Science View

Lightning Superbolts That Cause "Annihilation" (2021x17)

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In winter the area along the Sea of Japan experiences some of the heaviest snowfall in the world, as northerly winds from Eurasia blow with a large amount of water vapor from the Sea of Japan. Clouds that bring heavy snowfall spread out over a wide area, and are sometimes more than 100 kilometers wide. Ice particles inside the clouds rubbing against each other generate a large amount of static electricity, which in turn leads to extraordinary lightning called Superbolts with more than 1,000 times the energy of ordinary lightning. Dr. Teruaki ENOTO of RIKEN discovered that a phenomenon called "annihilation" occurs in these Superbolts, emitting enormous amounts of energy, and this has attracted worldwide attention. Annihilation is a phenomenon that is thought to have occurred in the formation of the universe, causing matter and antimatter to disappear in a burst of light. The study of annihilation in Superbolts is now providing clues about the beginning of our universe.