AGS-PRF: Next Generation of Gamma-ray Detectors Designed to Study Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes, Gamma-ray Glows and X-ray Stepped Leaders

高能大气物理学是关于雷暴中闪电发出的高能辐射的一个相对较新的研究领域。到目前为止，观测到的与雷暴有关的高能辐射有三种类型：伽马射线辉光、地面伽马射线闪光(TGFs)和X射线阶跃引头。这项博士后奖学金下的研究将寻求更好地衡量、理解这些过程，或许还会在这些过程之间建立联系。这项工作将通过改善对雷暴辐射的理解而产生社会效益，雷暴辐射已成为航空公司机组人员和乘客的担忧。该项目还将通过指导关系促进本科教育，并通过与日本科学家的互动促进国际合作。伽马射线发光、TGFs和X射线阶梯状领导可能是相关的现象，有助于解释雷暴的整体充放电。该项目的目标是研究这三个过程，并概述廉价、快速和高通量伽马射线探测器的发展及其在日本研究独特的低顶雷暴的部署。加州大学伯克利分校的空间科学实验室将在两年内建造四个探测器。除了新的测量能力，研究人员还将分析来自现有卫星和机载仪器的转化生长因子数据。

High-energy atmospheric physics is a relatively new field of study regarding high-energy radiation that is emitted by lightning in thunderstorms. There are three types of high-energy emission that have been observed in connection with thunderstorms so far: gamma-ray glows, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) and x-ray stepped leaders. The research under this Postdoctoral Fellowship Award will seek to better measure, understand, and perhaps make a connection between these processes. This work will have societal benefit through improved understanding of radiation from thunderstorms, which has become a concern for airline crew and passengers. The project will also promote undergraduate education through a mentoring relationship and international collaboration through interaction with Japanese scientists.Gamma-ray glows, TGFs and x-ray stepped leaders are phenomena that may be related and can help explain the overall charging and discharging of a thunderstorm. This project targets the study of these three processes and outlines the development of cheap, fast and high-throughput gamma-ray detectors and their deployment to study uniquely low-topped thunderstorms in Japan. Four detectors will be built over two years at the Space Science Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to the new measurement capability, the researcher will also be analyzing TGF data from already existing satellite and airborne instruments.