Positron clouds within thunderstorms

Dwyer, J. R.; Smith, David M.; Hazelton, B. J.; Grefenstette, Brian W.; Kelley, N. A.; Lowell, A.; Schaal, M.; Rassoul, H. K.

doi:10.1017/s0022377815000549

Cited by 41 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…Additionally, the ejection of neutrons from O and N by gamma rays in TGFs implies the production of positron‐emitting radioisotopes ( 13 N, 15 O) associated with TGFs in a quantity equal to the estimated number of neutrons produced, ~10 12 – 10 13 . Two recent papers (Dwyer et al, ; Umemoto et al, ) discussed transient positron annihilation in the atmosphere at timescales longer than that of a TGF, possibly from these isotopes, with timescales of ~200 ms and ~30 s, respectively. In Dwyer et al (), it was stated that the positrons from the radioactivity were repelled from the aircraft from which the observation was made by its positive charge, which was temporarily removed by the discharge during the short time of the observation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash

Bowers

Smith

Martinez-McKinney

et al. 2017

Geophysical Research Letters

100

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Following a lightning strike to a wind turbine in Japan, we have observed a large burst of neutrons lasting 100 ms with a ground fluence of ~1,000 n cm−2, thousands of times greater than the peak neutron flux associated with the largest ground level solar particle event ever observed. This is the first detection of an unequivocal signature of neutrons from a terrestrial gamma ray flash, consisting of a 2.223 MeV gamma‐ray spectral line from a neutron‐capture on hydrogen reaction occurring in our detector, and is shown to be consistent with the production of 1012–1013 photoneutrons from a downward terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF) at 1.0 km, with a gamma ray brightness typical of upward TGFs observed by satellites.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash

Bowers

Smith

Martinez-McKinney

et al. 2017

Geophysical Research Letters

100

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“…The glow lasted for 4 s and was terminated simultaneously with a lightning flash. Evidence of positron annihilation in thunderclouds was also presented in Dwyer et al ().…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In‐Flight Observation of Gamma Ray Glows by ILDAS

et al. 2017

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An Airbus A340 aircraft flew over Northern Australia with the In‐Flight Lightning Damage Assessment System (ILDAS) installed onboard. A long‐duration gamma ray emission was detected. The most intense emission was observed at 12 km altitude and lasted for 20 s. Its intensity was 20 times the background counts, and it was abruptly terminated by a distant lightning flash. In this work we reconstruct the aircraft path and event timeline. The glow‐terminating flash triggered a discharge from the aircraft wing that was recorded by a video camera operating onboard. Another count rate increase was observed 6 min later and lasted for 30 s. The lightning activity as reported by ground networks in this region was analyzed. The measured spectra characteristics of the emission were estimated.

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“…Recently, Dwyer et al [3] reported unexpected observation of positron bursts, lasting about 0.2 s, by an airborne detector when the aeroplane flew into a thundercloud.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observation of gamma ray bursts at ground level under the thunderclouds

et al. 2016

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We observed three $\gamma$-ray bursts related to thunderclouds in winter using the prototype of anti-neutrino detector PANDA made of 360-kg plastic scintillator deployed at Ohi Power Station at the coastal area of the Japan Sea. The maximum rate of the events which deposited the energy higher than $3\,$MeV was $(5.5 \pm 0.1) \times 10^2 {\rm /s}$. Monte Carlo simulation showed that electrons with approximately monochromatic energy falling downwards from altitudes of order $100\,$m roughly produced the observed total energy spectra of the bursts. It is supposed that secondary cosmic-ray electrons, which act as seed, were accelerated in electric field of thunderclouds and multiplied by relativistic runaway electron avalanche. We actually found that the $\gamma$-rays of the bursts entered into the detector from the direction close to the zenith. The direction stayed constant during the burst within the detector resolution. In addition, taking advantage of the delayed coincidence detection of the detector, we found neutron events in one of the bursts at the maximum rate of $\sim 14\pm5\,{\rm /s}$.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures; Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B; Figure 5 added, some minor changes in the tex

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Positron clouds within thunderstorms

Cited by 41 publications

References 98 publications

Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash

Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash

In‐Flight Observation of Gamma Ray Glows by ILDAS

Observation of gamma ray bursts at ground level under the thunderclouds

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