A method of determining basic thunderstorm field parameters from variations of cosmic ray muons detected by a horizontal array

Abstract

An array of scintillators tightly packed in the horizontal plane and designed for recording secondary particles produced by cosmic rays is capable of probing the angular dependence of intensity disturbances caused by electric fields of a thunderstorm atmosphere. The basic parameters of thunderstorm activity are estimated using a specific example of variation in intensity in different ranges of energy release in the detectors. These parameters include the characteristic radius of the active region (5 km), its total charge (30 C), the accumulated electric field energy (6 GJ), and the potential difference in the stratosphere above the active thunderstorm region (375 MV).