A. Chilingarian

On the initiation of lightning in thunderclouds

The relationship of lightning and elementary particle fluxes in the thunderclouds is not fully understood to date. Using the particle beams (the so-called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements – TGEs) as a probe we investigate the characteristics of the interrelated atmospheric processes. The well-known effect of the TGE dynamics is the abrupt termination of the particle flux by the lightning flash. With new precise electronics, we can see that particle flux decline occurred simultaneously with the rearranging of the charge centers in the cloud. The analysis of the TGE energy spectra before and after the lightning demonstrates that the high-energy part of the TGE energy spectra disappeared just after lightning. The decline of particle flux coincides on millisecond time scale with first atmospheric discharges and we can conclude that Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanches (RREA) in the thundercloud assist initiation of the negative cloud to ground lightning. Thus, RREA can provide enough ionization to play a significant role in the unleashing of the lightning flash.

Types of lightning discharges that abruptly terminate enhanced fluxes of energetic radiation and particles observed at ground level

We present ground-based measurements of thunderstorm-related enhancements of fluxes of energetic radiation and particles that are abruptly terminated by lightning discharges. All measurements were performed at an altitude of 3200 m above sea level on Mt. Aragats (Armenia). Lightning signatures were recorded using a wideband electric field measuring system with a useful frequency bandwidth of 50 Hz to 12 MHz and network of five electric field mills, three of which were installed at the Aragats station, one at the Nor Amberd station (12.8 km from Aragats), and one at the Yerevan station (39 km from Aragats). We observed that the flux-enhancement termination was associated only with close (within 10 km or so of the particle detector) -CGs and normal-polarity ICs; that is, with lightning types which reduce the upward-directed electric field below the cloud and, hence, suppress the acceleration of electrons toward the ground.

New low threshold detectors for measuring electron and gamma ray fluxes from thunderclouds

Strong electric fields inside thunderclouds give rise to enhanced fluxes of high-energy electrons and, consequently, gamma rays and neutrons. During thunderstorms at mountain Aragats, hundreds of Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) comprising millions of energetic electrons and gamma rays, as well as neutrons, were detected at Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC) on 3200 m altitude. The energy spectra of the electrons have an exponential shape and extend in energy range 2- 30 MeV. Recovered energy spectra of the gamma rays is also exponential in energy range 2-10 MeV, then turns to power law and is extending up to 100 MeV. It is of upmost importance to research energy spectra of TGE electrons and gamma rays from the lowest possible energies to clarify the shape of energy spectra and huge multiplication of the avalanche particles. The particle detectors operated at ASEC was designed for the registration of solar modulation effects and the lowering energy threshold was not of first importance. Thus, particle detectors have energy threshold of 7-10 MeV. The new generation of ASEC detectors comprises from 1 and 3 cm thick molded plastic scintillators arranged in stacks (3cm and 1cm STAND detectors) and in cubical structures surrounded thick scintillators and NaI crystals for purification of detected neutral flux (Cube 1 cm and Cube 3 cm detectors). In presented paper we describe new detectors and analyze their operational characteristics, as well as provide examples of TGE detection with new techniques.