Thunderstorms create gamma radiation. Researchers have flown over thunderstorms in a NASA aircraft to find out whether lightning is radioactive. They flew 10 times from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida and spent up to 4 hours above thunderstorms at an altitude of 12.4 miles which is almost twice as high as an average commercial flight.
They recorded the number and intensity of gamma ray 'glows' from the top of the storms. They published their findings in the journal Nature. They indicate that gamma radiation is more common from thunderstorms than previously thought.
The swirling mass of water droplets, ice and hail in a thundercloud creates a charge. This charge arises because the particles rub together sending positive particles to the top of the cloud and negative particles to the bottom.
The effect is to create an electric field stronger than 100 million AA batteries stacked one above the other, as mentioned in the title.
The field accelerates electrons to extremely high speeds. This creates enough energy from collisions to produce gamma rays which is the most energetic form of radiation.
Lightning strikes coincide with one form of gamma burst. We don't know the relationship between gamma radiation and lightning flashes.
They emerged spontaneously "somehow". The data points to the possibility that the production of gamma radiation and lightning strikes are linked but it is "still a mystery to scientists" according to the researchers.
Source: The Times.
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