Simulation of a two step TGF ignition above cloudtops with MeV electron input fluxes generated in the electric fields of lightning streamers

Abstract:

The origin of high energy electrons which contribute to the Runaway Electron Avalanche of a TGF are not precisely known, or yet observed, though the most obvious source would seem to be the products of cosmic ray showers, or electron avalanches generated in the high electric field near the tips of lightning leaders. With our TGF simulation software package LEPTRACK we can easily create all kinds of electric field geometries and are investigating the second scenario with combinations of lightning leader and streamer micro-fields producing electron avalanches, which may or may not be runaway, which are then input to the macro-fields expected at or above thunderstorm cloudtops.We will present the detailed evolution of photon, electron, neutron/proton and ionization density fields resulting to demonstrate the possibility that TGF origin is not one of the two models currently proposed but may be a combination of both.