[ RadSafe ] 10 rem from lightning??

[Joseph Alvarez]

Bjorn
I, too, experienced a aircraft lightening strike. We could see flashes along
and around the wings, very impressive. I agree. Once is enough.

While many of the news articles refer to radiation from lightening, the
radiation is coming from Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes. Gamma bursts
near/above thunder clouds. These were discovered by cosmic ray satellites
pointed away from the earth; therefore not optimized for flashes behind
them. There is a new, quite small satellite called Firefly to observe TGFs.
Other radiations have been suspected near lightening flashes from runaway
electrons in the lightening path. Those interested should Google TGFs,
runaway electrons, and subsequent terms that come up. Also, see NASA for the
Firefly.
Joe

On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 9:29 AM, Bjorn Cedervall <bcradsafers at hotmail.com>wrote:

>
> 3-4 years ago I had the "opportunity" to be a passenger in an airplane that
> was struck by lightening just 5-10 minutes before we landed at Arlanda (our
> major airport north of Stockholm). I was in the first row sitting by the
> window and saw the flash + heard of course the bang like if something hard
> had hit the plane (very different sound compared to being in a house struck
> by lightening - I have experienced that twice...). No one screamed or
> anything like that.
>
>
>
> The air hostess was standing there in the middle just 3 meters away - and
> seemed to remain calm - looked at us up front and just said what it was.
> After landing I asked her about the frequency of these events. Her comment
> was that she had been working in the air for eight years and this was the
> second time. I know this provides shaky "statistics" but 1-2 events per year
> worldwide sounds low.
>
>
>
> Hope you excuse this off topic sharing of the experience itself (I do not
> want a repeat experiment...) - I am eager to understand more about the
> potential doses.
>
>
>
> Bjorn Cedervall   bcradsafers at hotmail.com
>
>
>
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-- 
Joseph L. Alvarez, PhD, CHP
Alpha Beta Gamut
716 Schenley Rd.
Knoxville, TN 37923
Phone: 865-591-0175