Speaker
Description
The GRAPES-3 tracking muon telescope in Ooty, India, features high angular resolution and statistical precision, enabling the detection of variations in muon counts in short-term during thunderstorms, known as thunderstorm-induced muon events (TIMEs) [1-4]. This study examines the TIME observed on 20 March 2020, using corrected muon angular data from the Ooty telescope. Atmospheric pressure corrections and Fourier methods were applied to enhance data accuracy. The corrected muon data were analyzed alongside ground-based lightning measurements from four electric field mills (EFMs) in Ooty, lightning location data from the Indian Lightning Location Network (ILLN), and cloud-top temperature data from the INSAT-3DR geostationary satellite. By correlating cloud-top temperatures, lightning activity, and muon intensity variations, this analysis reveals the interplay between atmospheric dynamics, lightning, and cosmic-ray muons, providing new insights into thunderstorm-induced muon events.
References:
1. P.K Nayak et al., Observation of thunderstorm-induced muon events in GRAPES-3 experiment, J. Atmos. Sol.–Terr. Phys. 258 (2024) 106231.
2. P.K Nayak et al., Seasonal variation of thuderstorm-induced muon events observed at GRAPES-3, Proc. of Sci. 444 (2023) 403.
3. P.K Nayak et al., The Ooty muon telescope reveals what climate did in 2022 summer, Ind. J. Phys. 98 (2024) 4239.
4. P.K Nayak et al., Long-term observations of thunderstorm-induced muon events at GRAPES-3 experiment using the Ooty tracking muon telescope during boreal summers (2006–2024), 8th WMO Inter. Workshop on Monsoons (IWM-8) 17-21 March 2025, IITM Pune (to be presented).
