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- In 1991 NASA launched the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory to study Gamma Ray Bursts that were coming from outer space. Astronomers were looking for Neutron Stars and Supernovae explosions in distant galaxies. You can imagine the astronomer’s surprise when the detectors located Gamma Ray Bursts coming from the Earth below, in the opposite direction.
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- Physicists know that fast moving charged particles coming from solar flares, Blackholes, supernovae explosions, and even atomic bomb blasts can create bursts of Gamma Rays. But, what on Earth was creating these bursts in the atmosphere of the Earth? Charged particles could not possibly be moving in the atmosphere and attain the energy levels necessary to emit Gamma Rays.
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- After much study of the data the source of these Gamma Rays were found to be coming from thunder clouds. Could it be that lightning bolts could create enough energy to emit Gamma Rays?
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- Lightning is an electrically conducting channel the temporarily opens through the air. The bolt carries electrons between regions in the thunder cloud and the ground that have generated differing electrostatic charges. The electric potential difference between the two regions can exceed 100,000,000 volts.
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- Inside a lightning bolt electrons might attain speeds near the speed of light and cover miles in distance. At these speeds maybe charged particles could emit X-ray and Gamma Ray radiation. Here are some of the measurements made on lightning bolts:
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- A lightning flash has the illumination intensity of 8*10^10 candelas/meter^2. That is roughly equivalent to 80 billion candles located in a square meter and lit all at once. The illumination is about the same as the surface of the Sun which is 2.3*10^10 candelas.
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- The length of a channel of lightning is 3.1 miles on average.
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- The duration of the flash is 0.01 to 0.002 seconds. A flash of 0.001 seconds over 3.1 miles is 11,160,000 miles per hour. Some flashes have been measured to have speeds of 31,320,000 miles per hour.
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- The amount of energy released annually on Earth by lightning bolts is 3.2*10^18 Joules. For comparison the largest hydrogen nuclear bomb releases 2.4 *10^17 Joules of energy. And, a typical hurricane releases 38*10^18 Joules.
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- The temperature of a lightning flash reaches 30,000 C. The surface of the Sun is 5,727 C.
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- The electric current in a lightning bolt is 20,000 amperes.
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- Using this data on lightning physicists still come up short for runaway electrons having the energies to create Gamma Rays. Something else must be involved?
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- One theory has the Gamma Rays interacting with atomic nuclei to produce anti-matter With the production of anti-electrons as well as additional electrons the runaway cascade of charged particles could occur in both directions. The electrons moving toward the positive electric field and the anti-electrons, or positrons as they are called, moving towards the negative electric field.
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- This same effect could result in a secondary cascade of electrons and positrons. One avalanche of charged particles could lead to another. Making these assumptions physicists can come up with Gamma Ray energies that fit the measured data. But, we obviously have much more to learn about lightning. How is terrestrial Gamma Ray flashes actually working?
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- In the meantime, this is yet another reason why airplanes need to stay away from thunder storms. Getting hit with Gamma Ray radiation is not what you expect.
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(1) To see a video of lightning phenomena see “ScientificAmerican.com/aug2012/bursts”.
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(2) In the darkness rub two blankets together and you may see electrostatic sparks. Lighting is created rubbing air masses together. It becomes a massive electrostatic spark.
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- The Sun heats the Earth and hot air rises. Cold air sinks. Moister in the air condenses into rain drops, or freezes into ice crystals as it reaches higher elevations. The rain and ice crystals tend to fall downward through the rising hot air. The two air masses pass each other and the rubbing separates off charged electrons just like rubbing the blankets together. The electric charges accumulate forming a giant capacitor of stored electric energy. Air is an insulator preventing a electric current. But, when the electric potential exceeds the dielectric strength of the air a massive electric current jumps between the clouds. 75% of the time the spark is between the clouds and 25% of the time the spark is from the clouds to the ground.
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- The excess of electrons in one area and the absence of electrons in another area can create an electric charge of 3,000,000 volts per meter. You see the flash of light traveling at 186,000 miles per second and you hear the clap of thunder traveling at 1 mile in 5 seconds, ( 700 miles per hour). See the flash and count the seconds, divide by 5 and that is the number of miles away the flash occurred.
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