Hunting for Gamma Rays above Thunderstorms: The ALOFT Campaign

• DOI: 10.1175/bams-d-24-0060.1
• Publication Date: 2025-05-06T16:39:25Z
• Authors: Timothy J. Lang; Nikolai Østgaard; Martino Marisaldi; Mason G. Quick; Christopher J. Sc...; Ian Adams; Corey G. Amiot; Phillip Bitzer; Richard J. Blakeslee; Robert G. Brown; Kelly Carmer; Hugh Christian; Austin Clark; Morris Cohen; Steven Cummer; Martin Füllekrug; J. Eric Grove; Sebastian Harkema; Gerald Heymsfield; Paul Krehbiel; Rachael Kroodsma; Randall Longenbaugh; Douglas Mach; Matthew Walker Mc...; Andrey Mezentsev; Joan Montanyà; Marni Pazos; David Sarria; Daniel Shy; Mark A. Stanley; Ronald Thomas; T. Daniel Walker; Camilo Younes

Abstract An internationally collaborative airborne campaign in July 2023 – led by the University of Bergen (Norway) and NASA, with contributions from many other institutions discovered that thunderstorms near Florida Central America produce gamma rays far more frequently than previously thought. The was called Airborne Lightning Observatory for Fly’s Eye Geostationary Mapper (GLM) Simulator (FEGS) Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs), which shortens to ALOFT. employed a unique sampling strategy NASA’s high-altitude ER-2 aircraft, equipped gamma-ray lightning sensors, flying ground-based sensors. Realtime updates instruments, downlinked mission scientists on ground, enabled immediate return thunderstorm cells found be producing rays. This maximized observations radiation created strong electric fields clouds, showed how production may physically linked lifecycle. ALOFT also sampled storms entirely within stereo-viewing region GLM instruments GOES-16/18 performed multiple underflights International Space Station Imaging Sensor (ISS LIS), while using an upgraded FEGS instrument demonstrated operational value observing wavelengths (including ultraviolet) future spaceborne mappers. In addition, robust complement active passive microwave sensors including X- W-band Doppler radars, as well radiometers spanning 10-684 GHz some most intense convection ever overflown ER-2. These will benefit planned convection-focused NASA missions. is exemplar high-risk, high-reward field achieved results beyond original expectations.