Relativistic runaway electron avalanche development near the electric
field threshold in inhomogeneous air
Abstract
Relativistic Runaway Electrons Avalanches (RREAs) development depends on
the applied electric field and the environment air density. This
dependency controls the RREA exponential growth length scale. The RREA
development affects the bremsstrahlung excess occurring due to the
passage of charged particles through the thundercloud’s electric fields,
the gamma-ray glow. We used Monte Carlo simulations to develop an
empirical model showing the RREA behavior in a realistic atmospheric
density profile. The new formulation shows how the density variation
modulates the electron population under electric field strengths near
the RREA electric field threshold. The model limits the initial RREA
altitude range as a function of the electric field strength. The new
model is valid between $\sim$ 0.6 and
$\sim$ 18 km, covering the relevant heights to
investigate the generation of ground-detected gamma-ray glows.