20 • radius circles. The hotspot has a Li-Ma statistical significance of 5.1σ , and is centered at R.A. = 146. • 7, decl. = 43. • 2. The position of the hotspot is about 19 • off of the supergalactic plane. The probability of a cluster of events of 5.1σ significance, appearing by chance in an isotropic cosmic-ray sky, is estimated to be 3.7 × 10 −4 (3.4σ).

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The intensity of Galactic cosmic rays is nearly isotropic because of the influence of magnetic fields in the Milky Way. Here, we present two-dimensional high-precision anisotropy measurement for energies from a few to several hundred teraelectronvolts (TeV), using the large data sample of the Tibet Air Shower Arrays. Besides revealing finer details of the known anisotropies, a new component of Galactic cosmic ray anisotropy in sidereal time is uncovered around the Cygnus region direction. For cosmic-ray energies up to a few hundred TeV, all components of anisotropies fade away, showing a corotation of Galactic cosmic rays with the local Galactic magnetic environment. These results have broad implications for a comprehensive understanding of cosmic rays, supernovae, magnetic fields, and heliospheric and Galactic dynamic environments.

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Bursts of gamma ray showers have been observed in coincidence with downward propagating negative leaders in lightning flashes by the Telescope Array Surface Detector (TASD). The TASD is a 700-km 2 cosmic ray observatory located in southwestern Utah, USA. In data collected between 2014 and 2016, correlated observations showing the structure and temporal development of three shower-producing flashes were obtained with a 3-D lightning mapping array, and electric field change measurements were Key Points:• Gamma ray showers have been detected in a surface scintillator array coincident with lightning observed by a lightning mapping array or Delta E antenna • The showers were produced less than 4-5 km above ground in the first 1-2 ms of downward negative breakdown during cloud-to-ground flashes • The source durations are better resolved than for satellite observations and are consistent with being produced by stepping of the initial leader breakdown Supporting Information:• Supporting Information S1 obtained for an additional seven flashes, in both cases colocated with the TASD. National Lightning Detection Network information was also used throughout. The showers arrived in a sequence of 2-5 short-duration (≤10 s) bursts over time intervals of several hundred microseconds and originated at an altitude of ≃3-5 km above ground level during the first 1-2 ms of downward negative leader breakdown at the beginning of cloud-to-ground lightning flashes. The shower footprints, associated waveforms and the effect of atmospheric propagation indicate that the showers consist primarily of downward-beamed gamma radiation. This has been supported by GEANT simulation studies, which indicate primary source fluxes of ≃10 12 -10 14 photons for 16 ∘ half-angle beams. We conclude that the showers are terrestrial gamma ray flashes, similar to those observed by satellites, but that the ground-based observations are more representative of the temporal source activity and are also more sensitive than satellite observations, which detect only the most powerful terrestrial gamma ray flashes.

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