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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera
Published on: January 30, 2020
Detection of high-energy gamma rays from winter thunderclouds
H Tsuchiya1, T Enoto, S Yamada
1Cosmic Radiation Laboratory, Riken, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
Abstract:
A report is made on a comprehensive observation of a burstlike gamma-ray emission from thunderclouds on the Sea of Japan, during strong thunderstorms on 6 January 2007. The detected emission, lasting for approximately 40 sec, preceded cloud-to-ground lightning discharges. The burst spectrum, extending to 10 MeV, can be interpreted as consisting of bremsstrahlung photons originating from relativistic electrons. This ground-based observation provides the first clear evidence that strong electric fields in thunderclouds can continuously accelerate electrons beyond 10 MeV prior to lightning discharges.
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