Bursts of gamma-rays, electrons and low-energy neutrons during thunderstorms at the Tien-Shan

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series 2013-01, Vol.409 (1), p.12235-4
• Main Authors: Mitko, G G, Antonova, V P, Chubenko, A P, Karashtin, A N, Ptitsyn, M O, Ryabov, V A, Shepetov, A L, Shlyugaev, Yu V, Vildanova, L I, Zybin, K P, Gurevich, A V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electric discharges; Electrons; Energy spectra; Evolution; Gamma rays; Low energy; Neutron flux; Neutrons; Physics; Radiation; Seasons; Standard deviation; Statistics; Thunderstorms
• ISSN: 1742-6596; 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/409/1/012235

New data of the last measurement season held at the Tien-Shan complex for investigation gamma-radiation, accelerated electrons and low-energy neutrons during thunderstorms are presented. The flux of gamma-radiation in the energy range of 40 – 1200 keV shows a strict correlation with instantaneous intensity of atmospheric discharge. Its energy spectra measured for the first time with riches statistics and improved resolution typically have an absolute intensity about 50 – 100 quanta·cm−2·s−1, and demonstrate considerable evolution in the course of discharge. The signals from an avalanche of accelerated electrons have been directly observed inside thunderclouds. A lower energy estimation for these electrons is about 10 MeV. For the first time, during electric discharge moments in thunderstorms, there were found considerable intensity enhancements of the neutron intensity in the range of thermal energies: up to 100 – 200 standard deviations, or 3 – 8 times above the background, so the observed neutron flux reaches the values of (20 – 40) · 103 m−2 · min−1.