Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements Abruptly Terminated by the Lightning Flash

Abstract:

Electrons giving rise to the Thunderstorm ground enhancements (TGEs) are accelerated in the lower dipole formed by the main negatively charged region in the middle of the cloud and the transient lower positively charged region (LPCR). The LPCR prevents the lightning leader from reaching the ground and usually no −CG lightning occurs during mature LPCR when the particle flux is sizable. Only after decaying of the LPCR lightning the stepped leader makes its path to the ground. Polarized water droplets also have a role in the TGE initiation. Our observations show that only at high humidity the TGEs at Aragats are possible and rains terminate the particle fluxes. We consider TGE events abruptly terminated by the lightning discharge. Proceeding from the large collection of the sharply stopped TGE events detected on Mt. Aragats we investigated how particle fluxes can help the stepped leader to reach the ground.