Abstract Employing large thunderstorm ground enhancements (TGEs) as a manifestation of the strong electric field in thundercloud we measure fluxes of almost all species of secondary cosmic rays to estimate the strength of the intracloud electric field. The modulation that electric field poses on charged particle flux gives a sizable change in count rate of detectors measuring high energy muon flux and inclined muon flux in the presence of a TGE. The muon stopping effect, observed by the particle detectors located at 3200 m altitude at Aragats Space Environmental Center (ASEC) implicates the abrupt decline of count rate of high energy muons (at vertical incidence with energies above 250 MeV and at inclined incidence with azimuth angle θ> 22° for lower energies). For the large TGE events (relative enhancement > 10% in SEVAN detector upper layer, registering low energy charged particles and electrons) muon count rate decreases down to 2-5% from the mean count rate measured before the TGE event. A simple model of shifting of the energy spectrum of particles entering the electric field was applied for the analysis of several events where the muon stopping (deceleration) effect has been observed. For the large TGE events that occurred during last decade the maximal potential drop of 350 MV was estimated. The most probable electric field strength for this event was found to be ∼2 kV/cm.

中文翻译：

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阻滞μ子效应与云内电场估计

摘要 使用大型雷暴地面增强 (TGE) 作为雷云中强电场的一种表现形式，我们测量几乎所有种类的次级宇宙射线的通量，以估计云内电场的强度。电场对带电粒子通量的调制使检测器在 TGE 存在下测量高能 μ 子通量和倾斜 μ 子通量的计数率发生相当大的变化。位于 Aragats 空间环境中心 (ASEC) 3200 m 高度的粒子探测器观测到的 μ 子停止效应表明高能 μ 子计数率的突然下降（垂直入射能量超过 250 MeV，倾斜入射角倾斜入射） θ> 22° 用于较低能量）。对于大型 TGE 事件（相对增强 > 10% 在 SEVAN 探测器上层，记录低能量带电粒子和电子）μ 子计数率从 TGE 事件之前测量的平均计数率下降到 2-5%。应用进入电场的粒子能谱移动的简单模型来分析观察到 μ 子停止（减速）效应的几个事件。对于过去十年中发生的大型 TGE 事件，估计最大可能下降 350 MV。发现该事件最可能的电场强度为~2 kV/cm。应用进入电场的粒子能谱移动的简单模型来分析观察到 μ 子停止（减速）效应的几个事件。对于过去十年中发生的大型 TGE 事件，估计最大可能下降 350 MV。发现该事件最可能的电场强度为~2 kV/cm。应用进入电场的粒子能谱移动的简单模型来分析观察到 μ 子停止（减速）效应的几个事件。对于过去十年中发生的大型 TGE 事件，估计最大可能下降 350 MV。发现该事件最可能的电场强度为~2 kV/cm。