The observation of lightning-related events with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The observation of lightning-related events with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
复制标题
使用皮埃尔俄歇天文台的表面探测器观测闪电相关事件
作者：
R. Colalillo
皮埃尔俄歇天文台，旨在探测超高能宇宙射线，可以成为一个有效的仪器在地面上研究有关的现象，大气电。由于其出色的时间分辨率，荧光探测器是观测ELVES的强大仪器，而地面探测器已经记录了大量触发站的特殊事件。这些事件的特征信号持续时间超过10 μ s，比宇宙μ子产生的信号的持续时间大约多两个数量级。此外，这些事件中的每一个都至少有一个台站的信号被高频噪声所主导，而高频噪声可能与雷电感应信号有关。信号持续时间较长的电台呈圆盘状排列。有以半径约6公里为特征的"大"事件，也有以半径约2 - 3公里为特征的"小"事件。由非常接近地面的源产生的信号首先到达最里面的站，然后向外传播。在"大型"活动中，观察到一些中心站缺乏信号。进一步的研究和检查正在进行中，以了解缺乏信号的根源，以及闪电演变过程中发生的机制可能提供能够产生和加速粒子的电场，这些粒子可以在表面探测器的站点中产生切伦科夫光。
The Pierre Auger Observatory, designed to detect ultra-high energy cosmic rays, can be a valid instrument at the ground to study phenomena related to the atmospheric electricity. The fluorescence detector is a powerful instrument to observe ELVES thanks to its excellent time resolution, while peculiar events with a large number of triggered stations have been recorded by the surface detector. The characteristic signal of these events lasts more than 10 μs, about two orders of magnitude more than the duration of a signal produced by a cosmic muon. Moreover, each of these events has at least one station with a signal dominated by a high-frequency noise that could be related with a lightning-induced signal. Stations with a long-lasting signal are arranged in a disk shape. There are “big” events characterized by a radius of about 6 km and few “small” events with a radius of about 2-3 km. The signal, generated by a source very close to the ground, first reaches the innermost stations and then spreads outwards. In the “big” events, a lack of signal in some of the central stations was observed. Further studies and checks are in progress to understand the origin of the lack of signal and what mechanisms occurring during the lightning evolution may provide for electric fields capable of generating and accelerating particles that can produce Cherenkov light in the stations of the surface detector.