Premium
Production of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes by an electromagnetic pulse from a lightning return stroke
Author(s) -
Inan U. S.,
Lehtinen N. G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2005gl023702
Subject(s) - lightning (connector) , physics , gamma ray , electromagnetic pulse , electromagnetic radiation , pulse (music) , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , astrophysics , optics , power (physics) , quantum mechanics , detector
Recent observations of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) (Smith et al., 2005) suggest the need for a new mechanism of TGF production. Consideration of relativistic runaway electron (RRE) avalanche driven by electromagnetic impulses (EMP) radiated by rapidly moving lightning return strokes indicates that TGFs can be produced by discharges with peak return stroke currents I p > 450–700 kA with velocities v rs / c = 0.99–0.995.