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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L19818, doi:10.1029/2005GL023702, 2005

Production of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes by an electromagnetic pulse from a lightning return stroke

U. S. Inan

Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA


N. G. Lehtinen

Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA


Abstract

Recent observations of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) (Smith et al., 2005) suggest the need for a new mechanism of TGF production. Consideration of relativistic runaway electron (RRE) avalanche driven by electromagnetic impulses (EMP) radiated by rapidly moving lightning return strokes indicates that TGFs can be produced by discharges with peak return stroke currents I p > 450–700 kA with velocities v rs/c = 0.99–0.995.

Received 2 June 2005; accepted 16 September 2005; published 15 October 2005.

Index Terms: 2423 Ionosphere: Ionization processes (7823); 2427 Ionosphere: Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions (0335); 2435 Ionosphere: Ionospheric disturbances; 2451 Ionosphere: Particle acceleration; 3324 Atmospheric Processes: Lightning.

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Citation: Inan, U. S., and N. G. Lehtinen (2005), Production of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes by an electromagnetic pulse from a lightning return stroke, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L19818, doi:10.1029/2005GL023702.