Measurements of energy spectra of relativistic electrons and gamma-rays avalanches developed in the thunderous atmosphere with Aragats Solar Neutron Telescope

TL;DR

This paper presents measurements of energy spectra of relativistic electrons and gamma-ray avalanches in thunderstorms using the Aragats Solar Neutron Telescope, providing insights into atmospheric particle acceleration during thunderstorms.

Contribution

It introduces the use of the Aragats Solar Neutron Telescope for detailed energy spectrum measurements of atmospheric particle events during thunderstorms.

Findings

Energy spectra of a large thunderstorm ground enhancement (TGE) event were obtained.

The instrument setup and operational details are described.

Results contribute to understanding particle acceleration in thunderstorms.

Abstract

Aragats solar neutron telescope (ASNT) is a unique instrument allowing to measure the energy spectra of electrons accelerated and multiplied in the strong electric fields of the atmosphere. We describe the instrument setup, its operation condition, software, and hardware triggers. We present energy spectra of a very large thunderstorm ground enhancement (TGE) event observed on 6 October 2021.