HR: 1330h
AN: AE42A-0790    [PDF]
TI: Search for Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes With the RHESSI Spacecraft
AU: Lopez, L I
EM: astrolili@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, Ca 94720 United States
AU: * Smith, D M
EM: dsmith@scipp.ucsc.edu
AF: Physics Department and Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, Ca 95064 United States
AU: Lin, R P
EM: rlin@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, Ca 94720 United States
AB: In 1991, NASA launched the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), carrying aboard the multiple detectors of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE). BATSE's mission was to study cosmic gamma-ray bursts, but it unexpectedly detected gamma-ray flashes from our atmosphere, dubbed Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs). These events may be caused by electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere related to lightning storms although there have been alternate models proposed. A relationship with high-altitude optical phenomena, namely sprites and jets, has been considered. We are searching for TGFs with the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), in orbit since 2002. We will present the status of this search and discuss RHESSI's capabilities versus BATSE. Having a clearer understanding of these events and their origins is important for the study of Earth's upper atmosphere and particle acceleration processes, to help establish a clearer relationship with high altitude optical events, and to evaluate the potential for similar phenomena in other planets with thunderstorm activity such as Jupiter.
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting