Extensive air showers and atmospheric electric fields. Synergy of Space and atmospheric particle accelerators

Abstract

Various particle accelerators operate in the space plasmas, filling the Galaxy with high energy particles, primary cosmic rays. Reaching the atmosphere of the earth, these particles originate extensive air showers consisting of millions of elementary particles, secondary cosmic rays, covering several large areas on the ground. During thunderstorms, strong electric fields modulate the energy spectra of secondary particles and, consequently, originate short and long particle bursts. Impulse amplifications of particle fluxes, the thunderstorm ground enhancements, TGEs manifest themselves as peaks in the time series of count rates of particle detectors, which coincide with thunderstorms, during which free electrons are accelerating and multiplied, forming electron gamma ray avalanches. Thus, electron accelerators emerging in thunderous atmospheres can significantly alter the frequency of EAS triggers.