The horizontal profile of the atmospheric electric fields as measured during thunderstorms by the network of NaI spectrometers located on the slopes of Mt. Aragats

Abstract

The shape and evolution of the energy spectra of the thunderstorm ground enhancement (TGE) electrons and gamma rays shed light on the origin of TGEs, on the relationship between modification of the cosmic ray electron energy spectra (MOS) and relativistic runaway electron avalanche (RREA) processes, on the energy of the seed electrons, and on the strength and elongation of an atmospheric electric field. The network of large NaI spectrometers on slopes of Mt. Aragats 24/7 monitored secondary particle fluxes from 2013 until now, highly contributed to the understanding of the ways how RREAs are developed in the atmosphere. In 2022 we enlarge the NaI network with 2 remote detectors located at altitudes 2000 and 1700 m, and 13 and 16 km apart from the Aragats station to investigate the horizontal profile of the atmospheric electric field. We found, that the previously estimated values of the regions in the atmosphere, where RREA emerges, were highly underestimated. In the present report, we describe the NaI particle detector's network and present the first results of the experiment demonstrating that the particle fluxes from the atmospheric electron accelerators can cover large areas on the earth's (up to tens of km2).