The century-old mystery solved: Where does lightning come from?

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Lightning is a familiar phenomenon in the sky whenever thunderstorms occur, but its origin has puzzled scientists for centuries.

Lightning bolts can be very long. The current record belongs to a lightning bolt that stretched across the sky from Texas to Kansas (USA) in 2017, measuring 829 km (Photo: Getty).

For centuries, lightning has been a mysterious natural phenomenon, explained by mythological legends.

Although modern science has identified lightning as a massive electrical current discharged through the air, its underlying origin remains a major question.

Now, an international team of scientists led by Penn State University (USA) has published the answer, revealing a complex and silent chain of reactions occurring inside the cloud before the lightning strike actually occurs.

According to the latest research in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmosphere , lightning is not a sudden electrical discharge.

Instead, this process begins with cosmic rays – high-energy particles from space that collide with the Earth's atmosphere.

As these rays penetrate thunderstorm clouds, they generate fast-moving electrons. In the cloud's strong electric field (formed by collisions between ice and water particles), these electrons are further accelerated, colliding with air molecules such as nitrogen and oxygen, producing X-rays and high-energy photons.

This process is likened to a "grain avalanche," where an initial particle triggers the formation of a cascade of new particles, ultimately leading to the formation of lightning.

Remarkably, this entire reaction occurs without light or thunder, leaving people completely unaware until the lightning actually strikes.

Behind the lightning strike remain unexplained mysteries (Photo: Getty).

Professor Victor Pasko, head of the research team, stated: "This is the first time we have a complete quantitative model explaining the phenomenon of lightning formation in nature, connecting X-rays, electrons, and electric fields in clouds."

To test the hypothesis, the research team used computer simulations combined with real-world data from satellites, ground sensors, and specialized aircraft.

The results showed that the model was in perfect agreement with field observations, especially regarding gamma-ray bursts at ground level – extremely powerful bursts of radiation that typically occur during thunderstorms but without accompanying lightning or flashing.

This explains why there are instances of "lightning strikes" without any visible flash, because the reactions occur in very small volumes, sometimes producing only faint X-rays that are invisible to the naked eye and inaudible to the human ear.

This model, which the team calls "Photoelectric Feedback Discharge," was first published in 2023 and has now been validated.

This discovery not only sheds light on a familiar natural phenomenon but also opens up new avenues of research into the impact of the universe on Earth's climate, as well as the interaction between fundamental particles and the natural electromagnetic environment.

This is a significant step forward, promising applications in weather forecasting, disaster warning, and aviation safety.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/bi-an-the-ki-duoc-giai-dap-set-hinh-thanh-do-dau-20250807081406642.htm