Radio measurements on Aragats to prove TGE model Development of LPCR is necessary for TGE initiation; We need for it substance where the charge sit; Hydrometeors can provide charge separation (Gurevich paper); Prove of charge separation and large positive electric field in cloud is TGE; Another prove is large negative electric field measured on Earth’s surface; Additional prove will be the FM short pulses due to discharge of free CR electrons on HM positive side!

TGE/TGF - most energetic natural electron-photon phenomenon on Earth

First RRE avalanches detection. New type of particle showers – Extensive Cloud Showers (ECS); 50 MeV electrons comes from thunderclouds! MAKET detect short coherent bursts of electrons/gamma rays (within 1 µsec); ECS counts 7 times more than EAS! ECS’s have smaller densities – can be distinguished from CR EAS.

EAS cannot provide RREA with additional seed electrons to enhance CASs 7 times A V Gurevich, et al., 2013, Cosmic rays and thunderstorms at the Tien-Shan mountain station, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 409 (2013): “At the extensive atmospheric showers (EAS) the number of CR secondaries is growing strongly. As they serve the seed electrons for the RB that naturally leads to a strong amplification of RB avalanche -RB EAS effect. This effect being generated by the energetic CR particles of eV and eV has been observed in [2] and [6].” [2] Gurevich A V, Mitko G G, et al Phys Lett. A [6] Chilingaryan A, et al Phys Rev. D Mean EAS number was rather constant and equal ~10; ECS number peaks on ~ 80; there are absolutely no correlation between EAS and ECS! And only nearby Supernovae, or super powerful solar flare can enhance EAS number.

Mechanism of LPCR initiation A. V. Gurevich, and A. N. Karashtin, Runaway Breakdown and Hydrometeors in Lightning Initiation, PRL 110, (2013); The electric field accelerating electrons downward in the thundercloud usually reaches the maximum value in the region between the main negative and lower positive charge (heights 5–6 km); The air shower generated by a cosmic ray particle having energy eV produces 10 3 secondary electrons with the average energy 30 MeV. About 10% of them form a central beam and initiate a RB(RREA) avalanche in a sufficiently strong thundercloud electric field. After 10–12 avalanche exponential multiplications, the number density of low-energy electrons in the discharge region (50 m along and 30 m across) reaches 10 2 cm 3 - free electrons appear in close vicinity of each HM (the HM dimension is D 1–2 mm; These low-energy particles initiate a large number of discharges in air near HM simultaneously. Thus, runaway breakdown can initiate and synchronize multiple HM discharges in a thunder- cloud. This leads to a strong amplification of the pulse discharge electric current; The volume filled by the pulse discharge considered here is more than 10 4 m 3 ; Due to polarization of HM, the electric discharge develops effectively near it positive end, in a short time (less than 1 ms), the positive and negative components are separated under the action of the ambient electric field, thus forming two residual stretched charged clusters; This charge separation is probably manifested in the ground observations as a gradually diminishing electric field after a large number of pulses occur.

TGEs and atmospheric discharges Electric mill – EFM-100 short range CG lightning flashes, 38 (22) km; StormTracker – 4 type of lightning flashes, up to 1200 km; There is no coherence in EFM and ST distances! ERL-10 With Coincidence Mode of EFM and LD250? LTS-2 GPS Timestamp ? Atmospheric discharge detection is very important to prove LPCR initiation model!

EFM-100 – good accuracy of CG flashes detection within 38 km; LD- StormTracker (ST) – good accuracy on large distances – up to 1000 km; bad accuracy (` 5km) on small distances. However the question is open is ST good for distinguishing 4 types of lightnings, or more specially IC- and CG -?

BOLTEK news The Boltek BGW312 Ethernet Serial Server allows an EFM-100 and/or LD-250 to be remotely located any distance from the display computer using Ethernet to relay the data. Adding a long-range Wi-Fi Ethernet bridge also makes wireless operation possible up to several miles. Storm tracker with LTS-2 GPS Timestamp accuracy – hundreds of nanosec; position ~ 1km

ERL-10 Lightning Relay Module for EFM-100 Coincidence Mode With Coincidence Mode enabled a lightning strike must be detected by both the EFM-100 and LD-250 for an alarm to activate. This virtually eliminates false alarms that could be caused by persons, animals or birds coming too near the EFM-100 lightning sensor. Coincidence Mode is only applicable within the range of the EFM-100 (0-20 miles/0-32 km)

3 EFM100 electric mills located in the same place are measuring near surface electric field; the mean values of fair weather electric field are compatible within variance of the field.

TGE 13 July – few discharges- positive field

Typical waveforms for first strokes as a function of distance. The waveforms represent distance ranges of 0–50 km, 50–100 km, 100–150 km, 150–200 km, 200–250 km, 250–300 km, and 300–350 km.

The ground-based World-Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) continuously monitors global lightning

WWLLN current flash map

Publications referring WWLLN 56. Briggs, M.S., G. S. Fishman, V. Connaughton, P. N. Bhat, W. S. Paciesas, R. D. Preece1, C. Wilson-Hodge, V. L. Chaplin, R. M. Kippen, A. von Kienlin, C. Meegan, E. Bissaldi, J. R. Dwyer, D. M. Smith, R. H. Holzworth, J. E. Grove and A. Chekhmann, First results on terrestrial gamma ray flashes from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, J. Geophys. Res, V. 115, A07323, doi:doi: /2009JA015242, MB (pdf) 57. Briggs, M. S. et al (25 authors), Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes in the Fermi Era: Improved Observations and Analysis Methods, J. Geophys. Res, (in press) Connaughton, V., (24 authors), Radio signals from electron beams in Terrestrial Gamma- ray Flashes, Geophys. Res. Letters, (accepted), MB (pdf) 62. S. Xiong, M. S. Briggs, V. Connaughton, G. J. Fishman, D. Tierney, G. Fitzpatrick, S. Foley, S. Guiriec, R. H. Holzworth, and M. L. Hutchins, Location prediction of electron TGFs, J. Geophys., Res., V.117, A02309, doi: /2011JA017085, 2012., 6.2MB (pdf) 63. Michael A. Haddad, Vladimir A. Rakov, and Steven A. Cummer, New measurements of lightning electric fields in Florida: Waveform characteristics, interaction with the ionosphere, and peak current estimates, J. Geophys. Res., V. 117, D Holzworth, R. H. M. P. McCarthy, R. F. Pfaff, A. R. Jacobson, W. L. Willcockson, and D. E. Rowland, Lightning-generated whistler waves observed by probes on the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System satellite at low latitudes, J. Geophys. Res., V.116, A06306, doi: /2010JA016198, 2011 PDF 1.4MB 67. Hutchins, M.L. R. H. Holzworth, K. S. Virts, J. M. Wallace, and S. Heckman, Radiated VLF energy differences of land and oceanic lightning, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 40, 1-5, doi: /grl.50406, 2013, PDF (1.8MB)

Collaboration with KIT (IPE), could be continued (Gemmeke and C°) plan to visit us in October