Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanches in the Presence of an External Magnetic Field

Abstract:

Relativistic runaway electron avalanches are known to be produced inside the high electric field regions of thunderstorms. In this work, we include the effects of an external static magnetic field. Previous studies have shown that the magnetic field has a great influence on the electron motion at higher altitudes, e.g. Lehtinen et al., 1997, and Gurevich et al., 1996. This result proves important when studying phenomena such as Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes, and their effects on the upper atmosphere. Therefore, electron avalanche rates, feedback rates, and electron energy distribution functions will be analyzed and compared to the results of previous studies that did not include a magnetic field. The runaway electron avalanche model (REAM) is a Monte Carlo code that simulates the generation, interactions, and propagation of relativistic runaway electrons in air [Dwyer, 2003, 2004, 2007]. We use this simulation for varying strengths and angles between the electric and magnetic fields to calculate avalanche lengths and angular distribution functions of the relativistic runaway electrons. We will also show electron distribution functions in momentum space. Finally, we will discuss the important regimes for which the magnetic field becomes significant in studying the properties of runaway electron avalanches and relativistic feedback.