terrestrial gamma-ray flashes prepared by morris cohen stanford university, stanford, ca ihy...
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![Page 1: Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes Prepared by Morris Cohen Stanford University, Stanford, CA IHY Workshop on Advancing VLF through the Global AWESOME Network](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062407/56649d425503460f94a1d686/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes
Prepared by Morris CohenStanford University, Stanford, CA
IHY Workshop on Advancing VLF through the Global AWESOME
Network
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CGRO designed to study cosmic gamma-raysA number of “surprise” events coming from EarthCGRO locations usually over thunderstormsOnly 75 events observed over 9 years
Short ~1 ms spike in gamma-rays!
Compton Gamma-ray Observatory
Discovery of TGFs by CGRO
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Mesospheric Phenomena
TGFs associated with lightning Observed by gamma-ray detector on spacecraft
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TGF Physical Origins
For energetic electrons, frictional losses in air is a function of energy
Frictional losses reach local minimum near 1 MeV
What if an electric field exists that is larger than this frictional force??
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Step 1: Avalanche Runaway
TGFs formed via four step process Acceleration of electrons due to high
electric fields from lightning More electrons freed due to collisions with
air molecules Relativistic electrons collide with
molecules, release gamma radiation Gamma-rays escape atmosphere
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Avalanche runaway
e-
Electric field
greater than
threshold Air molecule
Air molecule Air
molecule
“seed” electron
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Avalanche runaway
e-
Electric field
greater than
threshold Air molecule
Air molecule Air
molecule
“seed” electron
Acceleration and collision
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Avalanche runaway
Electric field
greater than
threshold Air molecule
Air molecule Air
molecule
e-e-
More electrons freed
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Avalanche runaway
Electric field
greater than
threshold Air molecule
Air molecule Air
molecule
e-e-
More electrons freed
Acceleration and collision again
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Avalanche runaway
Electric field
greater than
threshold Air molecule
Air molecule Air
molecule
e- e-
e- e-
Avalanche continues
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Bremsstrahlung
Air molecule
e-
Relativistic (i.e. close to speed of light) electron collides with air molecule
Electron may lose energy, gamma-ray is emitted
e-
Emitted gamma-ray
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Escaping the atmosphere: Gamma-rays
Gamma-rays may be emitted in many directions Gamma-rays continue straight but may also be
absorbed by molecules Gamma-rays generated high enough (where air
is thin) escape atmosphere more easily
Emitted gamma-rays
Air molecule
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Escaping the atmosphere: Electrons
Do sufficient number of electrons escape? Lower in atmosphere: Collisions too frequent,
electrons cannot escape Higher at atmosphere: Electrons confined to
motion around magnetic field
Air molecule
e- e-
Earth’s magnetic field
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Mechanisms
Figure courtesy Brant Carlson
Lightning generates high electric fields in several different ways
Which process is responsible for accelerating electrons to 0.999c?
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Studying TGFs with ELF/VLF
Peak-VLF ELF tail
Lightning also generates sferic, detectable at long distances
Sferic is also “fingerprint” of lightning Properties of received sferic may help learn
about mechanism of generating TGFs
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TGF from BATSE and VLF
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TGF from RHESSI and VLF
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TGF-Lightning Timing
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Many types of sferic waveform
Streak of smaller, shorter sferics
Single strong, longer sferic
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Multi-burst TGFs
CGRO/BATSERHESSI
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Lightning characteristics
+ + ++ +
++ ++
++ ++ + +
+++
- -- - -- -- ----
-
+ +++++ +
+
Return stroke peak current (i.e., kA)
+ + ++ +
+ ++
++ ++ + +
++
----
-
+ +
Total charge moment (I.e., C•km)
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Peak Current
+ + ++ +
++ ++
++ +
+ + ++++
- -- - -
- -- -
----
+ ++
++
+ +
+
Return stroke peak current (i.e., kA)
Peak current is proportional to VLF peak for a given propagation path
VLF Peak
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Total Charge Moment
Total ELF energy is proportional to total charge transfer
ELF energy attenuates more in Earth-ionosphere waveguide
ELF Energy
+ + ++ +
+ ++
++ ++ + +
++
----
-
+ +
Total charge moment (I.e., C•km)
Reising [1998]
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Regional division
Most TGFs (94%) of TGFs have associated sferics detectable at Palmer Station, Antarctica
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TGF-associated sferics
TGF-associated sferics have high VLF energy High peak current lightning
No high ELF energy Low peak current, unlike
sferics that generate sprites
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TGFs – Research done to date
TGFs occur within a few ms of lightning Tend to be higher peak current Characteristics of lightning do not
resemble those of sprites TGFs likely sourced 15-20 km altitude
(above thunderclouds)
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TGFs – Open questions
Do electrons escape atmosphere along field lines, precipitate at conjugate region?
What lightning processes are chiefly responsible for TGFs?
How often do TGFs occur? Do cosmic ray fluxes affect TGFs?