Conditions of particle accelerators mimicked above thunderstorms

Electron acceleration occurs with natural particle accelerators in atmosphere during lightning strikes:

from http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2010/04/15/giant-natural-particle-accelerator-discovered-above-thunderclouds/ :

'The cosmic rays strip off electrons from air molecules and these electrons are accelerated upwards by the electric field of the lightning discharge. The free electrons and the lightning electric field then make up a natural particle accelerator.

The accelerated electrons then develop into a narrow particle beam which can propagate from the lowest level of the atmosphere (the troposphere), through the middle atmosphere and into near-Earth space, where the energetic electrons are trapped in the Earth’s radiation belt and can eventually cause problems for orbiting satellites.'

'In the next few years five different planned space missions (the TARANIS, ASIM, CHIBIS, IBUKI and FIREFLY satellites) will be able to measure the energetic particle beams directly.


Eric