Termination of thunderstorm-related bursts of energetic radiation and particles by inverted intracloud and hybrid lightning discharges

Chilingarian, A.; Khanikyants, Y.; Rakov, Vladimir A.; Soghomonyan, S.

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2019.104713

Cited by 36 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Zhang et al (2015) hypothesized that the initiation processes of the inverted IC discharges, normal negative CG discharges and hybrid IC-CG discharges did not differ and that their later differentiation was controlled by the strength of the LPCR. Chilingarian et al (2020) observed a termination of terrestrial gamma-ray enhancements by inverted IC discharges. This means that electric field between the main negative charge region and the LCPR was strong enough to accelerate electrons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…This overview shows that lightning events characterized by PB pulses, which fail to evolve into negative stepped leaders and subsequent return strokes, were given different labels in the literature: "attempted CG leaders" Rakov, 2008,2009), "isolated breakdown " (Sharma et al, 2008;Esa et al, 2013a,b;Kolmasova et al, 2018), "inverted IC discharges" (Zhang et al, 2002(Zhang et al, , 2015; Chilingarian et al, 2020), "low-level IC flashes" (Qie et al, 2008), or "PB-type flashes" (Ma, 2017). All these expressions probably describe the same phenomenon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Two propagation scenarios of isolated breakdown lightning processes in failed negative cloud-to-ground flashes

Kolmašová

Santolı́k

Defer

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Key points Preliminary breakdown radiowave pulses typical for negative cloud-to-ground flashes are exceptionally observed without return strokes. Data show evidence of two possible propagation scenarios: the discharge leader either extends horizontally inside the cloud or fades out. The first analysis of a large number of events shows that waveform characteristics of pulse trains are very similar for both scenarios.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two propagation scenarios of isolated breakdown lightning processes in failed negative cloud-to-ground flashes

Kolmašová

Santolı́k

Defer

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Nevertheless, observations also show long bursts despite lightning occurrence (Chilingarian et al., 2017) suggesting that not always the discharge will interrupt a long gamma emission; moreover, Chilingarian et al. (2020) report intermittent TGE that ends with lightning discharge and continuously recover the count rate in minute‐scale.…”

Section: Gamma‐ray Glow Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation Possibility of Gamma‐Ray Glows Induced by Photonuclear Reactions

et al. 2021

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Relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREAs) imply a large multiplication of high‐energy electrons (∼1 MeV). Two factors are necessary for this phenomenon: a high electric field sustained over a large distance and an energetic particle to serve as a seed. The former sustains particle energies as they keep colliding and lose energy randomly; and the latter serves as a multiplication starting point that promotes avalanches. RREA is usually connected to both terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) and gamma‐ray glows (also known as Thunderstorm Ground Enhancement (TGE) when detected at ground level) as possible generation mechanism of both events, but the current knowledge does not provide a clear relationship between these events (TGF and TGE), beyond their possible common source mechanism, still as they have different characteristics. In particular, their timescales differ by several orders of magnitude. This work shows that chain reactions by TGF byproducts can continue for the timescale of gamma‐ray glows and even provide energetic particles as seeds for RREAs of gamma‐ray glows.

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“…Zhang et al (2015) hypothesized that the initiation processes of the inverted IC discharges, normal negative CG discharges, and hybrid IC‐CG discharges did not differ and that their later differentiation was controlled by the strength of the LPCR. Chilingarian et al (2020) observed a termination of terrestrial gamma‐ray enhancements by inverted IC discharges. This means that electric field between the main negative charge region and the LPCR was strong enough to accelerate electrons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This overview shows that lightning events characterized by PB pulses, which fail to evolve into negative stepped leaders and subsequent RSs, were given different labels in the literature: “attempted CG leaders” (Nag & Rakov, 2008, 2009), “isolated breakdown” (Esa, Ahmad, & Cooray, 2013; Esa, Ahmad, Rahman, et al, 2013; Kolmašová et al, 2018; Sharma et al, 2008), “inverted IC discharges” (Chilingarian et al, 2020; Nag & Rakov, 2009; Zhang et al, 2002, 2015), “low‐level IC flashes” (Qie, Zhang, et al, 2005), or “PB‐type flashes” (Ma, 2017). All these expressions probably describe the same phenomenon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two Propagation Scenarios of Isolated Breakdown Lightning Processes in Failed Negative Cloud‐to‐Ground Flashes

Kolmašová

Santolı́k

Defer

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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Isolated breakdown process (also known as attempted leader or inverted intra-cloud discharge) is a lightning phenomenon characterized by radio wave pulses similar to signatures of preliminary breakdown before negative cloud-to-ground flashes, but in this case no cloud-to-ground return strokes occur. We identified 128 isolated breakdown pulse trains in measurements collected in the Mediterranean by a broadband receiver (0.005-7 MHz) in 2015 and 2018. By combining these records with concurrent Lightning Mapping Array measurements of very high frequency radiation (60-66 MHz) emitted by in-cloud discharges we investigate the development of each discharge. We identify two scenarios: Either the discharges continue to propagate almost horizontally for more than 150 ms (73%), or they quickly fade out (27%). The geo-localized sources of the observed isolated breakdown pulse trains, together with their waveform characteristics (duration, inter-pulse intervals, regularity, and bipolar shapes) show that both scenarios are similar to initiation processes preceding negative cloud-to-ground flashes. Plain Language Summary Visible lightning return stroke represents a well-known manifestation of atmospheric electricity. However, it is only the last stage of a complex sequence of phenomena that starts inside an electrically charged thundercloud by a preliminary breakdown process, continues by a stepped leader that moves electrical charges into the lightning channel, neutralized eventually by a large return stroke current and followed in most cases by processes leading to subsequent strokes. All these phenomena occurring inside or below the thundercloud involve impulsive electrical currents and hence emit radio waves. Analysis of our observations of isolated breakdown radio wave pulses which are not followed by a return stroke shows that the underlying processes are similar to a usual preliminary breakdown preceding negative cloud-to ground discharges. Nevertheless, a strong positive charge layer at the bottom of the thundercloud can force the breakdown current pulses to keep flowing inside the cloud or die out and thus prevents them from evolving into a return stroke that would move the negative charge from the cloud to the ground.

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Termination of thunderstorm-related bursts of energetic radiation and particles by inverted intracloud and hybrid lightning discharges

Cited by 36 publications

References 22 publications

Two propagation scenarios of isolated breakdown lightning processes in failed negative cloud-to-ground flashes

Two propagation scenarios of isolated breakdown lightning processes in failed negative cloud-to-ground flashes

Generation Possibility of Gamma‐Ray Glows Induced by Photonuclear Reactions

Two Propagation Scenarios of Isolated Breakdown Lightning Processes in Failed Negative Cloud‐to‐Ground Flashes

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