Atmospheric discharges and particle fluxes

Fluxes of the electrons, gamma rays, and neutrons observed by particle detectors located on the Earth's surface during thunderstorms originate so‐called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs). The relativistic runaway electron avalanches giving rise to TGEs originate in the thundercloud's lower dipole between the main negatively charged region in the middle of the thundercloud and transient lower positively charged region. Acceleration of electrons in the upper dipole between main negative and main positive charge regions leads to initiation of the terrestrial gamma flashes (TGFs) intensive researched during the last two decades by orbiting gamma ray observatories. TGFs are exceptionally intense, submillisecond bursts of electromagnetic radiation directed to the open space from the thunderstorm atmosphere. Unlike visible lightning, TGF beams do not create a hot plasma channel and optical flash; hence, in the literature they got name “dark lightning.” We investigate the TGEs development in 1 min and 1 s time series of particle detector count rates. Synchronized time series of the near‐surface electric field and lightning occurrences allows interconnecting two atmospheric phenomena. Registration of the Extensive Air Showers allows approaching problems of relation of the lightning occurrences and particle fluxes.