Strong Flux of Low-Energy Neutrons Produced by Thunderstorms

Aleksandr V. Gurevich, V. P. Antonova, Aleksandr P Chubenko, Anatoly N. Karashtin, G.G. Mitko, Mikhail O. Ptitsyn, V. A. Ryabov, A. L. Shepetov, Yu. V. Shlyugaev, L. I. Vildanova

1 more author

Кирилл Петрович Зыбин

2012

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DOI 10.1103/physrevlett.108.125001

Data confidence 85 high

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Abstract

We report here for the first time about the registration of an extraordinary high flux of low-energy neutrons generated during thunderstorms. The measured neutron count rate enhancements are directly connected with thunderstorm discharges. The low-energy neutron flux value obtained in our work is a challenge for the photonuclear channel of neutron generation in thunderstorm: the estimated value of the needed high-energy γ-ray flux is about 3 orders of magnitude higher than that one observed.