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Fermi’s Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) Julie E. McEnery Fermi Project Scientist

Fermi’s Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) Julie E. McEnery Fermi Project Scientist. Before launch. Large Area Telescope. Gamma-ray Burst Monitor NaI detectors (6 of 12). Gamma-ray Burst Monitor BGO detector (1 of 2). GBM Trigger Rate since launch.

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Fermi’s Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) Julie E. McEnery Fermi Project Scientist

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  1. Fermi’s Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) Julie E. McEnery Fermi Project Scientist

  2. Before launch Large Area Telescope Gamma-ray Burst Monitor NaI detectors (6 of 12) Gamma-ray Burst Monitor BGO detector (1 of 2)

  3. GBM Trigger Rate since launch Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are short bursts of gamma-rays, seen from space, that originate deep within the Earth’s atmosphere.

  4. Thunderstorms hurl antimatter into space The Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) observes positrons from Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes (TGFs) Michael S. Briggs of UA Huntsville And the GBM Team: Valerie Connaughton, Colleen Wilson-Hodge, Robert D. Preece, Gerald J. Fishman, R. Marc Kippen, P. N. Bhat, William S. Paciesas, Vandiver L. Chaplin, Charles A. Meegan, Andreas von Kienlin, Jochen Greiner, Joseph R. Dwyer and David M. Smith of UA Huntsville, MSFC, MPE, FIT and UCSC

  5. GBM has observed 130 TGFs TGFs are concentrated in the tropics near thunderstorms Typical TGF Unusual TGF

  6. Producing the “mirror” peak

  7. Positrons annihilating on Fermi 511,000 eV line Four of 130 TGFs show strong line at 511 keV from electron-positron annihilation

  8. Inside a thundercloud:Strong electric fields accelerate electrons to nearly the speed of light. These electrons emit gamma-rays . Gamma-rays High-energy runaway electrons Electric field

  9. TGFs Produce Gamma-rays and Charged Particles

  10. Summary • Fermi GBM has detected 130 Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes since launch in 2008 • Four of these events clearly show the creation of anti-matter associated with thunderstorms • One unusual TGF occurs far from a thunderstorm, but is detected (twice!) by GBM due to connection with Earth’s magnetic field which channels electrons

  11. Backups follow

  12. Artist’s impression of a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF) and electron-positron beam seen from space

  13. Artist’s impression of a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF) and electron-positron beam seen from space

  14. Artist’s impression of a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF) and electron-positron beam seen from space

  15. Above the thundercloud:Some of these gamma-rays (red) propagate into outer space. On their way, they create electrons and positrons (blue) that also propagate into space. Runaway electrons

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