Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes: Statistical and Individual Properties from RHESSI
Abstract
Over 500 terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) have been found in data from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) since its launch in February 2002. Each flash contains on the order of 30 photon counts, usually ranging from 20 keV to 20 MeV, lasts on the order of a millisecond, and is localized to approximately 1000 km. We will report on correlations (or lack thereof) between the intrinsic properties of the flashes (spectrum, duration, intensity) and contextual properties such as geographic latitude, magnetic latitude, local time, distance from the spacecraft (where accurate positions can be obtained from radio atmospherics), and terrain (inland, coastal, or deep ocean). A new exposure-corrected map will be presented, and compared with lightning data. Unusual or extreme cases of TGF activity will be individually examined.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2005
- Bibcode:
- 2005AGUFMAE14A..04S
- Keywords:
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- 2451 Particle acceleration;
- 3304 Atmospheric electricity;
- 3324 Lightning