Open AccessVariations of cosmic ray muon flux during thunderstorms as a tool for studying electric field distribution and particle production processes in the atmosphere
Author(s) -
М. Н. Хаердинов,
Н. С. Хаердинов,
A. S. Lidvansky
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/1468/1/012100
Subject(s) - thunderstorm , muon , atmosphere (unit) , electric field , cosmic ray , physics , intensity (physics) , event (particle physics) , flux (metallurgy) , field (mathematics) , lightning (connector) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , nuclear physics , astrophysics , meteorology , chemistry , optics , quantum mechanics , mathematics , organic chemistry , pure mathematics , power (physics)
The recently published result of GRAPES-3 (a strong thunderstorm muon intensity change) and conclusions made on its basis by this collaboration are discussed and compared with the Baksan observations of muon variations during thunderstorms performed much earlier. It is demonstrated that generally both experiments are quite consistent as far as characteristic patterns of events are concerned, as well as conclusions about direct connection between amplitude of muon intensity disturbance and electric field strength in the atmosphere. However, the GRAPES-3 conclusion about gigavolt potentials associated with their event is doubtful and seems to contradict the fundamental limits on electric fields that can exist in the atmosphere.