HR: 16:15h
AN: AE44A-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Observations of Non-thermal Gamma-Ray Emissions from Winter Thunderclouds
AU: * Tsuchiya, H
EM: harufumi@crab.riken.jp
AF: Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, Riken, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198, Japan
AU: Enoto, T
EM: enoto@amalthea.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
AF: Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
AU: Yamada, S
EM: yamada@amalthea.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
AF: Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
AU: Yuasa, T
EM: yuasa@amalthea.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
AF: Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
AU: Kawaharada, M
EM: kawahard@crab.riken.jp
AF: Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, Riken, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198, Japan
AU: Kitaguchi, T
EM: kitaguti@amalthea.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
AF: Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
AU: Kokubun, M
EM: kokubun@astro.isas.jaxa.jp
AF: Department of High Energy Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, 3-1-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8501, Japan
AU: Kato, H
EM: hkato@riken.jp
AF: Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, Riken, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198, Japan
AU: Okano, M
EM: msoik@sirius.ocn.ne.jp
AF: Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, Riken, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198, Japan
AU: Nakamura, S
EM: satoshi@crab.riken.jp
AF: Department of Physics, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3, Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8601, Japan
AU: Makishima, K
EM: maxima@phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
AF: Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, Riken, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198, Japan
AU: Makishima, K
EM: maxima@phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
AF: Department of High Energy Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, 3-1-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8501, Japan
AB: High-energy radiation bursts associated with lightning phenomena, including non-thermal x/γ rays, have been recently observed by satellites and ground-based observatories. In particular, radiation-monitoring posts, arranged in power plants located on the coastal area of Sea of Japan, frequently have observed such bursts associated with winter thunderstorms. However, those bursts observed at the coastal area have remained much less understood. Installed at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant on the coastal area, our new radiation-detection system detected a remarkable radiation enhancement associated with strong thunderstorms on 2007 January 6 (UT). The burst lasts for a ~40seconds prior to lightning discharges, the energy spectrum extending up to 10 MeV. Our results strongly suggests that the burst consists of bremsstrahlung photons from electrons accelerated beyond 10 MeV in thunderclouds. Given the results, we will present one emission model and estimate the energetics of the radiation.
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 3324 Lightning
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting