A photo from open sources
Despite the fact that everyone saw at least one lightning once in their lives, few people know where they come from. Moreover, many scientists suggest that there is only a thundercloud a charge equal to one tenth necessary for the formation of even the most weak lightning. According to Alex Gurevich of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, cosmic rays cause lightning. Twenty years ago he introduced the theory that cosmic rays falling on our planet, cause a phenomenon that many are used to calling by lightning. Scientist suggests that cosmic rays after collisions with air molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere release electrons. These electrons then crash into other molecules, in resulting in an even greater amount of release electrons, which leads to a chain reaction, or as it called Gurevich – breakdown on runaway electrons. On the other hand, some scientists claim that to get real lightning an extremely high energy beam is required. Cosmic rays of such power rarely enter the atmosphere, and if the theory is true, lightning should not happen as often as we used to see them. But Gurevich sees the explanation that thunderstorms clouds pass through the so-called hydro-meteorites (drops of water and ice). In such conditions, even weak cosmic rays become powerful enough to produce bright lightning. And it is these rays often pass through the atmosphere. In the course of further Gurevich and colleagues conducted a series of experiments at Research Institute of Radiophysical Institute in Lower Novgorod. They compared a large number of radio signals, produced by about 4,000 lightning strikes in Russia and Kazakhstan. These the signals turned out to be very similar in nature to those that can be created by runaway electron breakdown caused by cosmic rays. If the conclusions of scientists are correct, then the theory will answer many issues of modern science. However, in order to to get more accurate results, additional research. For example, you need to simultaneously measure energy streams caused by cosmic rays, as well as radio pulses at lightning bolts.
Sergey Vasilenkov
Russia
