A Significant Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance Associated with Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 221009A
Abstract
We report the detection of a significant sudden ionospheric disturbance in the D-region of Earth's ionosphere (~60-100 km), which was associated with the massive γ-ray burst GRB 221009A that occurred on 2022 October 9. We identified the disturbance over northern Europe-a result of the increased ionization by X- and γ-ray emission from the GRB-using very low frequency radio waves as a probe of the D-region. These observations demonstrate that an extra-galactic GRB (z ~ 0.151) can have a significant impact on the terrestrial atmosphere and illustrates that the Earth's ionosphere can be used as a giant X- and γ-ray detector. Indeed, these observations may provide an insight into the impacts of GRBs on the ionospheres of planets in our solar system and beyond.
- Publication:
-
Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- October 2022
- DOI:
- 10.3847/2515-5172/ac9d2f
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2210.15284
- Bibcode:
- 2022RNAAS...6..222H
- Keywords:
-
- Gamma-ray bursts;
- Earth ionosphere;
- Gamma-rays;
- D layer;
- 629;
- 860;
- 637;
- 347;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics;
- Physics - Space Physics
- E-Print:
- 3 pages, 1 figure