Analysis of data from a lightning mapper and a small, hand-held radiation detector has unexpectedly shed light on what a gamma-ray burst from lightning might look like – by observing neutrons generated from soil by very large cosmic-ray showers. The work took place at the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Cosmic Ray Observatory in Mexico.
Tag: Lightning

Rare ‘superbolt’ flashes found to be 1,000 times brighter than normal lightning
Two new studies about the brightest lightning events on Earth—called “superbolts”—found that they are distinct from normal lightning flashes and can be more than 1,000 times brighter.

Telescopes and Spacecraft Join Forces to Probe Deep into Jupiter’s Atmosphere
Thanks to the teamwork of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Gemini Observatory, and the Juno spacecraft, scientists are able to probe deep into Jupiter’s storm systems and investigate sources of lightning outbursts, map cyclonic vortices, and unravel the nature of enigmatic features within the Great Red Spot.

Wichita State licenses wind turbine protection technology to Lightning Diversion Systems
Wichita State University and WSU Ventures have entered into a new strategic partnership with California-based Lightning Diversion Systems (LDS), a Ducommun Company.
The partnership involves the exclusive licensing of a lightning strike protection system for rotor blades in the wind turbine industry, the product of several years of research and development by LDS and Billy Martin, senior research scientist for WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research, and his team in NIAR’s Environmental Test Lab.