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Lightning mapping observation of a terrestrial gamma‐ray flash
Author(s) -
Lu Gaopeng,
Blakeslee Richard J.,
Li Jingbo,
Smith David M.,
Shao XuanMin,
McCaul Eugene W.,
Buechler Dennis E.,
Christian Hugh J.,
Hall John M.,
Cummer Steven A.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1029/2010gl043494
Subject(s) - lightning (connector) , flash (photography) , gamma ray , physics , moment (physics) , storm , astrophysics , meteorology , geology , power (physics) , optics , quantum mechanics , classical mechanics
We report the observation with the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) related to a terrestrial gamma‐ray flash (TGF) detected by RHESSI on 26 July 2008. The LMA data explicitly show the TGF was produced during the initial development of a compact intracloud (IC) lightning flash between a negative charge region centered at about 8.5 km above sea level (−22°C temperature level) a higher positive region centered at 13 km, both confined to the convective core of an isolated storm in close proximity to the RHESSI footprint. After the occurrence of an LMA source with a high peak power (26 kW), the initial lightning evolution caused an unusually large IC current moment that became detectable 2 ms after the first LMA source and increased for another 2 ms, during which the burst of gamma‐rays was produced. This slowly building current moment was most likely associated with the upward leader progression, which produced an uncommonly large IC charge moment change (+90 C·km) in 3 ms while being punctuated by a sequence of fast discharge. These observations suggest that the leader development may be involved in the TGF production.