Lightning produces neutrons, according to new research

Arstechnica : Russian scientists have found that as many as 5000 low-energy neutrons per cubic meter are produced every second by lightning strikes. The results of their research were published last week in Physical Review Letters. Based on research begun in 1985, the new experiment used three detectors sensitive to low-energy neutronsâmdash;one aboveground, one partially shielded in a building, and one underground. The electrical activity of incoming storms was monitored using numerous instruments. Because cosmic rays also generate neutrons, the multiple detectors were needed to determine the neutrons’ origin: Neutrons from cosmic rays, created when muons collide in the detectors, have higher energy than neutrons from lightning, which lose energy by colliding with molecules in the air before they reach the detectors. The finding adds to the growing body of evidence that there is a lot more going on during thunderstorms than previously thought.