The discovery by Martin Fullekrug, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Bath shows that when electric shocks during particularly intense storms coincide with high-energy particles from space (cosmic rays), nature provides the necessary conditions for to form a giant particle accelerator on the storm clouds.

Cosmic rays strip electrons from molecules of air and these are accelerated upwards by the discharge electric field. Thus, free electrons and the electric field of lightning form a natural particle accelerator. (more…)