Ground detection of terrestrial gamma ray flashes from distant radio signals

Lyu, Fanchao; Cummer, Steven A.; Briggs, M. S.; Marisaldi, M.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Bruning, Eric C.; Wilson, Jennifer G.; Rison, W.; Krehbiel, P. R.; Lu, Gaopeng; Cramer, E. S.; Fitzpatrick, G.; Mailyan, B.; McBreen, S.; Roberts, O. J.; Stanbro, M.

doi:10.1002/2016gl070154

Cited by 55 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…From this expectation, the present high‐current discharges are probably only ones the detectors experienced in the 2017–2018 winter season. Based on the fact that each detector observed only one downward TGF in the 2017–2018 season, we speculate that such high‐current discharges could have a strong connection to downward TGFs, as Lyu et al () proposed for positive EIPs and upward TGFs. Namely, all

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EIPs might be associated with downward TGFs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Recent observations in the RF band have identified a new class of in‐cloud discharge currents associated with TGFs, called “energetic in‐cloud pulses” (EIPs; Lyu et al, , ; Lyu & Cummer, ). EIPs have high peak currents of

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…EIPs have high peak currents of

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100 kA and are distinguished from other lightning classes such as return strokes (RSs) of cloud‐to‐ground discharges and narrow bipolar events (NBE; Rison et al, ) by characteristics of RF waveforms (Lyu et al, ). Lyu et al () suggested that EIPs of positive polarity (+EIPs) are strongly connected to upward TGFs and, furthermore, predicted that negative EIPs (

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EIPs) would have a connection to downward TGFs. However, the prediction has never been observationally confirmed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High Peak‐Current Lightning Discharges Associated With Downward Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes

et al. 2020

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During 2017–2018 winter operation of the Gamma‐Ray Observation of Winter Thunderclouds experiment in Japan, two downward terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) that triggered atmospheric photonuclear reactions were detected. They took place during winter thunderstorms on 5 December 2017 and 9 January 2018 at Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Each event coincided with an intracloud/intercloud discharge, which had a negative‐polarity peak current higher than 150 kA. Their radio waveforms in the low‐frequency band are categorized as a distinct lightning type called “energetic in‐cloud pulse” (EIP). Negative‐polarity EIPs have been previously suggested to be highly associated with downward TGFs, and the present observations provide evidence of the correlation between them for the first time. Furthermore, both of the downward TGFs followed “gamma‐ray glows,” minute‐lasting high‐energy emissions from thunderclouds. It is suggested that the negative EIPs took place with downward propagating negative leaders or upward positive ones developed in highly electrified regions responsible for the gamma‐ray glows.

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EIPs might be associated with downward TGFs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

>

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…EIPs have high peak currents of

>

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EIPs) would have a connection to downward TGFs. However, the prediction has never been observationally confirmed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High Peak‐Current Lightning Discharges Associated With Downward Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes

et al. 2020

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“…Motivated by these observations, as well as by recent efforts to understand [3,4,5,6,7,8] the Terrestrial Gamma Flashes (TGFs) observed by satellite-borne detectors [9,10], a suite of lightning mapping (LMA) and electric field-measuring instruments were deployed at the Telescope Array detector site in Western Utah, U.S.A. Here, we report on the first joint observations with the TA/LMA instruments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Energy Particle Showers in Coincidence with Downward Lightning Leaders at the Telescope Array Cosmic Ray Observatory

Belz¹,

Abbasi²,

LeVon³

et al. 2017

Proceedings of 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference — PoS(ICRC2017)

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Terrestrial Gamma Flashes (TGFs) have been observed in satellite-borne gamma ray detectors for several decades, starting with the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray observatory in 1994. Subsequent observation and simulation efforts have led to a model in which TGFs are produced in relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREA), during upward negative breakdown at the beginning of intracloud lightning discharges. This model suggests that TGFs should also be produced by the downward negative breakdown that occurs at the beginning of negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes. Here, we present the first clear evidence for this effect.The Telescope Array Surface Detector (TASD) is a 700 square kilometer cosmic ray detector, an array of scintillators on a 1.2 km grid. Following the observation of bursts of anomalous TASD triggers correlated with local lightning activity, a Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and slow electric field antenna were installed at the TASD site in order to study the effect. In data collected with this suite of detectors between 2014 and 2016, we find that the anomalous triggers are clearly produced during the initial breakdown phase of fast, downward propagating, negative lightning leaders. The anomalous bursts are a few hundred microseconds in duration, similar to that seen in satellite observations of TGFs. While the TASD is not optimized for gamma ray detection, we present the results of simulations demonstrating that the fluxes and forward-beaming observed are consistent with production in RREA. We conclude that the anomalous triggers observed by TA are due to high energy radiation produced by the fast downward propagating negative leaders, and are most likely downward-directed Terrestrial Gamma Flashes 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference ICRC2017

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“…Once identified with sprites, they are now widely believed to originate in upward-propagating negative leaders in intracloud lightning flashes [3][4][5][6][7][8]. Given this interpretation, it is natural to ask whether downward propagating negative leaders might also produce gamma showers associated with cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Energy Particle Showers Observed at Ground Level in Coincidence with Downward Lightning Leaders at the Telescope Array Observatory

Belz

Abbasi

Von

et al. 2018

Proceedings of 2016 International Conference on Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR2016)

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Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes (TGFs) detected by satellite observations have been shown to be generated by upward propagating negative leaders at altitudes of about 10 to 12 km above Mean Sea Level (MSL), and have durations ranging between a few hundred microseconds and a few milliseconds. The Telescope Array Cosmic Ray observatory, designed to observe air showers induced by ultra high energy cosmic rays, includes a surface scintillator detector (SD) covering approximately 700 square kilometers on a 1.2 km grid. Following the observation of anomalous SD triggers correlated with local lightning activity, a Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and slow electric field antenna were installed at the TA site in order to characterize the lightning associated with these anomalous triggers. In this talk, we present evidence that the anomalous triggers are produced during the initial breakdown phase of fast, downward propagating, negative leaders above the detectors which produced the triggers. The durations of the high energy radiation are a few hundred microseconds, similar to satellite observations of TGFs. The triggers were produced within a few hundred microseconds of the initiation of the leaders, when the leaders were at an altitude of about 3 to 4 km MSL. The TA scintillation detectors are not optimized for gamma ray detection, however we present the results of simulations demonstrating that the fluxes observed are consistent with this picture. We conclude that the anomalous triggers observed by TA are clearly due to high energy radiation produced by the fast downward propagating negative leaders, and are probably downward-directed TGFs.

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Ground detection of terrestrial gamma ray flashes from distant radio signals

Cited by 55 publications

References 30 publications

High Peak‐Current Lightning Discharges Associated With Downward Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes

High Peak‐Current Lightning Discharges Associated With Downward Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes

High-Energy Particle Showers in Coincidence with Downward Lightning Leaders at the Telescope Array Cosmic Ray Observatory

High-Energy Particle Showers Observed at Ground Level in Coincidence with Downward Lightning Leaders at the Telescope Array Observatory

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