We report here for the first time about the registration of an extraordinary high flux of low-energy neutrons generated during thunderstorms. The measured neutron count rate enhancements are directly connected with thunderstorm discharges. The low-energy neutron flux value obtained in our work is a challenge for the photonuclear channel of neutron generation in thunderstorm: the estimated value of the needed high-energy γ-ray flux is about 3 orders of magnitude higher than that one observed.
The Extensive Air Shower (EAS) data collected by the Horizon-10T detector system has numerous events exhibiting the unusual spatial and temporal structure. These are events typically with two to four pulses of tens of ns wide that are present at distances above 300 m from the EAS axis, with these pulses being delayed by hundreds of ns. Each of such pulse groups were registered simultaneously by several detectors separated by up to a km from each other. The detectors brief overview and the analysis of simulated EAS by the CORSIKA software package are given in this article. The analysis indicates that such events with unusual structure cannot be formed by showers with EM and hadronic components only. This indicates a possibility for a new process observation beyond the standard model description in the energy range above ~1018 eV.
In this paper we present a description of the new complex installation for the study of extensive air showers which was created at the Tien Shan mountain cosmic ray station, as well as the results of the test measurements made there in 2014-2016. At present, the system for registration of electromagnetic shower component consists of ∼100 detector points built on the basis of plastic scintillator plates with the sensitive area of 0.25m 2 and 1m 2 , spread equidistantly over ∼10 4 m 2 space. The dynamic range of scintillation amplitude measurements is currently about (3 − 7) · 10 4 , and there is a prospect of it being extended up to ∼10 6 . The direction of shower arrival is defined by signal delays from a number of the scintillators placed cross-wise at the periphery of the detector system. For the investigation of nuclear active shower components there was created a multi-tier 55m 2 ionization-neutron calorimeter with a sum absorber thickness of ∼1000g/cm 2 , typical spatial resolution of the order of 10cm, and dynamic range of ionization measurement channel about ∼10 5 . Also, the use of saturation-free neutron detectors is anticipated for registration of the high-and lowenergy hadron components in the region of shower core. A complex of underground detectors is designed for the study of muonic and penetrative nuclear-active components of the shower.The full stack of data acquisition, detector calibration, and shower parameters restoration procedures are now completed, and the newly obtained shower size spectrum and lateral distribution of shower particles occur in agreement with conventional data. Future studies in the field of 10 14 − 10 17 eV cosmic ray physics to be held at the new shower installation are discussed.
For the first time the emission of neutron bursts in the process of high-voltage discharge in air was observed. Experiments were carried out at an average electric field strength of ∼1 MV·m(-1) and discharge current of ∼10 kA. Two independent methods (CR-39 track detectors and plastic scintillation detectors) registered neutrons within the range from thermal energies up to energies above 10 MeV and with an average flux density of ≳10(6) cm(-2) per shot inside the discharge zone. Neutron generation occurs at the initial phase of the discharge and correlates with x-ray generation. The data obtained allow us to assume that during the discharge fast neutrons are mainly produced.
The existence of a new phenomenagiant electron-gamma bursts is established. The bursts are generated in thunderclouds as a result of the combined action of runaway breakdown and extensive atmosphere showers (RB-EAS). The experiments were fulfilled at the Tien Shan Mountain Scientific Station using EAS-Radio installation. This specially constructed installation consists of a wide spread EAS trigger array and a high time resolution radiointerferometer.
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