The emission of energetic electrons from the complex streamer corona adjacent to leader stepping

We here propose a model to capture the complexity of the streamer corona adjacent to leader stepping and relate it to the production of energetic electrons serving as a source of X-rays and $\gamma$-rays, manifesting in terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). During its stepping, the leader tip is accompanied by a corona consisting of multitudinous streamers perturbing the air in its vicinity and leaving residual charge behind. We explore the relative importance of air perturbations and preionization on the production of energetic run-away electrons by 2.5D cylindrical Monte Carlo particle simulations of streamers in ambient fields of 16 kV cm$^{-1}$ and 50 kV cm$^{-1}$ at ground pressure. We explore preionization levels between $10^{10}$ m$^{-3}$ and $10^{13}$ m$^{-3}$, channel widths between 0.5 and 1.5 times the original streamer widths and air perturbation levels between 0\% and 50\% of ambient air. We observe that streamers in preionized and perturbed air accelerate more efficiently than in non-ionized and uniform air with air perturbation dominating the streamer acceleration. We find that in unperturbed air preionization levels of $10^{11}$ m$^{-3}$ are sufficient to explain run-away electron rates measured in conjunction with terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. In perturbed air, the production rate of runaway electrons varies from $10^{10}$ s$^{-1}$ to $10^{17}$ s$^{-1}$ with maximum electron energies from some hundreds of eV up to some hundreds of keV in fields above and below the breakdown strength. In the presented simulations the number of runaway electrons matches with the number of energetic electrons measured in alignment with the observations of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Conclusively, the complexity of the streamer zone ahead of leader tips allows explaining the emission of energetic electrons and photons from streamer discharges.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

Cross sections and modelling results for TGF- and positron spectrum produced by a negative stepped lightning leader

We model the energy resolved angular distribution of TGFs and of positrons produced by a negative lightning leader stepping upwards in a thundercloud. First we present our new results for doubly differential cross sections for Bremsstrahlung and pair production based on the triply differential cross-sections of Bethe and Heitler. Other cross sections in literature and databases do not cover the appropriate energy range or do not apply to the small atomic numbers of nitrogen and oxygen or do not resolve both energies and emission angles of emitted photons or positrons. Second we have extended the Monte Carlo model of Chao Li towards relativistic electron energies, and we have included the new cross sections as well as Compton scattering of photons and photo ionization. We will present the angular resolved spectrum of TGFs and positrons of stepped negative leaders and compare it with results of other authors

Bis(trimethyl­ammonium) tetra­chlorido­diphenyl­stannate(IV)

The title compound, [(CH3)3NH]2[Sn(C6H5)2Cl4], consists of [(CH3)3NH]+ cations and [SnPh2Cl4]2− anions in which the Sn atom, located on a centre of inversion, is bonded to four Cl atoms and two phenyl rings, giving an octa­hedral geometry with the phenyl rings in trans positions. In the crystal, the cations and the anions are connected by N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯Cl inter­actions

Dibenzyl­aza­nium (oxalato-κ2 O,O′)triphenyl­stannate(IV)

The title compound, (C14H16N)[Sn(C6H5)3(C2O2)], was synthesised by allowing C2O4(Bz2NH2)2 (Bz = benzyl) to react with SnPh3Cl. The asymmetric unit is built up by four SnPh3C2O4 anions and four Bz2NH2 cations which are related by a pseudo-inversion centre. Each SnIV cation is five-coordinated by the three phenyl groups and two O atoms belonging to the chelating oxalate ligand; the coordination geometry is that of a distorted trigonal bipyramid. Anions and cations are linked through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a layer structure parallel to (001). Moreover, the anion–cation pairs are associated by two bifurcated N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating pseudo-dimers. One of the phenyl groups of one anion is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.69:0.31 ratio. The Flack parameter value of 0.44 (1) indicates racemic twinning