Firefly Cubesat To Study Possible Gamma-ray Connection To Lightning

摘要

NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) plan to launch a cubesat in 2010 called Firefly that is designed to explore the relationship between terrestrial lightning and gamma-ray bursts detected in space. The project stems from the surprising discovery made by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory in the 1990s showing that gamma-ray flashes were being produced not only by astronomical objects, but also by some source on Earth.rn"We believe there is some correlation between those flashes and the lightning we see on Earth," said Joanne Hill, Firefly co-investigator and a research scientist at Universities Space Research Association in Columbia, Md. "But nobody has measured lightning in the optical instruments at the same time as these gamma ray flashes."rnBy understanding the source of the gamma-ray bursts and their frequency, Firefly investigators hope to gain a better understanding of storms on Earth. "Lightning is the Earth's most energetic process," Hill said. "It's not well understood how it can be so energetic. Understanding this process better may help us understand what creates severe storms."