Detection of short‐term response of the low ionosphere on gamma ray bursts

Abstract

In this paper, we study the possibility of detection of short‐term terrestrial lower ionospheric response to gamma ray bursts (GRBs) using a statistical analysis of perturbations of six very low or low‐frequency (VLF/LF) radio signals emitted by transmitters located worldwide and recorded by VLF/LF receiver located in Belgrade (Serbia). We consider a sample of 54 short‐lasting GRBs (shorter than 1 min) detected by the Swift satellite during the period 2009–2012. We find that a statistically significant perturbation can be present in the low ionosphere, and reactions on GRBs may be observed immediately after the beginning of the GRB event or with a time delay of 60 s–90 s.

Diagnostics of plasma in the ionospheric D-region: detection and study of different ionospheric disturbance types

“…-Extraction of amplitude peaks. This technique is used and described in [22] where the short duration low ionospheric reaction on a GRB is confirmed. This is based on determination of times when the peaks of the signal amplitude A(t) deviate from the base curve A base (t) by more than r times the amplitude of noise A noise (t):…”

“…The relevant coefficients related to sunrise r sr−exc and r sr−att , and sunset r ss−exc and r ss−att on May 9, 2010 are calculated by Eqs. (21) and (22), and plotted in Fig. 10.…”

“…-Based on time resolution, taking advantage from the fact that the duration times of phenomena can be very different. For example, some disturbances, such as those caused by lightnings, gamma ray bursts (GRBs) [22] and meteor passings through the atmosphere [23] can last up to several ms while phenomena like solar Xray flares, coronal mass ejections, and hurricane events can perturb part of the atmosphere for periods lasting tens of minutes, hours, or days. For this reason the time resolution of the received data must be adapted to the duration time of the observed phenomenon.…”

Special Issue on Astrophysics & Geophysics: Research and Applications

“…Earth and space are constantly exposed to the effects of numerous phenomena which highly differ in their properties [1,2]. In consequence, the detection of these events, the investigation of their influences, as well as modeling them must be based on data obtained in real observations [3,4]. Nowadays, the challenges related to data volume, data diversity, and data flow are similar in astro-and geo-observations.…”

Multidisciplinarity in Research of Extreme Solar Energy Influences on Natural Disasters

“…Keeping in mind that the Earth is permanently exposed to numerous influences coming from the outer space, its properties, especially in the atmosphere, are often significantly disturbed by extraterrestrial influences [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Although the relevant astrophysical phenomena can be from the deep Universe like, for example, radiation from the gamma to the UV part of the electromagnetic spectrum that occur in supernova explosions or other processes [7,8]. The solar radiation has the most important influence on the Earth's layers [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”