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Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bowers, GS; Smith, DM; Martinez-McKinney, GF; Kamogawa, M; Cummer, SA; Dwyer, JR; Wang, D; Stock, M; Kawasaki, Z
Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
October 16, 2017

Following a lightning strike to a wind turbine in Japan, we have observed a large burst of neutrons lasting 100 ms with a ground fluence of ~1,000 n cm−2, thousands of times greater than the peak neutron flux associated with the largest ground level solar particle event ever observed. This is the first detection of an unequivocal signature of neutrons from a terrestrial gamma ray flash, consisting of a 2.223 MeV gamma-ray spectral line from a neutron-capture on hydrogen reaction occurring in our detector, and is shown to be consistent with the production of 1012–1013 photoneutrons from a downward terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF) at 1.0 km, with a gamma ray brightness typical of upward TGFs observed by satellites.

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Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

EISSN

1944-8007

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

October 16, 2017

Volume

44

Issue

19

Start / End Page

10 / 070

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

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Bowers, G. S., Smith, D. M., Martinez-McKinney, G. F., Kamogawa, M., Cummer, S. A., Dwyer, J. R., … Kawasaki, Z. (2017). Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(19), 10–070. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075071
Bowers, G. S., D. M. Smith, G. F. Martinez-McKinney, M. Kamogawa, S. A. Cummer, J. R. Dwyer, D. Wang, M. Stock, and Z. Kawasaki. “Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash.” Geophysical Research Letters 44, no. 19 (October 16, 2017): 10–070. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075071.
Bowers GS, Smith DM, Martinez-McKinney GF, Kamogawa M, Cummer SA, Dwyer JR, et al. Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash. Geophysical Research Letters. 2017 Oct 16;44(19):10–070.
Bowers, G. S., et al. “Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash.” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 44, no. 19, Oct. 2017, pp. 10–070. Scopus, doi:10.1002/2017GL075071.
Bowers GS, Smith DM, Martinez-McKinney GF, Kamogawa M, Cummer SA, Dwyer JR, Wang D, Stock M, Kawasaki Z. Gamma Ray Signatures of Neutrons From a Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flash. Geophysical Research Letters. 2017 Oct 16;44(19):10–070.
Journal cover image

Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

EISSN

1944-8007

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

October 16, 2017

Volume

44

Issue

19

Start / End Page

10 / 070

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences