Diffusion of relativistic runaway electrons and implications for lightning initiation

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

Volumn 115, Issue 3, 2010, Pages

  Dwyer, Joseph R ^a  

^a Department of Physics and Space Sciences Florida Institute of Technology ^*  (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 77949443092     PISSN: None     EISSN: 21699402     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/2009JA014504     Document Type: Article

References (27)

1. Babich, L.P., et al.(2001), Comparison of relativistic runaway electron avalanche rates obtained from Monte Carlo simulations and kinetic equation solution, IEEE Trans.Plasma Sci., 29(3), 430-438, doi:10.1109/27.928940.
2. Babich, L.P., E.N.Donskoy, I.M.Kutsyk, and R.A.Roussel-Dupré (2005), The feedback mechanism of runaway air breakdown, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L09809, doi:10.1029/2004GL021744.
3. Coleman, L.M., and J.R.Dwyer (2006), The propagation speed of runaway electron avalanches, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L11810, doi:10.1029/2006GL025863.
4. Dwyer, J.R.(2003), A fundamental limit on electric fields in air, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(20), 2055, doi:10.1029/2003GL017781.
5. Dwyer, J.R.(2004), Implications of x-ray emission from lightning, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L12102, doi:10.1029/2004GL019795.
6. Dwyer, J.R.(2005a), A bolt out of the blue, Sci. Am., 292(5), 64-71.
7. Dwyer, J.R.(2005b), The initiation of lightning by runaway air breakdown, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L20808, doi:10.1029/2005GL023975.
8. Dwyer, J.R.(2007), Relativistic breakdown in planetary atmospheres, Phys. Plasmas, 14(4), 042901.
9. Dwyer, J.R.(2008), Source mechanisms of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D10103, doi:10.1029/2007JD009248.
10. Dwyer, J.R.(2009), Energetic radiation and lightning, in Lightning: Principles, Instruments and Applications, edited by H.D.Betz, U.Schumann, and P.Laroche, Springer, New York.
11. Dwyer, J.R., and D.M.Smith (2005), A comparison between Monte Carlo simulations of runaway breakdown and terrestrial gamma-ray flash observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L22804, doi:10.1029/2005GL023848.
12. Dwyer, J.R., M.A.Uman, and H.K.Rassoul (2009), The remote measurement of thunderstorm electrostatic fields, J. Geophys. Res., 114, D09208, doi:10.1029/2008JD011386.
13. Dwyer, J.R., D.M.Smith, M.A.Uman, Z.Saleh, B.Grefenstette, B.Hazelton, and H.K.Rassoul (2010), Estimation of the fluence of high-energy electron bursts produced by thunderclouds and the resulting radiation doses received in aircraft, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2009JD012039, in press.
14. Fishman, G.J., et al.(1994), Discovery of intense gamma-ray flashes of atmospheric origin, Science, 264, 1313-1316, doi:10.1126/science.264.5163.1313.
15. Gurevich, A.V., and K.P.Zybin (2001), Runaway breakdown and electric discharges in thunderstorms, Phys. Usp., 44, 1119-1140, doi:10.1070/ PU2001v044n11ABEH000939.
16. Gurevich, A.V., and K.P.Zybin (2005), Runaway breakdown and the mysteries of lightning, Phys. Today, 58(5), 37-43, doi:10.1063/1.1995746.
17. Gurevich, A.V., G.M.Milikh, and R.Roussel-Dupré (1992), Runaway electron mechanism of air breakdown and preconditioning during a thunderstorm, Phys. Lett. A, 165, 463-468, doi:10.1016/0375-9601(92)90348-P.
18. Gurevich, A.V., K.P.Zybin, and R.A.Roussel-Dupré (1999), Lightning initiation by simultaneous effect of runaway breakdown and cosmic ray showers, Phys. Lett. A, 254, 79-87, doi:10.1016/S0375-9601(99)00091-2.
19. Gurevich, A.V., Y.V.Medvedev, and K.P.Zybin (2004), Thermal electrons and electric current generated by runaway breakdown effect (rapid communication), Phys.Lett.A, 321(3), 179-184, doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2003.10.062.
20. Knoll, G.F.(2000), Radiation Detection and Measurement, 3rd ed., John Wiley,
21. Hoboken, N.J.Lehtinen, N.G., T.F.Bell, and U.S.Inan (1999), Monte Carlo simulation of runaway MeV electron breakdown with application to red sprites and terrestrial gamma ray flashes, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 4,699-24,712, doi:10.1029/1999JA900335.
22. Marshall, T.C., et al.(2005), Observed electric fields associated with lightning initiation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L03813, doi:10.1029/2004GL021802.
23. Mott, N.F., and H.S.W.Massey (1965), The Theory of Atomic Collisions, 3rd ed., Oxford Univ.Press, London.
24. Rakov, V.A., and M.A.Uman (2003), Lightning Physics and Effects, Cambridge Univ.Press, Cambridge, U.K.
25. Smith, D.M., L.I.Lopez, R.P.Lin, and C.P.Barrington-Leigh (2005), Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes observed up to 20 MeV, Science, 307, 1085-1088, doi:10.1126/science.1107466.
26. Solomon, R., V.Schroeder, and M.B.Baker (2001), Lightning initiation-Conventional and runaway-breakdown hypothesis, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 127, 2683-2704.
27. Wilson, C.T.R.(1925), The acceleration of beta-particles in strong electric fields such as those of thunder-clouds, Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc., 22, 534-538, doi:10.1017/S0305004100003236.