THE RELATIVE TIMING BETWEEN TERRESTRIAL GAMMA-RAY FLASHES (TGFS) AND LIGHTNING OPTICAL EMISSIONS IS A CRITICAL PARAMETER THAT MAY ELUCIDATE THE PRODUCTION MECHANISM(S) OF TGFS. IN THIS PROJECT WE STUDY THE CORRELATION BETWEEN OPTICAL EMISSIONS DETECTED BY THE GEOSTATIONARY LIGHTNING MAPPER (GLM) AND TGFS TRIGGERED BY THE GAMMA-RAY BURST MONITOR (GBM). IN ADDITION WE STUDY THE LIGHTNING ACTIVITIES IN THE THUNDERCLOUD CELLS THAT PRODUCE TGFS AND WE IDENTIFY THE FREQUENCY OF LIGHTNING IN THESE CELLS. FROM THIS STUDY WE FIND THAT THUNDERCLOUD CELLS THAT PRODUCE A TGF IS CHARACTERIZED BY LOW TO MEDIUM LIGHTNING FLASH RATES. ALSO THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THE PRODUCTION MECHANISM OF TGFS TO BE A COMBINATION OF LIGHTNING LEADER PROCESSES AND ELECTRON ACCELERATION BY THE AMBIENT LARGE-SCALE ELECTRIC FIELD IN THE THUNDERCLOUD.

The University Of Alabama In Huntsville

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