Author(s): Heather Mentzer, University of California Santa Cruz (First Author, Presenting Author) David Smith, University of California Santa Cruz Colle Callaghan, University of California Santa Cruz John Ortberg, US Air Force Academy Gregory Bowers, Los Alamos National Laboratory Monica Leys, University of Pittsburgh
We built a simulation to predict how detectors observe X-rays from lightning, depending on factors like source height, photon energy, and detector position. This tool helps explain how distance, beaming, and atmospheric effects can make X-rays appear more energetic than they really are, and is designed to support other researchers studying lightning emissions.
